[Vwdiesel] Alternator Problems

[Michael Alexander]

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I have an 82 rabbit w A/C where the alternator died. Nobody in town had one in
stock so I got a mail order from Parts Place.

Appearance wise, the alternator looked like it had been rebuilt in someone's
back yard.

The original alt had the 3 pin plug and also a surge capacitor on it. The
rebuilt alt had the 3 pin plug plus another spade 180° away from the plug.
There were no threaded holes to attach the surge capacitor nearby.

First question: What is this spade for?

I installed the alt and fired up the rabbit. The red light glowed brightly
while idling but went out when the motor was revved. I drove it around for
about 5 minutes and the red light still glowed brightly at idle.

Second question: Would bad grounds or battery connections cause this behavior?

With the old alt, the voltage was about 12.4 at all engine speeds. The red
light stayed on constantly. With the rebuilt alt, voltage was about 13.4 volts
when the engine was revved and about 12.6 V at idle.

Third question: Is there a source for bearings and brushes for rebuilding these
alternators?

TIA

m alexander
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