Darner is on to something here. I had my Gli discharge as well and the alternator was fairly new. My local garage mentioned that the idiot light in the cluster burned out and referred to that the alternator was not getting "excited?" It was replaced with a new LED. I was not too happy with a bill of nearly $200 with 99% of it being labor :( Jim 83 Rabbit Gti 16V, 84 Rabbit Gti 8V Project, 91 Jetta Gli 16V http://members.aol.com/jlpawlicki
> Re: Battery-Electrical Prob 16V Passat > > Replace the charge indicator bulb; at least some VWs (I have no specific > knowledge on Passats, so don't know if it applies there) use it as part of > the control circuit; you WILL NOT get a charge without it present on those > models. I suppose that a burnt-out one would be the same... but a dealer > should be aware of this quirk. It involves pulling the instrument > cluster-f..., uhhh, cluster, and partially disassembling it, on our cars at > least. I have a friend who has encountered this one at least twice (once on > his own car, once on an acquaintance's). Don't know if the high-rev trick > was tried on either of them. > I have my Bentley for earlier cars (1980 - 1984) at hand; it > specifically mentions the importance of the bulb to the system's function on > page 22 of section 6, and has a table to go with it: "Table g. Warning Light > Troubleshooting". Current passing throught the bulb is used to magnetize > the rotor of the alternator every time the car is started. > A similar section should be in the Passat Bentley; if not, I can try to > scan this in, or look at the one for our 16v cars (not in the house right > now) and copy it. > Ron > - ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Phillip Trickey" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 6:37 AM > Subject: Battery-Electrical Prob 16V Passat > > > I'm posting this for a friend of my fathers. I will pass along any posted > suggestions. > The problem as described to me: > > "Car: 1992 Passat 16V 95K > > For 18 months it has had a strange electical problem. The local VW dealer > has had the car for 2 long stretches with no success. > > Suppose the car to be started normally. After 15 miles or so, the > electrical system will begin to fail as the battery discharges and > shortly the car will stop. After waiting awhile it can be restarted > if the battery and engine aren't too cold. Clearly the battery has > not been charged (net that is) since starting. > > Now suppose that the car be started and IMMEDIATELY the throttle > punched a couple of times, revving hard, to about 4000 or more. Then > the problem described in the preceding paragraph does NOT occur. The > battery charges normally and the car runs normally on the alternator > as long as one likes. > > Attempted cures have included 3 different alternators, two from > VW and one non-Bosch equivalent. No change, same problem. The VW dealer > has run a standard set of diagnostics on the electrical system. Also, it > doesn't appear to be a belt problem. > > A minor oddity is that the battery charge light never seems to > come on. > > What seems to be happening is that something in the charging circuit is > activated after starting ONLY when there is a big enough raw voltage from > the alternator to trip or trigger that something. > > The only obvious electrical oddities are the electrical cooling fan runs a > long time after shutting the car down, more than 10 minutes. And only one > electrical window goes up at a time." > > > TIA, > > Phillip T > 91GTI8V > 88GLI16V > _____________ >
