Could be you just got a bad rebuilt alternator...
Could be you have a serious short (and/or are running a lot of juice through
accessories) that is causing it to work too hard...
Could be you have a weak/bad battery that is causing it to work too hard...
Bill

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Garske" <mjg@MY-FREENET.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 10:26 PM
Subject: Syncro dead!

> The other day I was replacing my $100 VW spark-plug wires when the nifty
metal sleeve on the plug wire hit the poles on the back of the alternator,
(ZAP!).  The next day when I started her up the battery charge light came on
fully.  The van had started a bit sluggishly but oh well.  A couple days
before I had installed some fog lights and had disturbed the printed circuit
ribbon under the speedo cover and I figured that there must have been
something wrong there.
> As this last week went by I figured I had a faulty charge light, BUT
NOOOOOOOOO.  Today I started it up and it didn't.  Had to try and try until
it started and later in the day all the accesories started to fail, wipers
sloooow, lights dim, any load started to affect the gas pump function.
Well, now it's dead.
> I have removed the battery and the alternator to be tested tomorrow, (both
replaced last year).  Any ideas as to why this has happened, and if it is
the alt. why is the van blazing through $225 alternators?
>
> What have I done???!!!
>
>
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