Well- the reason I charged it this morning was that I had fallen
asleep with an audiobook playing on the radio, so I figured it could
use it. The charger showed it to be pretty low. It seemed to charge
normally, but there was a little electrical buzz/arcing noise from
the battery itself toward the point where the charger read "full
charge," making me nervous. The dash light came on after I charged
it. I thought about the alternator, but I have only driven it those
140 miles since it got back on the road and the alternator was
freshly rebuilt in the process. I did pull off the alternator to
install the fan housing, which had been totally missing, so I thought
maybe I hadn't gotten the connector on tight or the belt was loose.
Both seemed ok- the belt had maybe a bit too much slack/give. If the
battery was the problem, I wonder why it took 5 miles and another
turn of the ignition switch to shut off the light after the new
battery was put in? I will check the voltage tomorrow- I don't trust
the light being off now...
On Aug 13, 2008, at 9:27 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:

> Sounds to me like you drove off knowing the alternator was not
> charging the battery.
> on an old fashioned car........
> say one with a carburettor and points igntion......like an old Bus
> or Bug ............or whatever - MG say.....
> you can drive one of those on the battery with the charging system
> for days practically.
>
> Electronic fuel injection uses a lot more current.  it's got
> electronic ignition too of course........
> so you've got to figure it's going to use up a whole lotta current
> running.
>
> this is assuming you are talking about a gasoline vanagon.
> I missed where you said what year or version of vanagon it is.
>
> But what happened is to be expected on any gasoline vanagon.  Gotta
> have a working charging system.
> "Usually" but not always-absolutely......if the battery light is
> on , it ain't chargin' the battery.
> And it's not likely to be a loose belt, unless the belt is super
> loose, like almost ready to fall off.
>
> I'd check the charging voltage at the battery.  Should be 13.8 about.
> if not, I'd take the alternator into a good place for testing.
> I don't know why people buy new a new battery when they have a
> charging issue.
> Hope you get it figured out and things are good again !
>
> the chugging/loss of power ...........which you thought was a fuel
> issue, was the ECU and Ignition system not having enough juice to
> work with.
> scott
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Oliver Mueller-Heubach"
> <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 5:36 PM
> Subject: Chopstick's Adventure of the day
>
>
>> Got up this morning and decided to drive the van out to the
>> Chesapeake and Ohio Canal where I could sit in the shade and read for
>> grad school exams. First thing I noticed was the battery light was
>> on. Ok. I slid the seat and put t on the charger. Fully charged, I
>> drove out to the canal, read a couple articles into the mac/
>> "garageband" for playback on long trips (I can only stand so much of
>> the automatic mac voices- though mine isn't much better). Went for an
>> 8 mile walk on the canal during which I read another article. Came
>> back to van, got it to head home. A mile later, he was coughing and
>> conveniently between a cliff and a guardrail with no pullover and
>> plenty of cars behind. I thought..ok, I know I don't have a gas
>> gauge, but 140 miles are all I get from a full 14 gallon tank?!? I
>> looked in back, nothing loose or unhooked. Tapped the fuel filter and
>> pump (both new, but tank needs work), got pack in and managed to go
>> another 100 feet- enough to pull off the road. I start walking the 4
>> miles to the next gas station. A couple miles on, I  got a lift from
>> a guy who felt sympathy because he ran out of gas once on the next
>> hill in. So, got to Sheetz, got a gas can, a gallon of liquid gold,
>> and a frozen coke. Feeling pretty good- and I had reading so I was
>> getting work done. Walked back- got another lift about 1/8 mile to
>> the van- and spilled the last of the coke slush on the poor guy's
>> dashboard getting in.. sheesh. Feeling pretty bad- but he insisted no
>> worries- he was a dealer and that truck was to be detailed soon
>> anyway. Put the gas in the bus- and on the bus and on me because of
>> very weird and complicated little gas can with squeeze handle. Got in
>> van and drove uneventfully back to the Sheetz to fill up. Thinking,
>> maybe I'll treat it to nice gas for putting up with me (and to see if
>> I can make better than 25mph up the hill to our house). Pump clicks
>> off and I go in to order a sandwich. Look out the window and see a
>> shiny puddle under a petitely piddling Vanagon and try to ignore it.
>> Got my food, go out to start it. Nothing. Churning, no catching,
>> though. I clean terminals. I pull the aux. battery to fin it is dead
>> and my wife borrowed my jumpers. Luckily there was an Advance four
>> blocks away, so carried battery over there where it tested dead as a
>> doornail. Bought another battery, carried it back (thinking wish I
>> could remember all the battery group numbers I'd heard about). Put it
>> in the van and fires up- but battery light is on. I stop at another
>> Sheetz and threaten to tighten the alternator belt but find I'm
>> missing the one socket that will fit. Got back in and light is
>> off.... Well, that was my Vanagon day- all in all, not bad. This is
>> the sort of van trouble I can deal with.
>> Oliver Mueller-Heubach
>> groundhogging@mac.com
>

Oliver Mueller-Heubach
groundhogging@mac.com