Hi Mike. The charging system could work fine when cool and then fail when warmed up. A Google search shows that the gen light coming on at highway speeds is not an uncommon problem, these same articles have good information on diagnosis and correction. Maybe plan a 20 mile round trip on the interstate in daylight (headlights on to provide a load) and see if you can reproduce the symptom. You can then isolate the problem to regulator, generator or wiring.
On Sat, Dec 12, 2015 at 12:19 PM, Mike Morehouse <[email protected]> wrote: > After trickle charging the battery over the last few days till I got a > green light indicating it was charged, the battery output with the engine > off is 12.65. I started the bug and let it idle. No gen light. Revved up > the engine and checked the voltage at the battery and it was reading about > 14.3 vdc. > > Wouldn't this indicate that the generator is ok? > > What to check next? > > Thanks Mike > > Mike Morehouse > On Dec 12, 2015 1:30 PM, "stokester" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> The first thing I would do is use a meter on it to see the actual output >> voltage of the generator. >> >> Nick >> >> >> On Friday, December 11, 2015 at 9:54:34 AM UTC-5, mike morehouse wrote: >>> >>> Good morning. >>> >>> I need a little advice with a generator light issue on my stock 72 Bug >>> with generator. I drive my Bug mostly short trips in town - errands, >>> church, work, etc...both day and night driving. Car is stock with OEM >>> generator. No added accessories. Battery was replaced in 2012 and starts >>> car fine. >>> >>> I never have any generator light issues on normal trips in town. Last >>> night I took it up the interstate on about a 22 mile trip at about 65 mph >>> and at the 20 mile mark the gen light came on. Car contined to run fine. >>> Got to my destination and picked up a play script and got back in the car >>> to make the 22 mile trip back home. Gen light stayed on the whole time. >>> FYI, I did notice left and right turn signals were flashing very rapidly >>> when I put them on on way home. >>> >>> As I got close to home it did appear that headlights were getting >>> dimmer. Made it home OK. Pulled in garage and left engine running to look >>> at headlights. They did look dim. Shut engine off. Checked fan belt. It was >>> intact and seemed to have plenty of tension. I connected my Harbor Freight >>> trickle charger to battery and left it on over night. It is still charging >>> this am. If I do start car this am, headlights seem fine and there is no >>> gen light on. >>> >>> IIRC, the last time I made his same length trip, the same thing happened. >>> >>> Why would I have gen light issues on a 20 mile trip at 65 mph when I >>> never see that around town? >>> >>> Would a 30 or 35 minute trip cause a gen problem that a 10 minute trip >>> around town might not? >>> >>> I guess what I am saying is no gen light occurrences on numerous local >>> trips but 2 consecutive light issues on 30 min trip up interstate. >>> >>> I'd welcome your thoughts as this makes me wary of taking an road trips >>> in the Bug. >>> >>> If I didn't give enough info on symptoms please let me know as I do need >>> some help. >>> >>> Thanks Mike Morehouse in Alabama >>> >> -- >> Visit the VintagVW archives at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > -- > Visit the VintagVW archives at > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Visit the VintagVW archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VintagVW - Air Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/vintagvw. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
