Re: Voltage Regulator???

[mcwasil@interaccess.com (Mark C. Wasil)]

>Last night while coming home my my battery light and parking brake light
>started
>flashing in sync.  Then all the lights dimmed and we were on the battery - >the
>idiot lights went out at this point.  Thought it may be the belt - it was >old
>and a little loose so I changed it - didn't work.  Sounds like the
>regulator to
>me but thought I would see if anyone had experienced this too.  BTW the >idiot
>lights go out at 3000 rpm.
>
>TIA
>Regards
>
>Robert Bauer
>'88 80q

I had a similar problem with my 1990 100Q (non-turbo, 80K mi). When I
started the car, the voltmeter would hang below twelve volts until I blipped
the throttle up to about 2500 rpm. This went on for several months. Then
when driving the expressway to work one morning, the battery and brake idiot
lights came on, but dim. After several miles they went out by themselves.
This went off and on for about two weeks until I had a chance to investigate. 

I started out by taking a Dreml tool with wire cup attachment and cleaning
the two or three major grounding points under the hood. Next, removed the
voltage regulator from the alternator and cleaned all the contact surfaces
with the Dreml. While under there, I noticed a wire that was hanging loose
and a ring terminal attached to the alternator with no wire coming out of
it. Re-crimped the ring terminal to the wire and cleaned surfaces,
re-attached to the alternator. Re-attached voltage regulator (checked
brushes while it was out and they were within specs). 

Since doing this repair (about two weeks ago) the problem of the low voltage
and the dim idiot lights has not reappeared.

Hope this helps!

Mark Wasil
'88 5000CSTQ
'90 100Q
'93 Passat GLX