Vortex Sucks. You guys will solve this riddle.

[shwak23]

My battery light never turns on. I have replaced the Blue wire from the alternator to the fuse box. I get continuity all the way there.
I have replaced the led.
I then replaced the entire cluster.
Nothing I do will make that stupid light turn on when I turn the key.
The regulator looks good. The alternator is practically brand new.
Can something be shorted out in the alternator?
I am about ready to wash my mouth out with a revolver.
The alt will only charge if I rev it really high. Sometimes I could manually excite my alternator by using a jumper everytime. I eventually just installed a jumper between the main stud and the exciter stud. Maybe not the best thing to do but it worked. It still required reving to bring the alt alive but not as much.
Anyway I am sick of reving (Not just a light blip; I know what that is. I have to rev mine high.)

Any idea if the exciter pack from alternators are interchangeable? I have a number lying around. I am super sick of alternator stuff.

The above is Copypaste from my vortex thread.
I want that red light to turn on. I will do anything to make it work.

[wolf_walker]

Sounds like you have tried everything but another alternator, no?
I got that it's nearly new, but if it's a parts store reman that don't mean a lot.

What was the original failure and/or when was the last time alt/light both worked?
Do you have/have had water leaks under dash from teh windscreen seal?  Bad electrical juju.
If you have to rev it really high to get it to start charging, and the light never comes on,
I'd look at the alt first.  Don't run out and buy one till some of the other guys chime in, there
are a couple people here that know that system by heart.  I've been lucky enough to never
have much trouble out of em but worn brushes and a set of bearings every 300K or so.

[shwak23]

Regardless of alternator status shouldn't I be able to ground my blue wire and get the damn light to turn on? I do sometimes have some water drip in the footwell amongst the wires but I have unplugged the fuse box in a few spots and there is zero corrosion or nastiness. My battery cables are all made of thick audio wire. Soldered and sealed.

While this problem has been going on I have been cleaning up a few stray wires and rechecking connections.

I can't really recall when or why this all happened. There is probably a good chance that I could have arched the alternator when unplugging it at some point. But whatever... Why doesn't this light turn on. I have never touched the wires under the dash I don't think. At least the ones related to the exciter wire.... Are there relays involved at all?

Sent from Outer Space!

[annieneff]

I have no answer what so ever for you (I kind of think it's the alternator too, but that's only because it's the only thing you haven't replaced in the system yet), but I wanted to say how awesomely hilarious it is that this light bugs you so much.  I can totally relate. Right now I have only so much pity for your situation because my engine is most likely an insanely expensive paperweight, but I still think your light obsession is funny. Take a picture of it not going on and then take a picture of your frustration face and post it here.
Thanks for sharing and making me (and likely many others) feel normal again.

Andrew

[CRSMP5]

yep poortex blows.. i banned there...

grounding blue wire at alt = light on...

using a test light.. the store bought kind.. or even a bulb with wire sldered to it.. batt positive and other end to blue wire connector of alt... does it work?? aka you just made up idiot light with test light..

ive had a garage pay a guy/customer $200 one day as i fixed his car via phone via that trick.. got him home to me to fix his broken wire.. they doubted test light trick.. and paid him for the knowledge they learned..

it was gas car.. i had them add a light bulb between coil power and exciter on alt so idiot light was under hood.. turns off w/key that way.. but batt 4 test.. then pump power till you resolve your wiring delema..

[shwak23]

Unshaven and filled with rage and despair.

Sent from Outer Space!

[shwak23]

yep poortex blows.. i banned there...

grounding blue wire at alt = light on...

using a test light.. the store bought kind.. or even a bulb with wire sldered to it.. batt positive and other end to blue wire connector of alt... does it work?? aka you just made up idiot light with test light..

ive had a garage pay a guy/customer $200 one day as i fixed his car via phone via that trick.. got him home to me to fix his broken wire.. they doubted test light trick.. and paid him for the knowledge they learned..

it was gas car.. i had them add a light bulb between coil power and exciter on alt so idiot light was under hood.. turns off w/key that way.. but batt 4 test.. then pump power till you resolve your wiring delema..

