Author Topic: So alternator problem....weird (Read 4421 times)

shwartzbewithyou · « **on:** April 07, 2006, 09:58:36 am »

So my issue started the other day when I popped the water hose that runs from the centre of the water pump to the upper rad hose and it has a "T" that goes to the oil cooler. Anyways, I blew the hose while driving and didn't know about it just yet. It burst a hole and started spraying under the hood. How I noticed was that my alt light started coming on. So I stopped the car and popped the hood only to see coolant bubbling out the hose and the whole compartment soaked with coolant. So I hobbled home and watched the temp very carefully. It was fine so I got home no prob. I have since replaced the hose (expensive little bugger) so that is not the issue. The issue is that I figured the alt wasn't working because it was being sprayed with coolant which is understandable. I have since fixed the coolant prob but the alt light is still on. So I figured it was just coated inside and it needed a good run to clean it out so I drove it to work yesterday (over an hour on the highway) but it's still on 2 days later. So I popped the voltage regulator out and one of the brushes was stuck down and farily crusty. So I got it unstuck and got some WD-40 down in there and got the springs moving freely, try to clean up some contacts and then put it back in. THE LIGHT IS STILL ON.
So my question. Does anyone know what coolant would've done to the alternator?

shwartzbewithyou · « **Reply #1 on:** April 07, 2006, 03:14:55 pm »

hillfolk'r · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2006, 02:01:27 am »

maybe caused by insulation breakdown,,,,marginal insulation,,,then the windings and stuff get wet,,zap,its shorted,,could be a diode acting up too, after geting all wet inside,,,,but isee this on generators,,ive had a few that sat outside for a long time,,no output onstartup,,we used to send themto a motor shop,,theywould bake it in an oven to remove moisture then checkfor shorts,,,,,it can happen,,but something in your alt may have crapped out,,,im thinkin regulator or diode,

shwartzbewithyou · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2006, 03:45:47 pm »

I had it tested at an auto parts shop and the machine wouldn't even spin it. It would try a charge and it failed that before it even started the rest of the test.
ugh. Anyone got an alternator for a 1990 Jetta TD w/o air?

wyldman · « **Reply #4 on:** April 08, 2006, 06:26:47 pm »

I should have one at the shop.I will probaby need it for future cars I'm building,but your welcome to borrow one for now.

I can also probably get you a good price on a rebuilt too.

Kevin L · « **Reply #5 on:** April 10, 2006, 07:58:55 am »

shwartzbewithyou
Make sure you keep your original pulley and fan off your alternator because there are about a thousand different types and spacings.
I have gone down this road when eliminating the air on my 90 1.6 td
and locating the right pulley spacer was a nightmare, even volkswagon themselves were no help
Kevin L

shwartzbewithyou · « **Reply #6 on:** April 10, 2006, 09:15:41 am »

Sorry, already gone. The pulley on mine was so crusty that it was chewing down my belt that was only 3 months old. So the new one is better for the belt. Also the dead alternator was not the original and so my belt tensioner arm wouldn't reach far enough, so when I bought the new one it didn't look exactly right to the old one but I realized that it was far better because it actually fit like it was supposed to and the tensioner was perfect. Nonetheless I took off the old alt. and tried cleaning it out. I cleaned up all my contact points on the voltage regulator and "tried" to crack the whole thing open. That was a nightmare as expected. I was running out of time (had to have it back up and running by nightfall) so I decided to just take it into the local parts store to have it tested. It usually starts off with a charge test where they put a current through it (feel free to step in anytime if I'm wrong) to see if it will pass anything to begin with, then it spins it to see if it will generate it's own current. Well it didn't even spin it. He tried like 4 times and the machine wouldn't even spin it. So he quoted me a new one and played the whole "it's got a five year warranty" sales pitch. I looked him in the eye and said "the car's 398,000kms on it" .......and just left it at that. C'mon, does it look like it needs a 5 year warranty? Anyways, I called the wreckers just to see and couldn't find anyone with one left. So I found a reman for $110 at a place I always go to.
I guess it could've been worse.

Kevin L · « **Reply #7 on:** April 10, 2006, 03:08:14 pm »

Don't sell your V dub short 398,000kms is only halfway. My last one was a NA 1.6 and had 500,000 + on it before I was changing an injector and glow plugs when brute force cracked the head removing the No.1 injector.
Now half the parts still live on in my 90 TD

shwartzbewithyou · « **Reply #8 on:** April 12, 2006, 08:54:22 am »

Quote from: "Kevin L"

Don't sell your V dub short 398,000kms is only halfway. My last one was a NA 1.6 and had 500,000 + on it before I was changing an injector and glow plugs when brute force cracked the head removing the No.1 injector.
Now half the parts still live on in my 90 TD

I agree but 500,000kms minus 398,000 kms equals out to 102,000kms. Their's no way I'm stretching out a 5 year warranty over only 102,000kms. My drive to and from work is over 100kms each day. I'd rather drop the warranty and just pay less.