Date:         Mon, 11 Dec 1995 11:37:00 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      Re: no start -(


>> The alternator could be suspect, but I haven't seen the alt light come on 
at
>all. The
>>voltage at the battery terminals with the engine running is around 14
>>volts.
>====================
>A good rough check of the alternator/regulator is with the engine running 
and
>high beam headlights and high blower heater fan on, check the voltage at 
the
>battery.  It should be above 13 volts or better as the alternator "carrys" 
the
>load.  You may have to put the idle up a bit, but if the voltage drops to 
12.6
>or lower no matter what the engine speed, you most likely have an
>alternator/regulator system problem.


An even simpler, and rougher, check of this, is to start your engine,
point your car at a wall or garage door at night, turn on the headlights,
and observe how bright they are with the engine running. Then, watching the
headlight glare on the wall, shut down the engine. The lights should get
somewhat dimmer, enough to notice.

If the lights don't get any dimmer when you shut down the engine, then
your alternator and/or regulator are not doing their job, and it's time
to get a voltmeter as Harvey suggested, or visit a shop. Some places
(Such as Kragen auto parts) will test your electrical system for free,
obviously because they hope you give them your business because they're
being such nice guys.

If the lights DO get dimmer when you shut the engine down, that means that
the alternator and regulator were working correctly and supplying a voltage
that was a few volts higher than your normal battery voltage.

For those of you whose headlights are wired to shut off when you turn off
the ignition (what a pain, huh... makes it harder to notice that you've
left your headlights on, so you leave, and your parking lights run the 
battery
down anyway, at least if you're as stupid as me), point the car at the wall,
put it in FOURTH gear, put your right foot HARD on the brake, and let out 
the
clutch with your left to stop the engine. If you have the high-idle problem,
don't do this, unless you intended to remodel that part of the house anyway.

Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   '80 V6anagon
                              '71 VW Transporter

P.S. If you have a very weak battery, your alternator might be exhausting
all its oomph trying to charge it when it won't accept one.