| Subject: | Re: On the road - charging issue |
| From: | LarsP |
| Date: | Tue, 30 May 2023 11:30:06 -0700 |
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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Just to close this out –</p><p class=MsoNormal>Next morning involved stiff cold winds ahead of a nasty storm blowing in to the eastern Colorado plains, so I fiddled not and drove south, successfully skirting the storm. Checking charging volts when I got home, I found 13.81 at the alternator and 13.79 at the battery. I also checked notes and found 13.7 to 14.2 to be normal range. Somehow I had thought the over-14 reading to be high. So it seems the ol gray van was fine and it was my brain that was fritzy – it does not retain detail the way it used to could.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>gp</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='border:none;padding:0in'><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:olgreywoof@gmail.com">LarsP</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Tuesday, May 23, 2023 9:01 PM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:madvws@cox.net">Mark Drillock</a>; <a href="mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com">vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com</a><br><b>Subject: </b>RE: On the road - charging issue</p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks for replies. I have been in the wind all day and just catching up with email now. Will see about starting tomorrow with the meter just for grins, but after another day and several hundred more miles without issue (and the gauge dropped a bit too), I suspect Mark’s last sentence is the key, the part about “wide variations and misleading readings”. Should be home in two or three days and if it’s just about me learning something, I can fiddle with it then.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>gp<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:madvws@cox.net">Mark Drillock</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Tuesday, May 23, 2023 9:14 AM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com">vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com</a><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: On the road - charging issue<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To accurately assess the charging system it is fundamental to start by<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>measuring the charging voltage directly at the source, the alternator.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Second spot is the battery itself, to make sure most of the measured<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>alternator voltage is reaching it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The least important spot to measure is the dash area since it is subject<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to wide variations and gives misleading readings under different loads.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mark<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On 5/23/2023 8:59 AM, Michael A. Radtke wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> LarsP,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> You shouldn't have to unload your Vanagon. There is easy access to the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> battery voltage through the cigar lighter socket, but you do need a<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> meter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> That said, the regulated charging voltage should be less the warmer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> things are. So you may have an issue.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Mike<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> ------------------------ Original Message ------------------------<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Date: Tue, 23 May 2023 07:32:42 -0700<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> From: LarsP <olgreywoof@GMAIL.COM><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Subject: Re: On the road - charging issue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Thanks Rob,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> That would confirm the gauge, but since I’m loaded and traveling, I was<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> hoping to get an idea of what might be going on (is this a warning?)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> without unloading to get inside.� Everything else seems to be running<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> normally.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> From: Rob<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2023 5:19 AM<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> To: LarsP<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Subject: Re: On the road - charging issue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> I'd use my multimeter and see what voltage the alternator is actually<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> putting out.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Rob<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> vwrobb@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> On Mon, May 22, 2023 at 11:29 PM LarsP <olgreywoof@gmail.com> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> 87 Wolfsburg 2.1<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Have VDO gauges which are not all that precise anyway, but Volts usually show right around 13+.� On highway today, charging stayed above 14 most of the day.� What do I learn from that?� Frying an alternator?� Alternator frying the battery?� Battery depleted?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> gp<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>Have something to add on this topic today? 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