dumb question

The small light on the Right is your alternator/generator light. It should be on intially when key is in the on position, then go out when car is turned on, if the light doesn't go out, then you alt/gen. isn't charging properly, and it may drain the battery.

There's a VS Owner's Manual in the Library here on SOC.  

 

https://www.speedsterowners.com/clip/2698552243740478

 

I don't have paid membership yet so can't open it.

Now the car has died. Yay

The right side light on my Beck is the oil pressure light, something you should concern yourself with. VS may be different, I don't know. If it is your alternator light, (any VS owners please chip in here) it may stay on for a few seconds after starting but should go out shortly after start-up. Mine needs a few mild blips of the throttle at times. If it's your oil pressure, you're probably low on oil and better quickly find the dip stick next. I WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE VS HANDBOOK AFTER ALL (initially I thought it was blocked to me)...LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE SWITCHED ON A VS...It's called the ignition light, but it still should go out shortly after start-up.

Yup, if it had stayed on whilst you were driving for an extended period, you drained the battery. Hopefully you can get a jump or "pop" the clutch on a driveway or hill (only if you know how to do this maneuver )...otherwise it'll be back to you know where for attention.

Currently sitting under a freeway overpass waiting for AAA.

Are your hubcaps on? :-(

Haha yes the hubcaps are ON. car is going to look great on the flatbed.

Before he puts it on the flatbed, see if it'll start with a jump. Your fan belt could be too loose as well. Sorry.

By the way, i do own a Vintage Speedster.....Art

In case it's fuel related I'm going to not **** with it and just have them tow it back to my house and wait for Kirk to come get it.

In case it's fuel related I'm going to not **** with it and just have them tow it back to my house and wait for Kirk to come get it.

Hang in there. I know it's been a challenge and just when those hubcaps were cooperating all nicely.

Annaliese, look on the bright side.

 

You're getting to experience the true 1950s driving experience. Geezers like me remember when every new car had at least five things wrong with it.

 

Along with the wind in your face and bugs in your teeth, you get to contemplate the great mysteries and wonders of life as you wait by the side of the road.

 

Savor the moment and remember that this car comes with something no 1957 car ever did - an online support group that will hold your hand through the worst of it.

 

Courage!

If your car turned off, and that small alternator/generator was on. it's more than likely your alternator, Did you notice your lights go dim before the car, shut off?

 

Also, you can try and start it the morning it will probably start, then of course die again once the battery drains again.

 

Once i had an porsche 912 that did the same thing, the generator light came on and it turned off on me it was at night time so it drained the battery much quicker, because you have your lights on.

 

The following morning it started right up and drove it 30 miles to a friends house, and we repaired it. of course i don't reccomend you do this.

 

Art

i laughed very hard at this.

i didn't notice if the lights went dim. i was on the  freeway going like 75 headed to a meeting and it turned itself off twice. the third time it did it i couldn't get it to turn on again so i pulled off of an exit and pushed it to the side of the road. thankfully the car is soooo light.

Adoliese---please give us an update about how this problem ended up!

 

I have a VS also and the VS owners manual has a diagram of the dashboard and instrument layout.

 

 The little red light on the left side of the tach at the bottom of the instrument is the ignition light.  The one on the right is the low oil pressure warning light.  The owners manual shows the tach as the instrument in the center with the Speedometer on the left and the fuel level and temp indicator on the right.

 

Both lights will be on when you turn the key to the right then when you continue to turn the key it should crank the engine. When it starts both lights should go out.

 

I'm sorry you have this problem---do let us know what caused it.

On my 2006 VS The little red light on the left of my tach, is the low oil pressure warning light.

 

Interesting Jack on your car yours is on the right. (oil pressure warning light).

 

 

Art

Art, I was wondering about this. The norm is opposite of what you have. One easy way to confirm yours is to disconnect the wire on the oil pressure switch and see what light doesn't work. It of course have been wired wrong at VS.

Gentlemen, Annaliese:

 

Collectively, we're guilty of giving bad advice here. We want everybody to enjoy these cars, but they aren't cars meant for everybody. The cold, hard reality is that these cars, for all their good looks and all of the septuagenarian owners reminiscence about "reliable beetles of yore" are really mechanically fickle. The "reliable beetles of yore" often needed rebuilt in 60K mi, and burned to the ground with startling regularity. Back in the day, my shop-head friends and I had no use for them as anything but a foreign anomaly. We saw them as glorified lawn-mowers. This was when VW parts were cheap and well made. They are neither anymore.

