Date:         Thu, 8 Apr 1999 13:41:24 -0400
Reply-To:     "Fitz-Randolph, Douglas" <dfrandolph@TALKAM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Fitz-Randolph, Douglas" <dfrandolph@TALKAM.NET>
Subject:      '90 2.1 Syncro: Is my Alternator dying? Rebuild or replace?
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Similar to Greg Hamburg, my battery/alternator light stays on when I start
the engine of my '90 syncro. (Not the OXS light, though.)  When I first step
on the gas, the light goes off and stays off until the next time I start the
engine.  The light will not go off unless I rev the engine slightly - I've
waited for about a minute. This started happening about a week after I
replaced my instrument cluster with one from an '88 (or perhaps '89) with a
tachometer, which my "non-GL" didn't have. The new panel also added an OXS
light, which I also didn't have before. I'm making the following
assumptions...

1) That the alt/bat light starting to come on until I first step on the gas
coinciding with the new instrument panel install is just that - pure
coincidence.

2) That the light coming on is an early warning sign that my alternator is
beginning to fail.

I'm planning to take a long drive this weekend, and I'm wondering if I
should pick up an alternator just in case - or even replace mine altogether
- before departing. Also, if I don't have to replace the alternator in an
emergency situation, I wonder if anyone can point me to a good source of
info about testing/rebuilding alternators. I've seen the replacement
brushes/bearings at Bus Depot, and that seems like a far more economical way
to go if it will fix the problem.

Thanks!

Doug Fitz-Randolph
Yarmouth, ME
dfrandolph@talkam.net
'90 Syncro


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