Alternator - goin' sideways

Hey, Ted; how're you doing? Glad you're having fun with that thing. Sorry, electrics aren't my strong point; I know just enough about electricity to really hurt myself! When I put dimmer switches in my kids bedrooms (when they were younger) I couldn't figure out which breaker turned off the lights, so I turned off the whole panel. The wife came home and I was resetting clocks all over the place...

Anyway, just wanted to say hi. Al

Hey Al!

 

Yeah, I'm the same way. I think I'll start with the regulator and go from there. If it wasn't blown before, it is now.

 

Gordon or Wolfgang will come along soon to set me in the right direction.

 

Ted

You might be waiting a little bit; they're probably on the road. I hear a few guys are getting together back east...

What's the voltage at the D+ terminal (with wire disconnected) of the alternator when the key is off?

The recent reports of my traveling with a buncha drunks is greatly exaggerated......

 

I'm curious about the D+ voltage, too - key on, engine not running.

 

You may have fried the regulator/diode pack, but we don't know yet (even though it sounds like it was heading south anyway).  

 

Usually, I find that when a diode goes, one of the bearings is next so you might as well find a local automotive starter/alternator repair place and just have them rebuild it for you.  Usually takes a couple of days and they may use the diode pack you just ordered, saving you a few bucks.

Hey Guys!!? I thought everybody was on the road.   Nice to find you all still around.

 

I will have to go  buy a fluke meeter. Though, I may just bite the bullet and buy a new alternator. I doubt anyone in the San Francisco Bay area bothers to rebuild an alternator these days.

 

I'll call bugformance tomorrow and see if they have one in stock. I'll eat the 20.00 for the regulator.

 

Such is life. The sad part is the alternator and brushes are in great shape.

 

I'll let you know if I locate a meeter.

 

Ted

Ted,  I know that this sounds too simple, but had it happen to me, check your wires on the alternator.

 

Stephen

Hey Stephen,

 

My alternator has two wires. A red one and a blue one.

 

Both are connected at the alternator side. The blue one is connected on both ends. It's worth checking the other side of the red one. I'll check the red wire on the starter in the morning.

 

Stranger things have happened.

Ted

I just checked the price of a bosch alternator. Yikes.

 

I think I'll be seeing if I can get this one fixed.

Ted

I just searched for an auto electrical repair shop near San Fran and came up with over a dozen, with Freddys as a front-runner.  Worth a shot:

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/freddy...ectric-san-francisco

 

Plus, there are a bunch of "remanufactured" Bosch alternators out there (I've been running one for over 15 years) for less money.  Try CIP1.

Hey Gordon!

 

Thanks for the list. I'm 75 miles from San Fran. I did a similar search for San Jose and found a shop within walking distance of my office. I'm going to swing by there today and see what their back log looks like. I will the alternator this weekend. I should have done it yesterday, but I had back to back meetings all day and a 8-10pm with India.

 

If I can get that nut off the fan this should be a simple slam dunk to replace the regulator. While reading up on the alternator I kept coming across references to 'bad diodes'. Is the diode pack different than the regulator? Are they readily available? or is that a shop job?

 

Thanks again for the info,

Ted

What is the highest amperage alternator that is available for our cars?

There is a 55 amp model and I believe there used to be a 70 or 75 amp unit, but I don't know if it's still made.

Ted: sounds like some of (actually a lot of) my days at EMC;  In at 6am for a video conference with Tokyo and Singapore (they stayed late), then meetings all day and then hang around for the 7pm video conference with Bangalore.  

 

BOY!  I really miss that - NOT!!!!!

Fluke is a good brand, but you do pay for it. Then again, you'd be throwing money away buying a cheap multimeter.

95a. Available at Kustom1 Warehouse, SoCal, and several other places online.

 

Google "95a VW alternator", and be amazed.

95A?! What on earth would you need that many amps for? Especially on a speedster!?

 

I pulled the alternator and got it all torn down. The bearings are in great shape. The commutator looks nearly brand new.

 

I will run down and have tested and then take it from there.

T

Ted- Think Mongo stereo and a couple pairs of driving lights....

For an electric heater.

Good one Troy!

Zany! Heater in a speedster. Who'd of thunk it? 

I was totally serious about an electric heater.

Gotta power the heat pads in those seats somehow...

Troy,
I didn't think cor a second that you weren't serious. I think I read a recent thread about a quartz heater  that would be perfect. I am not sure why I didn't connect the dots sooner.

Which model are you thinking of getting?

DCthermal.com sells a 12 volt cab heater that is requires 50 amps or more and that is what I had in mind.  Not sure it would be perfect, but it would be an option if you had a header with no heater boxes and wanted heat.

Does anybody know what the 12 volt electric blanket (plugs into a cigarette lighter and talked about in another thread) draws for amperage? And the seat heaters?

Power Bastards (you couldn't make this stuff up) sells a high output 220A alternator that puts out 1100A at 1000 rpm.  Gets good reviews.  They sell a "fitsall" model that may need "some" adjusting to install.  My only concern would be cooling, since that amount of amperage will generate additional heat.  List price is $349.  You may need a wiring upgrade as well.

Sorry, I forgot how to edit.  Should have been 110A at 1000 rpm, not 1100A.

I'd love to see some more comments about the possible need to upgrade wiring if this alternator was used.

PB's upgrade kit is limited.  It replaces your (possibly) 8 gauge wire from alt to bat with a 0 gauge wire and 250A fuse block.  Check out wwwdotpowerbastardsdotcom. The beauty of their unit is that it's pretty much the same case as a normal 60-70A unit.  Competitors usually have a real honker that wouldn't fit in our cars.  The possible downside is that the smaller case may not provide room for sufficient fans and cooling.  Reviews are all positive, however, with some owners using them for over 2 years with no complaints.  They seem to be mostly used by car stereo guys (huh? what?).

If someone could get that alternator to fit on our air cooled engines it sure would solve our 'amps for electric heat' problem.

 

ALB - I think the typical 12-volt blanket draws about 4 amps! 

Thanks Jim. The seat heaters I looked at online use 10 amp fuses, so between 2 seat heaters and the blanket there's not a huge draw. A generator (30 amps, iIrc) will run the car itself (maybe with driving lights?) so a 55 amp alternator should be more than enough. A 75 amp unit would cover it for sure. Al

 

Unless, of course, the sweet sound of the engine roaring down the highway in full song isn't enough and a mega-watt stereo is needed as well...