My dilemma is that that bulb is never shining with glorious red light. I know I could hackfest my way into making it work and getting the alternator to charge. I just want it to work the right way.

Sent from Outer Space!

[CRSMP5]

ok.. so when you ground the blue wire what happens? light on? if not.. goto next joint.. by starter to batt wire.. connector.. ground th eblue wire there.. light on?? if not goto next joint... repeat..

but till you find where the wire broken.. will not work.. so testlight/add on light for now.. while looking for the break..

or run new wire from cluster harness to alt.. eliminate out all the joints/connectors that way..

but you ask what happens when wire grounded at alt.. light should be on..

then i told simple test to make sure the alt not issue.. via testlight..

[shwak23]

ok.. so when you ground the blue wire what happens? light on? if not.. goto next joint.. by starter to batt wire.. connector.. ground th eblue wire there.. light on?? if not goto next joint... repeat..

but till you find where the wire broken.. will not work.. so testlight/add on light for now.. while looking for the break..

or run new wire from cluster harness to alt.. eliminate out all the joints/connectors that way..

but you ask what happens when wire grounded at alt.. light should be on..

then i told simple test to make sure the alt not issue.. via testlight..

Yeah I realize I may have come off as a little ungrateful for your help. I do appreciate your response and will most likely do something of that nature to hack it to work for now. I guess you are right. I could cut the wire directly from the cluster harness to bring it to the alternator. But are we sure that ignition wires aren't an essential part of this circuit?

Sent from Outer Space!

[CRSMP5]

the led is powered looking for the ground made thru the alt to light it.. no other items in the car are on the blue wire.. not like a w terminal where the oil pressure system uses it..

[shwak23]

In the bently it says that the number 15? Wire coming out of the ignition being ruined could cause the light to not turn on. I haven't looked to see what other things would also be affected.

Sent from Outer Space!

[fatmobile]

You have to measure the voltage on each side of the LED. With the ignition on.
Or use the troublelight mentioned earlier.

 Following the wire back to a plug by the fuse box but not all the way to the LED isn't good enough.
 
I got a car with an alternator light that wouldn't turn on,.. the LED was in backwards.
 They only flow current in one direction.

 I'm also curious what happens when you ground the blue wire,..
 That makes the third request for you to try that and report back.

[annieneff]

I laughed so hard tears ran down my face. Thanks for those pictures; truly hilarious.
I have a new idea with the light: Give up! If it was an oil pressure gauge, an egt reader, or something important, then maybe devote this much time and energy to it. But my god man, the alt light?
A certain percentage of things have to be wrong with older vw's. May as well let it be this instead of something major. If you actually manage to fix this light, the percentage will be out of balance and something else will break. You'll have to just cross your fingers and hope that it's something as innocuous as the alt light bulb (led... whatever).
Just saying.
Thanks again for the laugh!--

Andrew

[jboogie13]

I laughed so hard tears ran down my face. Thanks for those pictures; truly hilarious.
I have a new idea with the light: Give up! If it was an oil pressure gauge, an egt reader, or something important, then maybe devote this much time and energy to it. But my god man, the alt light?
A certain percentage of things have to be wrong with older vw's. May as well let it be this instead of something major. If you actually manage to fix this light, the percentage will be out of balance and something else will break. You'll have to just cross your fingers and hope that it's something as innocuous as the alt light bulb (led... whatever).
Just saying.
Thanks again for the laugh!--

Andrew

Based on how useless both of your posts have been, I'm going to guess that you frequent the vortex?

[shwak23]

Oh I apologize I have tried grounding it a million times. Nothing happens. I thought I had already mentioned that. But I guess not.

Sent from Outer Space!