 

The $25K speedster everybody advocates really IS an old beetle (with a cheaply built engine) underneath all the shiny bits. No matter how much you spend (and I've spent enough that Christians friends should be coming to my house with their torches any time now), any air-cooled speedster will require some mechanical aptitude to keep running. They are not a Miata with a cool body. Acting like it is otherwise is a disservice to 95% of the population under the age of 45.

 

It's time for some tough-love for all of us. You need to learn at least a cursory about what makes your car tick, or it will turn on you and leave you walking (or worse) again and again and again.

 

Forewarned is forearmed.

 I'm sorry ! your right it's the opposite of what i stated, alternator light is on the left side, and oil pressure on the right. i just confirmed it on my car.

 

Annaliese, sorry i didn't mean to give you wrong information. No further comment for me, keep us posted. I wish you the best of luck ! with your car.

 

Art

 

 

You guys are all very nice and helpful. Thank you. Should I pour some oil in the car or let Kirk see it?

Leave it as is.

Open the engine lid and ensure you still have a fan belt!  If there, push in center (on either side) if more than 1/2" slack then its slipping.  You have to move shims around to tighten.  If its tight then there's a loose wire or alternator/regulator is kaput.

I was wondering when someone would mention the possibility that the fan belt was completely off--meaning no fan, no cooling!

 

No way she should have run out of oil after 250 miles or whatever. But hope it's a minor issue like the alternator wire.

more like 600 miles i think.

i will check for the engine belt in a little bit. i am finished up some work right now. the car wouldn't start even after i waited about an hour and a half for AAA. would it still be too hot by then?

They are already out front!

What Stan said above is a very important point (ok, collection of points) that, while has been mentioned in passing before, needs to have more weight attached to it whenever someone new shows up asking about these cars. I've been messing with beetles and their air cooled motors off and on for almost 40 years (1st car was a '66 bug in 1974), and while I would never consider water cooled power as an option, I understand why the builders have gone that route. When building for more power, it's really easy to end up with something that needs almost constant attention, and even when we were kids some friends couldn't understand why I spent so much time underneath my car.

 

 I just quickly skimmed through the "Ready for a Speedster?" article and didn't see this addressed; I'll put something together to add to there shortly. Al

 

PS- Just looked again and the thread is locked, so after it's done I'll be contacting Theron.

WHAT JPS TOLD ME IS IF THAT IF THE RED LIGHT COMES ON AND DOES NOT GO OFF PARK AND TOW IT. HAS TO DO WITH THE FAN BELT. THATS ALL I REMEMBER. THE GREEN LITE IS YOUR OIL LEVEL LITE. ON SHARP TURNS IT MIGHT COME ON FOR A FEW SECONDS.

GOOD LUCK

STAN I HAVE A MIATA

 

PS VINCE THINKS MY BODY IS COOL

On my VS both idiot lights are red.

The right 'red' is the oil pressure indicator

I think i screwed up this post from the beginning suggesting that it was her alternator light, but everything suggest that it's her oil pressure light, which is the one little light on the right of your tach.

 

I think that if your oil pressure light comes on, that you should pull over safely and shut the thing off and don't drive it.

 

I have a different opinion about the alternator light, if it comes on and your belt is secure, it may be your alternator is starting to fail, not charging properly. If my alternator light comes on and i know my belt is secure, i personally will continue to drive, and try and make it home or until it turns off on me. If you driving during the day and the alternator light comes on you can still potentially drive quite a long way.

Usually, left to right, they are Generator and Oil. It spells the word GO(old VW/Porsche adage). So no lights, then GO. Obviously the generator is replaced with an alternator on most cars, but you get the point.

Adolese--so what was the issue????

Sounds like too many issues to me... I know these cars can with their air cooled engines can be finicky, but what your experiencing just seems to be a lot more than that. I hope Kirk can square it away and soon.... Good Luck. 

Scro(tum) I agree, way to much going on here...Kirk built my tub within 3 weeks of my order

and no issues to date.....once in a while they build a tub that comes back to haunt them...

looks like this is Kirk's "tubageddon".....

i think this has been the only issue besides the hubcaps. unless i am conveniently forgetting something. the hubcaps apparently weren't really kirk's fault. he didn't know that the manufacturer had made a change that made the wheels and the caps incompatible. he realized something was wrong when it started happening with all of the cars.

 

he is sending a mechanic up tomorrow. hopefully it's nothing major. =)

and FYI everyone-- my name is Annaliese.