[Vwdiesel] Alternator wires

[Tad]

Thanks for that explanation Sandy - very clear.

So theoretically (and I'm not saying this is the issue here) if you had a
corroded connection on one side of the light, you wouldn't have equal
voltage on each side, and you'd get a faint battery/alt light.

On Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 2:02 PM, Sandy Cameron <scameron at storm.ca> wrote:

> The fat red oneis juice to the battery, sometimes via the starter terminal,
>
> The BLUE one  is the "startup" wire from the instrument panel, and draws
> +12v battery power through the red lamp (when the ignition is on) to the
> field until the alternator gets "excited" after which the lamp goes out,
> and
> field power is generated in the alternator itself, passing through a
> separate set 0f 3 diodes used only for that purpose, through the field,
> then
> through the regulator, to ground. completing the field excitation exercise.
>
> The "field" terminal rises to 12-14 volts so the lamp has 12v on both
> sides,
> consequently'it goes out.
>
> The THIN RED wire is the tachometer wire used by a tach, if you have one,
> and the oil pressure "computer" on all diesels, tach or not.
>
> Sandy
>
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