no alternator light Options

[eg914]

I have traced my no charge/no alternator light to no continuity from the DF connection on the alternator wiring harness (at the relay board) to ground. I hope it is a broken 30 year old wire and not a broken 2 year old alternator.

Is it possible to remove the back from the alternator without removing the alternator from the car?

If so, how much trouble and time am I in for?

Thanks in advance for any help or misdirection (either works for me) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[eg914]

Glad to hear that I won't have to remove the heat exchanger. After 15 years of owning a VW type 3 I have found that you don't always have to remove everything the books say (you can remove a type 3 head without removing the engine if you are very stuborn!)

VR is plugged in (I checked). Being naturally lazy, I may not get to this until the weekend, but I have a new 2 amp battery charger and a 20 mile each way commute. Sometimes I get the alt light and it charges for part of the drive, other time none of the drive, and once last week I got home with the battery fully charged. I deffinately have continuity from fuse #9 all the way through the relay board to both the VR plug and the alt harness plug. Continuty gets intermittent from the alt harness to ground throught the field windings.

Also, I installed a new battery, as the old one wouldn't hold a charge any longer. I actually thought that was my problem at first. I bought a sealed battery for a Miata at the FLAPS for $85.00. It seems to crank the engine over just fine. I have it held to my rusty (er...trusty) battery tray with a $4 battery hold-down kit from the same FLAPS.

Thanks again for the help, this site makes owning an old car a lot easier/more fun. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)