[Vwdiesel] re:moving on/alternator update!

[raymond greeley]

As previous mentioned, I have replace several cables to improve current 
movement efficiency
and of course grounding, i did replace the battery though still serviceable 
the old one wasn't
working at full strength any longer. so now it is a bench tool, also 
adjusted v-belt which
could have been the culprit as is a recent replacement and must have 
stretched some
as i could spin the alt pulley with the belt in place but now i'm at the 
limit of adjustment
so next adjustment would be a shorter belt.
Here's what is really interesting,  i found while visiting a friends repair 
shop, whom used a cool "snap on" anylizer, the alt is putting out 14.4 
volts, great! this great tool also says that somewhere in the
system i am giving back more voltage. discharging battery.
Back at my home i did the old "light in between the positive cable and 
battery" test light. found
no drain of current, put the head lights on just to make sure the test light 
worked and it did.
I also used the test light circuit on the alt cable and found no charge 
drain.
I'm thinking somewhere in the alt diodes is a failure responsible for the 
charge drain.
so, has any one had this issue. something that suggests a previous problem 
here is
that in the bag of misc parts i recieved from the previous owner (i've owned 
this car 16 mo,)
is a brush box that looks like it might fit my alt. any help is greatly 
apprec. winter snapped
a towel at us here in chi town this week and that took several days off my 
between
recharge schedule.
thanks, ray