From: mierard@resdgs1.er.usgs.gov (Michael C. Ierardi)
Subject: generator problem??
Originator: mierard@resdgs1.er.usgs.gov
Organization: United States Geological Survey
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:20:07 GMT



Ok all you VW lovers,you know how cold the Karmann Ghias 
(1972 and earlier) get in the winter.  Well looking for
an answer to this problem ..I purchased an Instant
Heater from a company out of New York. Basically this 
heater is like a hairblower except it bolts directly 
to the battery and has a toggle switch to turn it on 
and off. This instant heater draws 30 amps from the 
battery, which is acceptable via advice VW Trends Mag.
and Hot VW Mag.  If you are familiar with the 1972 
Ghia you know that there really is not any defrost. 
Well if you consider drawing the outside winter air 
in through the nose grills and venting it to the
windshield a defroster ...then I may be mistaken. 
Needing to drive my Ghia in the winter, and needing 
to be able to see through the windshield during cold
and rainy days I went to the local Hi Gear and 
purchased 2 defrosters which plug into the cigarette
ligher.These defrosters are a bulky (approx. 8"x5"x6") 
for about $20.00 a piece. Well to make a long story 
short, I cut-off the cigarette lighter extensions,  
dismantled the defrosters down to the core, wired 
the 2 defrosters together with a toggle switch, and 
shoved the heater cores into the vent hoses underneath 
the hood near the dash. (I am thinking now that I should 
have run the hot wire directly to the battery instead
of to the fuse box). I was driving home the other day
and it was dark, cold, rainy, and there was a good song 
on the radio...so I had the instant heater, the lights,
defroster, and the radio on. As I looked to the side of 
the dash I saw that the generator light came on ever so 
slightly. So I sort of turned one accessory off at
a time to see which was drawing the most current from 
the battery. Well after toggling everthing a few times 
the generator light didn't change intensity any more. 
Later down the road, with ever thing turned off and only 
running the basic car functions the generator light now 
stays on. 
  There is only so much time before the battery will
 no longer maintain enough current to keep the car running.
  I am not familiar with generator rebuilding, but this 
is the third generator and the second battery I have had 
replaced in the last year and a half. Looking inside the 
generator after removing the protection plastic plate I 
noticed some dark brown melted goop on the left side of 
the generator (standing behind the car) near some wires. 
These are  not the wires near the brushes (metal rectangular 
shape on the right side of generator).  Does that mean 
anything inparticular? I also read somewhere that the 
newer voltage regulators have an extra wire coming off 
them that needs to be grounded, yet not to the generator. 
Does anyone know where the ground should go? I do not
know how to test the generator for correct polarity nor 
how to see if it is correctly charging the battery.  
Can anyone give me some insite to this?  The generator 
is a Bosch with a year warrenty and this one lasted 4 
months. The generator before that lasted just 2 months 
longer. I have been told that the battery should die 
before the generator gives out...I don't know? 
     Any help would greatly be appreciated.  
                     Thanks.
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