hippiehulahooper wrote:I tested volatge with the key to start ot terminal 50 and the field-wiring connectiong strap. both had more then 8 volts.
8 volts??? Maybe you discovered the issue. This should be pretty close to battery voltage. Did you measure the battery voltage?
yeah bentley says at least 8 volts...that's why I put that. they were more like 12+ at terminal 50 and 11+ at field strap.
I pulled the battery and put it on the charger.
it has been charging for a while, it looked low.
what does the W on the alternator do? I noticed a bad wire connection. had plastic connector off back of alt. now just the wires. looks like I'll need to take the back of the alt off to get at wire for fix. I followed the wiring diagram and it goes to the glow circuit between the 50a fuse, relay, and fuse. what does that have to do with the altenator?
also my alt bracket had a break in the metal, one that would not allow for proper tension of the belt and therefore not a proper charge of the batt. so I weld it. and in my haste forgot to 90*. if after the battery charges the car starts how about the 90* being the problem?
90 Jetta chasis, NA mech. PS, AC.
parts needed:drivers side rain gutter, drivers side rocker panel and rear flare
When did you weld the alternator bracket? Before these problems started or after? If you did not get your grounding connection correct, you could have caused issues elsewhere.
Did you test the starter solenoid like I mentioned?
Everybody else lists their cars here - but not me.
82vdub wrote:When did you weld the alternator bracket? Before these problems started or after? If you did not get your grounding connection correct, you could have caused issues elsewhere.
Did you test the starter solenoid like I mentioned?
weld was before, a couple of weeks.
82vdub wrote:take a screwdriver and carefully cross the terminals on the starter (between the large conductor at the solenoid and the terminal that comes from the ignition) to see if your solenoid is good (don't do this with the car in gear!). Or, buy a remote starter button that essentially replaces the screwdriver. This will test the starter/solenoid. If the starter/solenoid works, start chasing wires to see if you have a loose or damaged connection/wire.
so is that at the battery cable+ connection and the terminal 50 from igition switch?
90 Jetta chasis, NA mech. PS, AC.
parts needed:drivers side rain gutter, drivers side rocker panel and rear flare
hippiehulahooper wrote:so is that at the battery cable+ connection and the terminal 50 from igition switch?
It's at the starter solenoid between the big fat wire coming from the battery and the wire from the ignition circuit that engages the starter solenoid. By testing here, you are bypassing 100% of the vehicles wiring system, except the main (fat) conductor coming from the battery itself. This will tell you if your starter/solenoid at least works. Remember, put the car in neutral before doing this test.
Everybody else lists their cars here - but not me.
If the solenoid seems dead, try hitting the starter with a length of wood an a mallet, or rocking the car in gear
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hippiehulahooper wrote:I charged the battery all day yesterday and put it in this morning and she fired right up.
so what does that mean?
bad cell
alternator
alternator belt
Could mean a lot of things from something from the battery itself, to the connections, to a short that just happened to get resolved at this particular time. A bad cell on the battery would have the battery holding probably less than 12v and if the alternator and/or belt were bad, your light on the dash should have given you warning, or you would have noticed slower and slower cranking speeds over a couple days or so. My bet was that it was the battery connections at the battery.
Everybody else lists their cars here - but not me.
hippiehulahooper wrote:I charged the battery all day yesterday and put it in this morning and she fired right up.
so what does that mean?
bad cell
alternator
alternator belt
Could mean a lot of things from something from the battery itself, to the connections, to a short that just happened to get resolved at this particular time. A bad cell on the battery would have the battery holding probably less than 12v and if the alternator and/or belt were bad, your light on the dash should have given you warning, or you would have noticed slower and slower cranking speeds over a couple days or so. My bet was that it was the battery connections at the battery.
the light on the dash has been on since I have had the car. usually can only see it at night as it is dim.
as of now when I try to turn the alt pulley I can not. but before the weld, I could turn the pulley as the belt stayed in position.
I must not be getting a good charge. the volt meter is around 10 when cold and jumps to 14 once started and "blipped".
I did not mess with battery connections this time. when I replaced the battery I replaced the battery connectors to the correct size as well. so those connections were all new.
90 Jetta chasis, NA mech. PS, AC.
parts needed:drivers side rain gutter, drivers side rocker panel and rear flare
hippiehulahooper wrote:
I must not be getting a good charge. the volt meter is around 10 when cold and jumps to 14 once started and "blipped".
10V means the battery is extremely dead... good chance by a whole dead cell. 14V once blipped means the alternator is trying its best.
If you measured the above voltages directly at the battery then you know the wiring from the battery to the alternator is OK... pretty much means you do in fact have a bad battery *or* something is draining it fast.
Anywhere near an Autosource or the like, who will test your entire charging system and battery for free ?? Might be the quickest way to get to the bottom of this.
Vince
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2001 silver TDI Jetta Malone Stage 1.5 , 2001 blue TDI Jetta SBIII 216s Malone Stage 3
1970 Bay Window bus
Gone but not forgotten: 1969/1971 Beetles, 1969/1974 Westies, 1979 Rabbit, 1986 TD Jetta, 1992 gas Jetta, 1994 TD Jetta
I agree with Vince W on this one too. 10V at the battery means it's not fully charged, or has a dead cell. If the battery will never hold a charge over 11V, then there's a cell dead in it somewhere. A fully charged battery when the engine is not running should be somewhere 12.5-13.5V or close to that.
If you removed your battery from the car to charge it, when you installed the battery in the car, you messed with the battery connections. Just so this is clear to those reading through this thread.
Everybody else lists their cars here - but not me.
hippiehulahooper wrote:
I must not be getting a good charge. the volt meter is around 10 when cold and jumps to 14 once started and "blipped".
10V means the battery is extremely dead... good chance by a whole dead cell. 14V once blipped means the alternator is trying its best.
If you measured the above voltages directly at the battery then you know the wiring from the battery to the alternator is OK... pretty much means you do in fact have a bad battery *or* something is draining it fast.
Anywhere near an Autosource or the like, who will test your entire charging system and battery for free ?? Might be the quickest way to get to the bottom of this.
I measured the above voltages at the fuel shut off solenoid.
I just got back from getting the charging system and battery tested for free. it tested good. the battery and the alt.
as we tested the alt belt squealled at high rpm's.I got a better look at the pulleys alignment. the alt tensioner on the alt bracket where I welded is off. so I need to get that square. I should be able to tighten the belt more but with it not being 90* I am at the limit. so I'll need to get a 90* jig in there.
90 Jetta chasis, NA mech. PS, AC.
parts needed:drivers side rain gutter, drivers side rocker panel and rear flare
82vdub wrote:If you removed your battery from the car to charge it, when you installed the battery in the car, you messed with the battery connections. Just so this is clear to those reading through this thread.
yes. I replaced the battery on 011709, and the clamps that go on the posts. they are the same type connection at the cable end just smaller( the correct size on the post) circumference.
90 Jetta chasis, NA mech. PS, AC.
parts needed:drivers side rain gutter, drivers side rocker panel and rear flare
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