Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:08:11 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Alternator output and wire size?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
I noticed three ways to add another or bigger battery cable...
replace the stock one, which involves removing the gas tank ...so didn't
want to do that just now.
or route an additional cable in parallel ..
I didn't see an easy way to do that if the idea is to not go through the
interior with the cable at least a little..
like if you look into going out the bottom of the battery box, then into the
wheel well area ..
then back .....I saw the need for two holes in a large bracket under there
..
just didn't like that idea at all.
my van already had some holes from battery compartment to interior ..
so I just came though the aft wall of the battery box, then straight down
and through the floor, then back .
I protected everything with rubber grommets, or running the cable through
heater hose, etc. And it's out of sight under rug or upholstery where it's
inside .
I used some generic battery cable I collected from somewhere ..
about 9mm in cross section or so. ( in addition to the stock positive
battery cable )
Sure woke up my van starting and charging wise .
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "alfred bagdan" <abagdan@SHAW.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: Alternator output and wire size?
> Thanks Scott,
>
> The voltage at the alternator is now 14.0 Volts and at the battery 13.6
> Volts after cleaning the wires. Since the +ve wire for the 85 Vanagon
> seems
> to be inadequate, what is the best(and easiest) way to add another wire to
> help reduce the Voltage drop. And what size wire to add?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alfred
> 85, Westy
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 5:02 PM
> Subject: Re: Alternator output
>
>
>>< it's long, but the intenstions are good >
>>
>> hey all right Alfred.
>> you're on the right track.
>> in general, a battery should be at least mostly charged ..
>> like you're not really suppossed to use the alternator to charge up a
>> battery you know is somewhat discharged ( though people do it ) .
>>
>> and as another poster said, you should have almost all of the voltage
>> reading you are getting at the alternator at the battery ..
>> like a whole volt less at the battery would be really 'not right.'
>>
>> on my own 85 I had a problem like this ..more voltage at the alternator
>> than at the battery.
>> I finally had to add an additional chraging path from alt to battery.
>>
>> I find it interesting that in the next year vanagon , 1986..
>> the main battery cable from battery to starter solenoid is about double
>> the
>> size of the battery cable used in earlier vanagons.
>> VW does that a lot btw ...make something on the light side...
>> and upgrade it a few year models later . You can see that over and over
>> in
>> vanagons in various systems.
>>
>> maybe you'll find poor connections or resistance built up at
>> conenctions..
>> be sure to check the grounding strap, front of transmission to body of
>> van.
>>
>> if there is poor contact or high resistance it can be in the ground side
>> of
>> things, just as easily as it can be on the positive side of things.
>>
>> there is also such a thing as solid state adjustable voltage regulator to
>> put in Bosch alternators.
>> I have put some of those in , and I prefer charging voltage to be up to
>> 14.5
>> volts..
>> though these days..........I'm usually happy with a stock voltage
>> regulator
>> in the alternator and 'get by' with 13.8 volts if that's what it wants to
>> do.
>>
>> oh....dielectric grease ...
>> used wisely or correctly , can help prevent corrosion at electrical
>> contacts.
>> the grease itself is not conductiive ....the metal connectors still need
>> to
>> make solid contact..
>> but having actual point of electrica contact surrounded with dielectric
>> grease can help prevent future corrosion.
>>
>> in my mind ..
>> the three issues that build up in the wiring of old VW's are ..
>> corrosion corrosion corrosion .....I see so many 'greened out' ground
>> connections, ends of ceramic type fuses ....ground straps etc ...so
>> always
>> look for and work on that.
>>
>> and age and heat ...wires do get tired very very gradually.
>> I've seen, for example...
>> here's one ...that multi-ground connection point hidden above the fuse
>> box...
>> up in there where it's hard to see or access...
>> the headlights ground there .
>> you take 18+ years of headlight ground current flowing through there ..
>> the female spade connector gets weak from heat and age and current flow.
>> or corrodded from moisture ..
>> we need to find and treat all these spots on these fine vans.
>>
>> I would say the two main enemies are corrosion and lack of lubricant.
>> I'm driving this guy's 84 Westy right now , working on it for
>> intermittant
>> 'no igntion' ...
>> his turn signal stalk feels like sandpaper when I move it ..
>> it is impossible for me to imagine that sometime in the entire 26 years
>> since they assebled that van in Germany, that somenone has not given that
>> turn signal stalk and switch a brief shot of WD-40 ...
>> there are a few hundred tiny spots in vangons that need simple attention
>> like that.
>>
>> modern spray lube greases and wd-40 are wonderful materials. Based on
>> the
>> vans I see ..
