Generators and alternators both have carbon brushes. These brushes are connected electrically by a length of braided copper. As the brushes wear, these brushes become physically shorter. Springs keep them in contact with the rotating parts (the rotor). At the end of the brushes life, the braided copper is not long enough to allow the springs to keep the brushes firmly against the rotor.
At the time this is beginning to happen, the generator or alternator output becomes intermittent. On Sat, Dec 12, 2015 at 9:59 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > [email protected] > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/vintagvw/topics> > Google > Groups > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email/#!overview> > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email/#!overview> > Topic digest > View all topics > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/vintagvw/topics> > > - Generator Light Issue on 72 Bug <#15196eb24c9c5bf8_group_thread_0> - 1 > Update > > Generator Light Issue on 72 Bug > <http://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw/t/135e09ae966063e0?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email> > Ray <[email protected]>: Dec 11 11:28AM -0500 > > Perhaps a bearing is getting tight and the heat makes it worse causing > belt slippage? > > > Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone > > -------- Original message -------- > From: Mike Morehouse <[email protected]> > Date: 12/11/2015 9:54 AM (GMT-05:00) > To: VintagVW <[email protected]> > Subject: [vintagvw] Generator Light Issue on 72 Bug > > 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]. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > Back to top <#15196eb24c9c5bf8_digest_top> > You received this digest because you're subscribed to updates for this > group. You can change your settings on the group membership page > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/vintagvw/join> > . > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it send an > email to [email protected]. > -- 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.
