Re: Dead Ur-Q ; Electrical

[Orin Eman <orin@WOLFENET.com>]

> Well, my fine old german automobile let me down last night,
> giving it up, only ten blocks from home.  Coming home from the
> hardware store for pieces for the race car (it was jealous!)
> the electricals started going wacky.  First the guages acted up,
> with fuel guage, going south, a also saw intermittent tach readings,
> and the iginition got weaker and weaker.  Finally, it would not 
> run over 1000 rmp is first, and I gave up and called AAA. 

> The top suspect is grounding under the hood.  Any thoughts?
> I left if parked in the driveway, disgusted.  Perhaps tommorow
> I will give it a thorough going over.  Plenty of twitchy
> electricals on this car that could use some attention.  I am 
> still looking for a local source for the Stabilant 22 stuff.  
> I have a good contact cleaner. Any hints there?

Sounds exactly like what my UrQ used to do.  Lights would dim, fuel
guage would go down, engine started acting up...

I was under the impression it was the alternator dying.  One night,
it started in this state... no O2 frequency valve buzz so running
really lean and no chance of moving... until I got out the 3mm
wrench and tweaked the mixture until it ran.  It got me the 15 miles
or so home.  I put it on a charger that night, and no way would
it misbehave the next day (I was selling it at the time and telling
everyone that alternator was flakey).

So, how's your battery/alternator?

Grounding would be another suspect, all the way back to the battery
(ground straps) and Scott has covered the positive side (fusebox).

Orin.

> paul timmerman