>> hardly anyone ( I'm sure people on this list are more hip to the need for
>> lube on small things ) ...for so many vans....simple regular treatment
>> against corrosion and keeping things moving smoothy is rarely done.
>>
>> my lastest saying on that is 'fixing things when the break is a horrible
>> way
>> to take care of a vanagon' ..
>> cause it's not actually caring for them..
>> actually caring for them involves noticing all those little spots that
>> have
>> not been treated with something all these years. Untreated...things that
>> move wear out badly eventually ..( moving things kept even half-lubed
>> last
>> nearly indefenitely on the other hand )
>> and corrosion on electrical contacts takes hold.
>>
>> so in my mind, the typical 20 year old vanagon has dozens and dozens of
>> electrical contact points that need attention. ( and little spots that
>> have moving parts ..like say ..rear hatch strut pivot points ..
>> I have yet to see any of those ever lubed unless I did it ..though I am
>> sure
>> some vanagon owners must give care and attention there )
>>
>> I'll stop ..but all those rust bubbles ...
>> all that surface rust ..is SO easy to prevent , or even treat after it's
>> started. And it's fun and rewarding to take care of these Fine Vans too.
>> And as far as I can tell, there isn't anyone that will do all those
>> myriad
>> little things other than the owner of the van. Shops aren't going to.
>> They
>> replace parts like water pumps and clutches and CV joints ..
>>
>> and just "fixing things as they break is not really genuinely taking care
>> of
>> a vanagon ."
>> it's the different between a crown on a tooth, and brushing and flossing.
>> On is damage control, the other is actually taking care of something in
>> the
>> first place.
>>
>> Vanagons repsond VERY well to lubrication in hundreds of little spots on
>> them.
>> and corrosion is always trying to get to electrical connections..
>> 'everything' is trying to corrode and go back the earth or the ocean. But
>> we
>> can stop it really well, and treat everything in advance of it turning
>> into
>> greenish corrosion on connections, or powdery rust, like on the body or
>> underside. And they are so worthy of good detailed care !
>>
>> anyway ...
>> I hope you get 'er fixed really well !
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "alfred bagdan" <abagdan@shaw.ca>
>> To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>;
>> <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 10:44 PM
>> Subject: Re: Alternator output
>>
>>
>>> Hi Again,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the many replies.
>>> At the alternator, the voltage is 13.8 Volts. Is it supposed to be 14.7
>>> Volts?
>>> Anyway, I'll charge the battery fully, clean all the grounds and
>>> positive
>>> connections and see if the charging Voltage improves improves.
>>>
>>> Alfred
>>> 85, Westy
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 6:50 PM
>>> Subject: Re: Alternator output
>>>
>>>
>>>> what is the charging voltage measured at the alternator main terminal ?
>>>>
>>>> 13.0 volts at the battery is definitely low.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "alfred bagdan" <abagdan@SHAW.CA>
>>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 5:29 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: Alternator output
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>
>>>>> I put a voltmeter across the battery and revved the engine at 2000RPM+
>>>>> and
>>>>> get a reading of only 13.0 Volts.
>>>>> Should I be worried or will the alternator last a bit longer?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>
>>>>> Alfred
>>>>> 85 Vanagon
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Shawn Wright" <vwdiesels@GMAIL.COM>
>>>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 5:42 PM
>>>>> Subject: Two failed tires... :-(
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Last week I found a bad gash in one of my Yokohama 370s up front, so
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> planned to swap my BFG ATs from rear to front and put my Conti spares
>>>>>> on
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> rear. I figured this would be a good chance to try the BFGs on the
>>>>>> front,
>>>>>> as
>>>>>> I've never tried them (I only have 2). I was shocked to find a
>>>>>> horrible
>>>>>> bulge about 1" diameter in the tread of a BFG, where a previous patch
>>>>>> was
>>>>>> made (a proper inside patch done at Kal Tire). It is so bulged that
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> steel belts are showing and worn through, exposing the layer beneath.
>>>>>> Ack.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So that makes 2 bad tires in 2 weeks, meaning I am definitely looking
>>>>>> at
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> full set, probably with new 15 or 16" wheels.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm currently reading this thread:
>>>>>> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=203519
>>>>>>
>>>>>> trying to glean as much info as possible on wheel options. I hadn't
>>>>>> planned
>>>>>> on this now, but it seems I have no choice.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I was able to return the EV 15" wheels I bought as they were not a
>>>>>> good
>>>>>> fit
>>>>>> (ET55), so I'm shopping for options. I'm considering 16x7 ET35 wheels
>>>>>> from
>>>>>> tirerack (same as GoWesty sells) with BFG AT 215/70R16.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Shawn Wright
>>>
| 
