[Vwdiesel] Finally need a new alternator? Burning through brushes.

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/12/2009 11:33:45 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
william at taygan.com writes:

> I can see the slip rings, I just don't know what to look for.  Shiny
> spots with some dirty gunk? (more gunk on the rear faster-burning one)
> 
> I DID just change the battery and yank the cables..  I'll check for a
> bad connection.
> 
> (I've had terrible squealing problems with this alternator, although it
> turns freely - I was wondering if something other than the belt/pulley
> could be causing it to have more resistance.)
> 

  Usually you look for major wear.  It'll make grooves with just a 
little ridge to each edge of where the brushes rub.
  On my Rabbit, the alt, B+ connection was a wire or two that 
connected to the factory terminal.  A lot of the later ones 
tie in to a biggish white connector on a seperate leg coming off 
the factory cable.  If it's been changed hard to tell just what it 
is but it's worth checking connections all the way, pos and neg.
  Easily could be the common problem James mentioned as well,
pretty common.
 Not charging and then kicking in could easily make for a sudden 
heavy load making the belt tend to squeal.  Worth checking the 
contacts for the regulator on the reg and in the alt as well.
    Loren


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