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> My Car is self healing????, G light
Aaron Cox
post Apr 15 2005, 12:33 PM
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last night, on the drive home, my Gen light comes hard on mid trip..... 30 min drive... no big deal. i make it home just fine.

this morning i go out and look, start the car up, low and behold no light.....
i drove all over for 20 min.... got it nice and warm... and no light.....


hmmm
1 of 6 things could have happened last night....
1) lost a belt - NOPE...its on there and tensioned properly....
2) Blew #8 fuse... NOPE seems to be ok
3) fried Voltage regulator.....
4) fried alternator
5) bad bulb???
6) intermittant connection???

its fine now...but WTF happened?
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stags14
post Apr 15 2005, 12:36 PM
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....................


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Joe Bob
post Apr 15 2005, 12:43 PM
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Loose nut in front of the steering wheel....
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Aaron Cox
post Apr 15 2005, 12:44 PM
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QUOTE ("Z" @ Apr 15 2005, 11:43 AM)
Loose nut in front of the steering wheel....

could be..... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)

geez.... car is playing jokes with me (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)


on a happier note, guy on motor cycle likes the exhaust note from my triad....asked if it was a six (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)
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Allan
post Apr 15 2005, 12:45 PM
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That is so freaking weird. My light came on last night. Went to the house a little while ago and think, hey, I'll take it to the office and have my mechanic check it out. Get in start it up, light comes on but then dims as the rpm's come up and goes out. Drive it to the office and never comes back on, even when I'm stopped and the car is just idling.
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Aaron Cox
post Apr 15 2005, 12:47 PM
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the EMP from a nearby nuke test killed our altenators (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif)
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lapuwali
post Apr 15 2005, 12:48 PM
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Your brushes are probably marginal. I'll bet it comes back on again. As the brushes reach the end of their life, you'll usually see the light intermittently, until they're completely gone, when it will come on and stay on.
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Allan
post Apr 15 2005, 12:49 PM
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Mine are new.
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Aaron Cox
post Apr 15 2005, 12:50 PM
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QUOTE (lapuwali @ Apr 15 2005, 11:48 AM)
Your brushes are probably marginal. I'll bet it comes back on again. As the brushes reach the end of their life, you'll usually see the light intermittently, until they're completely gone, when it will come on and stay on.

could be.. mine is old.... never had a problem tho...
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bondo
post Apr 15 2005, 12:52 PM
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Most voltage regulators are just overcomplicated relays.. not sure about 914 regs because I've never had one apart. It coulda stuck, and later unstuck itself.
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lapuwali
post Apr 15 2005, 01:03 PM
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QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Apr 15 2005, 10:50 AM)
QUOTE (lapuwali @ Apr 15 2005, 11:48 AM)
Your brushes are probably marginal.  I'll bet it comes back on again.  As the brushes reach the end of their life, you'll usually see the light intermittently, until they're completely gone, when it will come on and stay on.

could be.. mine is old.... never had a problem tho...

You never have a problem with a part that's wearing out until it's worn out, do you?

Sorry if I'm sounding like a smartass (hey, it's tax day), but I've heard the: "That never gave me a problem before" comment once too often. Things get old and wear out, and often give no trouble until they do so. Alternator brushes often last for well over 100K miles, so they frequently give no trouble to anyone, as most people don't rack up that kind of mileage on a 914 before it breaks, rusts away, or they sell it.

bondo, some mechanical voltage regulators are indeed just relays, with a relay switch tuned to only open above some current. Some use temperature for this (heat up the doodad with current until it's too hot, then open, then close again when it cools off, which restarts the cycle). Some just use a really weak switch trying to overcome a really strong spring, so X amount of current is required to overcome the spring. It's pretty sensible to replace a mechanical VR with a solid-state unit. No sticking, and they CAN last forever if they're not abused.
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Aaron Cox
post Apr 15 2005, 01:20 PM
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ok busted out the multimeter

car not running volts at battery: 12.9
car at idle: 15
car at 2k rpm 15.8 volts

does this indicate a taosted VR?
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bd1308
post Apr 15 2005, 01:23 PM
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woah thats high numbers...... oh OT thought, i wish my car was self-healing (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif) i'm on fuel-pump #3 in 2 years......
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Allan
post Apr 15 2005, 01:23 PM
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Aaron, check out this troubleshooting guide from pelican.

Alternator Stuff
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lapuwali
post Apr 15 2005, 01:23 PM
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QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Apr 15 2005, 11:20 AM)
ok busted out the multimeter

car not running volts at battery: 12.9
car at idle: 15
car at 2k rpm 15.8 volts

does this indicate a taosted VR?

Yes. Charging voltage should never exceed 14.5v, and should be between 13.5 and 14.5v. 15+v is too much, and if you let that continue, you will smoke your battery.
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Allan
post Apr 15 2005, 01:25 PM
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At least the VR is easy to replace. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif)
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aircooledboy
post Apr 15 2005, 01:38 PM
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I had the same thing happen couple years back. Gen light would come on intermittently for weeks. Then my ground cable at the battery went bad. After I replaced the cable, and the gen hasn't come on since. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)
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redshift
post Apr 15 2005, 02:46 PM
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QUOTE (stags14 @ Apr 15 2005, 02:36 PM)
....................

LMFAO!

Ask Benny, or Bob Tilton...

"You problem friend, is the spirit of lack!"


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Joe Bob
post Apr 15 2005, 02:53 PM
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Yeah dude....that's higher than Miles on Goat juice....
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redshift
post Apr 15 2005, 03:34 PM
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Your avatar makes me dizzy, and a little sickened.


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