Date:         Fri, 25 Aug 2000 23:59:51 PDT
Reply-To:     Mark Dorm <mark_hb@hotmail.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Dorm <mark_hb@hotmail.com>
Subject:      Re: battery draining
Comments: To: EVEHART33@aol.com
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

BATTERY
>folks, I seem to be experienced battery drain. I am on my second new
> >battery (Autozone). The first died the night I put it in. Charles
>Hokanson

>My neighbor had to go through 3 new Autozone batteries before he got >a
>"good" one. Same symptoms as yours
>Ken Hunter

ALTENATOR
>Charged it and took the car to the FLAPS to again check the
>battery and alternator. Both OK. This went on for a while because I didn't
>want to cough $149 for a puny Japanese rebuilt. Finally took it to an
>alternator/starter shop and they found a bad diode. $45 later I had new
>diodes and brushes and it works fine. The "idiot lite" never gave a clue
>that
>the alternator had a problem. Double check the alternator.
>
>Ken Hunter

I had a lot of problems with my charging system on the last vehicle I had (a
Honda) - went through a half dozen or more alternators and roughly the same
number of batteries - the batteries came from Kragen - and the Alternators
from Saddleback Motors (I don't know who their supplier was... nor do I know
why I wasted money letting them put in an alternator - at least they
continued to put in alternators on warranty). Anyway, this continued until
the vehicle gave up its ghost for other reasons --- during all this I came
across a guy who has a shop that does nothing but rebuild alternators: Costa
Mesa Generator is the name I think.

Next time I have a problem with my charging system I'm going to:

A)go straight to a shop that specializes in Alternators/Generators who has a
good reputation

B)stick with a respected battery and not some chain store variety.


BTW, is Flaps better than Autozone and Kragen???

Mark in the Dark


________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com