[T3] But wait, Im driving a 71 Volkswagen!

[Keith Park]

Been a LONG time since the 71 has let me down in any way, but last week it
was a drenchingly rainy morning, on the way to work

Halfway thru the turn on the busiest intersection in Clifton Park in rush
hour, and sitting there in the middle of the intersection

Waiting for the traffic to move again the car just shut off, like you turned
off the key and disconnected the battery, NOTHING, NADA,

NILL!  No lights, no starter NOTHING and no way to move it out of the middle
of the intersection!  Now to make matters worse I have

Only 1 useful arm as my broken wrist was still in a cast, and the stack of
Moron's behind me was too close to sneak out and roll back from!

 

OK, worst case so far. finally after losing 2 light changes (which added
about a half mile to the backup) the moron stack weaseled back

Far enough that I could roll it back (singlehandedly, its raining too hard
for volunteer help) to the side of the road at the corner and I got a 

Sherriff to sit behind me lit up keeping me safe.  I had him call a tow..
but wait,

 

IM DRIVING A 71 VOLKSWAGEN!

 

What is there that I cant fix to the point of getting it going again?  I had
no power, NOTHING. and No flashlight or volt meter.D'oh!

But ONE thing did work, the Gas heater!  It's the ONLY thing that doesn't go
thru the Ammeter!  WALLA!  The shunt in the Ammeter has opened up!

So with my non-dominant left hand in good practice from 6 weeks of exclusive
use I managed to get myself into a position to open up the side of the 

Center console and get in there with an adjustable wrench and (after
disconnecting the battery!) put both terminals on one stud and Walla!  The
power is back!

Took 45 minutes working in the dark with only one hand but it also took 45
minutes for the tow truck to arrive and he was so busy he didn't even

Charge me for coming out!

 

I later did FA to the Ammeter and found that the shunt had not opened but
one of the studs that's pressed into it at the end had developed a high

Resistance, melted the plastic a bit and opened the connection as the stud
started to move around.  It was sitting there at idle with nothing coming

Out of the generator but all the lights and wipers on, and rear defogger so
the ammeter had some serious current going thru it and I guess

After 27 years the cheap aftermarket part had seen enough.  Cant blame that
on VW!

 

And do you know that in the 27 years since, at some point, these little 2"
chrome ammeters had the polarity of their studs changed?

 

D'oh!

 

Keith

 

 

 

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