[T3] Adventures in electronics (red light on)

[Dave Hall]

Don't worry about engine overheating if the belt breaks any time, as the
cooling fan runs on the crankshaft.  It's only the dynamo that needs the
belt.  

Jim posted a lot on brushes recently and the way they are made to take
direction of rotatuion into account.  It could be your brushes were the
wrong start from new (?rebuilt?).   I haven't experienced worn out brushes
on a series of Type 3s, but probably none has run more than 100,000 miles
from new, so they might all be ready for replacement!

Dave
UK VW Type 3&4 Club
===================


-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org
[mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of Chris
Slaymaker
Sent: 22 January 2013 02:39
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: [T3] Adventures in electronics (red light on)

I was driving to work at dawn this morning and the GEN light comes on.
Normally, I would pull over immediately because in most VWs of that vintage,
it could be a broken fan belt (and loss of cooling).  Instead, I turned my
headlights off and drove the remaining 3 miles (of a 17-mile drive).  I had
noticed the smell of overheated electronics prior to the light going on, so
I suspected the voltage regulator.  When I parked the car, I pulled up the
back seat and the voltage regulator was hot, but looked OK.  I checked in
the engine compartment and saw that the brushes were worn down.  I mashed on
them and then fired it back up. The generator light was off, so I went in to
work.

This afternoon, while driving back home, the generator light started
flickering after about five miles, then was steady on about halfway home, so
I knew the brushes weren't gonna hold me until I found new ones.

Incidentally, I called the local NAPA store and they said they had to be
made at the factory and shipped to the store.  It would take three days and
shipping alone would be $12.

I found a set of used brushes in one of my spare generators (Type 1) and put
them in.  Now everything seems to be OK.  I will call a friend whose primary
business is buggies and rails (he's been working on ACVWs since the 70s) and
hopefully will find a couple of new sets of brushes tomorrow.

The brushes that were in there wore down prematurely (2 years and 18,000
miles) in my opinion.  They came with the new generator that I put in there
at the time.  Someone said that a faulty voltage regulator can cause
premature wear, but this one tested (and continues to test) fine.  I've got
a spare (solid state also), but what's the point?  I guess they don't make
brushes (or generators) (or voltage regulators) like they used to.

Chris Slaymaker
1971 Westfalia "Lurch"
1971 Squareback "Foster"
Knoxville, TN

". . . at least I'm enjoying the ride."

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