[Vwdiesel] alternator/tach wire colors etc.

Fri Sep 19 21:07:04 EDT 2003

I stand to be corrected.  The green wire (homebrew add-on) was not connected
directly to the battery, but very near (like 1/4" away from) the battery. It
looks like it was Mickey-Moused together as a replacement for the red/black
wire that used to go to the W connector of the alternator.  Lotsa
Mickey-Mousing going on under the hood of this old Jetta. 381,000+kms and
gosh knows how many owners before me.

Still ticking away though- I love it !

Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Hansen" <jhsg at sk.sympatico.ca>
To: "Michael Smith" <r3mismith at health.nb.ca>; <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 4:51 AM
Subject: RE: [Vwdiesel] alternator/tach wire colors etc.

> Have you had the car worked on lately, as in someone changed the
alternator
> out with one that had no 'W' terminal, and snipped the wire?
> Bluegreen one is for the dash idiot light/ exciter circuit.
> Red one you know. (Big sparky one.)
> Red/ black trace is the tach.
> If you shiny up the back of the alternator casting with a wire brush you
can
> see it better. if it's there. You are looking for a spade terminal that is
> flush with or just below the level of the casting, about 80 degrees
> clockwise from the bolt terminals.
> -James
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: vwdiesel-admin at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-admin at vwfans.com]On
> > Behalf Of Michael Smith
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 9:36 AM
> > To: 'vwdiesel at vwfans.com'
> > Subject: [Vwdiesel] alternator/tach wire colors etc.
> >
> >
> > Hi guys,
> > Just sent this to Nate, but decided to CC you all on it to. I'm stumped
!
> >
> > [>]
> > > Busy on my lunch hour but had another quick peek.
> > > THere are 2 wires coming from the alternator that are attached.
> > > LARGE RED (we know about this)
> > > Small bluish-green-turquiose colored one. (goes to a very small stud)
> > > On the harness leading up to the alternator there is also a
> > small red with
> > > black tracer that looks like it's been cut, but may have been
> > attached to
> > > the alternator at one point in time.  I missed it initially as it was
> > > flush with the sheathing the wires are in. I can't see anything on the
> > > alternator AFA "W" goes, or any extra connections that this red wire
> > > might've been attached to.
> > > I'm stumped !
> > >
> > >
> > > Mike Smith, CET
> > > Clinical Engineering Dept.
> > > River Valley Health, NB, Canada
> > > Phone (506) 452-5091
> > > r3mismith at health.nb.ca
> > > Fax (506) 447-4320
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Nate Wall [SMTP:natewall1 at yahoo.com]
> > > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 10:44 AM
> > > To: Smith, Michael
> > > Subject: RE: [Vwdiesel] FW: TACH stopped-88 Jetta Turbo Diesel mini
> > >
> > > Oh, there is another single thin wire that goes to the
> > > back of the alternator too, its the wire that supplies
> > > voltage to the regulator and rotor to magnetize it. It
> > > has a ring connector and is held on by an 8 MM nut.
> > > Its either blue or red w/ a white stripe. (I forget
> > > which is which color for those 2 wires!). Then there
> > > is the thick red wire that is directly connected to
> > > the battery that is the alternator output wire.
> > >
> > > --Nate
> > > --- Michael Smith <r3mismith at health.nb.ca> wrote:
> > > > Thanks NAte---I'll check the back of the alternator
> > > > at lunchtime today.
> > > > I had heard from different folks that they thought
> > > > it was a mechanical
> > > > tach....but now that I know it runs from a sensor in
> > > > the alternator, it
> > > > gives me a better idea what I'm up against !
> > > >
> > > > -Mike
> > > >
> > > > Mike Smith, CET
> > > > Clinical Engineering Dept.
> > > > River Valley Health, NB, Canada
> > > > Phone (506) 452-5091
> > > > r3mismith at health.nb.ca
> > > > Fax (506) 447-4320
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: Nate Wall [SMTP:natewall1 at yahoo.com]
> > > > > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 10:21 AM
> > > > > To: Smith, Michael; 'vwdiesel at vwfans.com'
> > > > > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] FW: TACH stopped-88 Jetta
> > > > Turbo Diesel mini
> > > > >
> > > > > A good bet is a break near the female connector in
> > > > the
> > > > > "W" wire. A real easy fix. Its the single thin
> > > > wire
> > > > > that plugs into the back of the alternator and
> > > > there
> > > > > is a "W" stamped on the alternator case next to
> > > > it.
> > > > > Its the tach RPM signal wire. (I think its red w/
> > > > a
> > > > > white stripe) The diesel vibration over the years
> > > > can
> > > > > cause the wire to break, sometimes internally, so
> > > > you
> > > > > can't see it. In my case I had enough wire left to
> > > > cut
> > > > > the break out and resolder the same connector in
> > > > > place. Next bet would be a loose connector
> > > > connecting
> > > > > the instrument cluster (wiggle the connector(s)
> > > > with
> > > > > the engine running while watching the tach) or a
> > > > break
> > > > > in the thin flimsy circuit board in the instrument
> > > > > cluster (pull the cluster to check. Finally, I'd
> > > > swap
> > > > > out the tach if it still does not work.
> > > > > --Nate.
> > > > > --- Michael Smith <r3mismith at health.nb.ca> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > re:  Jetta Turbo Diesel
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hi All !
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Sending this from my work account, so if you
> > > > > > reply, please hit "reply all"
> > > > > > > or include ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca in your reply, so
> > > > > > I'll see it at home too!
> > > > > > > I'm too cheap to buy a Bentley manual (at
> > > > least
> > > > > > until I decide I'm going
> > > > > > > to keep the car or not) so I need your folks
> > > > help.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > My tach finally quit after being intermittent
> > > > > > since I bought the car in
> > > > > > > March.  Sometimes it would go months w/o any
> > > > > > problems and other times it
> > > > > > > would "act up" for the first 15-20 minutes of
> > > > my
> > > > > > daily commute for 1-2
> > > > > > > weeks, then work 100% for many weeks
> > > > afterwards.
> > > > > > Problem is, I don't know
> > > > > > > what to look for.   Obviously, there's no coil
> > > > to
> > > > > > check wires on.  I
> > > > > > > really don't "need" a tach, but it sure is
> > > > nice to
> > > > > > have.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > What circuit should I be looking at, or is it
> > > > a
> > > > > > mechanical tach running to
> > > > > > > some gear off the crank or whatever??
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > 1988 Jetta GL, 1.6L Turbo Diesel Canadian Car.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thanks much folks !
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Maybe I'll ask Santa for a "Bentley" (the
> > > > manual,
> > > > > > not the car, lol) if
> > > > > > > it's still on the road @ Xmas time.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Mike Smith, CET
> > > > > > > Clinical Engineering Dept.
> > > > > > > River Valley Health, NB, Canada
> > > > > > > Phone (506) 452-5091
> > > > > > > r3mismith at health.nb.ca
> > > > > > > Fax (506) 447-4320
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > >
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