🚀 go-pugleaf

> Every time I start my `78 Scirocco, the charging system idiot light
> comes on.  Once the engine has been revved (to about 2300 RPM),
> however, the light turns off and stays off.  While the light is on,
> my ammeter shows the battery discharging, and when it turns off
> the battery charges normally.  VW will examine it for $35 an hour
> or so, but I'd like to fix the problem myself (if I can find it).
> Any ideas out there?

This is just a shot in the dark but it worked for me.
The fan belt that goes to the alternator was loose.  Oh sure it turns the
alternator, but it was slipping enough so that it wasn't turning the alternator
fast enough to charge the system.  Check it out. A fan belt may be the cheapest
component of the charging system to replace.

> Every time I start my `78 Scirocco, the charging system idiot light
> comes on.  Once the engine has been revved (to about 2300 RPM),
> however, the light turns off and stays off.  While the light is on,
> my ammeter shows the battery discharging, and when it turns off
> the battery charges normally.  VW will examine it for $35 an hour
> or so, but I'd like to fix the problem myself (if I can find it).
> Any ideas out there?

I have experience with several vw's (rabbit, scriocco, jetta) and they all
do this. VW's are just designed that way.
-- 
John Tupper                              tupper@wanginst        (Csnet)
Wang Institute of Graduate Studies       wanginst!tupper        (UUCP)
Tyng Road, Tyngsboro, MA 01879           (617) 649-9731

I have an '80 VW rabbit and the same thing hapened to me.  Upon investigation, 
Ifound it to be normal.  When you start the car, the battery charges the coils
of the alternator and runs the electrical system, thus the battery is being
discharged.  Once the engine is revved, the speed of the alternator spinning
causes it to develop >12 volts.  At this time, this voltage takes over the 
work that the battery was doing and begins to charge the battery.
  As long as the light comes on when you start the car and goes when the engine
gets up to running speed, you are alright. If the speed needed to turn the light
off is greater than normal operating speed, then I would expect either the belt 
is loose, or the brushes are bad (probably the belt).
 I hope this helps.

Keywords:what happened?


I don't know what happened to my last article, but I will repeat the lost
paragraph.
  What I meant to say was that as long as the light comes on when you start
the car and goes off when the engine gets up to normal running speed, you
should have nothing to worry about.  If this is not the case then there
may be a problem with the belt or the alternator itself.
  Sorry for the mistake last time.