Michael in San Antonio
91GL Weekender AT 2.1L 'Gringo'
73 Beetle

On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 6:43 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> Hey Michael,
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> You need to establish two things to begin with -- a) is your alternator
> putting out the right stuff, alt is putting out 13.75 at main battery per
> 2 checks.and b) are your batteries ok. so, yes, I assume When you say
> "dropped...after starting..." do you mean that the engine was still running?
>  I'm guessing you don't.Oh yes I do.  keeps dropping while running.  Drove
> a block and came back home becuase got as low as 10.89.
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> After you make sure the alt is charging, pull the ground on the starting
> battery and drop a load across it --  some stoplight bulbs, headlight,
> blower, something that draws ten amps or so.  Run it for five or ten
> minutes, watch what the voltage does while it's running and what it is after
> you stop.  I think your starting battery is bad.Will come back to this
> later.
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> As to the radio, I'm pretty sure you'll find if you measure that it's
> actually hooked to the starting battery.  William of Ockham won't lie quiet
> in his grave until you've proved that one way or the other.I pulled the #3
> fuse and hardwired a .25 spade to the upper slot in the #3 socket and 20amp
> in-line fuse then straight to aux battery power distribution post.
> Batteries are seperated by 1315 and then a wire from positive of each
> battery to SPDT switch tied to new cig lighter adapter for the voltage
> meter. Let's me monitor both batteries by switching SPDT. Worked fine for
> over a week.  This sever drop started this morning at startup.

Thanks to you David.

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> Yours,
> David
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