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Re: [T3] voltage regulator speaks to me


On 2 May 99, at 11:37, Greg Merritt wrote:

Gee, Greg, you seem to be having a lot of troubles this weekend. Have 
you been saving them up? ;-)

> 	A couple of times before on this car, the generator brushes have
> need a little push to keep them advancing on their wear path.  I put it in
> neutral and gave it a rev or two.  The regulator started clicking, and even
> *buzzing*, there under the back seat, and the dash light would go on & off,
> two.  Quite a little performance, what with all of the lights and sounds.

If your brushes have been sticking you should determine why. The 
brushes are considered worn out once their tail ends have sunk below 
the rectangular brush guides. The REAL limiting factor is the copper 
braid pigtail that comes out the side of the brush. There is a slot 
in the side of the brush guide to give clearance for this, but when 
they bottom out there you MUST replace t;hem. They're cheap, and I 
have them if you need them. I consider the brushes worn out once the 
pigtail is within 1mm of bottoming out. Be sure to check both brushes 
because they don't always wear evenly. The "top of brush" test is an 
easy one to do to the bottom brush because you can feel it with your 
finger even though you can't see it.

Sometimes the brushes stick because some PO has gotten in there with 
a tool yò the brush holder. You may need to push the spring 
aside and see if the brush is actually free to move. See if it is 
held up by dirt or if you need to bend the holder back a bit to make 
the side straight.

All of these things can be done in the car: remove the wires and 
loosen the strap. work on one brush then rotate the generator in the 
saddle to work on the other one. Leave the generator and belt in 
place.

> 	We were less than a mile or so from home, and it was mostly
> well-behaved the rest of the way.  Mostly.  It did give a few clicks &
> buzzes just before parking.
> 
> 	I assume I simply need a new regulator.  Do I need a new one this
> afternoon?  In a couple of weeks?  Was it a fluke?

In my experience this is its "death rattle." It may not be dead yet, 
but the handwriting is on the wall. I think it means that the 
resisitor on the bottom side has opened up and now the contacts are 
welding and breaking. Normally the VR just buzzes so quietly that we 
never notice it.

> 	(Also, to Jim:  how much for one of your "last regulator you'll
> ever need" regulators w/ the diode trick?)

$40, including shipping in the US.

Jim
-
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************

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