Yup. A 100% charged battery should read 12.6 volts, 12.4 = 75%, 12.2= 50% and so on.
Over 14 volts from the generator should be enough to keep it charged and provide enough juice to run the vehicle. So your battery shows that it is fully charged and the generator is providing a charging voltage but there may be other factors. The battery may read fully charged but until you do a load test its capacity is not assured. The generator has brushes with springs and a commutator which may be worn causing them not to make full contact. As John mentioned, heat may be a factor. As the armature and other components heat up there may be other things going on. Nick On Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 3:19:11 PM UTC-5, mike morehouse wrote: > > After trickle charging the battery over the last few days till I got a > green light indicating it was charged, the battery output with the engine > off is 12.65. I started the bug and let it idle. No gen light. Revved up > the engine and checked the voltage at the battery and it was reading about > 14.3 vdc. > > Wouldn't this indicate that the generator is ok? > > What to check next? > > Thanks Mike > > Mike Morehouse > On Dec 12, 2015 1:30 PM, "stokester" <[email protected] <javascript:>> > wrote: > >> The first thing I would do is use a meter on it to see the actual output >> voltage of the generator. >> >> Nick >> >> >> On Friday, December 11, 2015 at 9:54:34 AM UTC-5, mike morehouse wrote: >>> >>> Good morning. >>> >>> I need a little advice with a generator light issue on my stock 72 Bug >>> with generator. I drive my Bug mostly short trips in town - errands, >>> church, work, etc...both day and night driving. Car is stock with OEM >>> generator. No added accessories. Battery was replaced in 2012 and starts >>> car fine. >>> >>> I never have any generator light issues on normal trips in town. Last >>> night I took it up the interstate on about a 22 mile trip at about 65 mph >>> and at the 20 mile mark the gen light came on. Car contined to run fine. >>> Got to my destination and picked up a play script and got back in the car >>> to make the 22 mile trip back home. Gen light stayed on the whole time. >>> FYI, I did notice left and right turn signals were flashing very rapidly >>> when I put them on on way home. >>> >>> As I got close to home it did appear that headlights were getting >>> dimmer. Made it home OK. Pulled in garage and left engine running to look >>> at headlights. They did look dim. Shut engine off. Checked fan belt. It was >>> intact and seemed to have plenty of tension. I connected my Harbor Freight >>> trickle charger to battery and left it on over night. It is still charging >>> this am. If I do start car this am, headlights seem fine and there is no >>> gen light on. >>> >>> IIRC, the last time I made his same length trip, the same thing happened. >>> >>> Why would I have gen light issues on a 20 mile trip at 65 mph when I >>> never see that around town? >>> >>> Would a 30 or 35 minute trip cause a gen problem that a 10 minute trip >>> around town might not? >>> >>> I guess what I am saying is no gen light occurrences on numerous local >>> trips but 2 consecutive light issues on 30 min trip up interstate. >>> >>> I'd welcome your thoughts as this makes me wary of taking an road trips >>> in the Bug. >>> >>> If I didn't give enough info on symptoms please let me know as I do need >>> some help. >>> >>> Thanks Mike Morehouse in Alabama >>> >> -- >> Visit the VintagVW archives at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected] <javascript:>. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> <javascript:>. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > -- Visit the VintagVW archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
