<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">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.<div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Chris Slaymaker</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">1971 Westfalia "Lurch"</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">1971 Squareback "Foster"</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Knoxville, TN</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">". . . at least I'm enjoying the ride."</p></div></span></div></span></span>
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