13.75 VOLTS IS THEIR PROPER VOLTAGE TO CHARGE A BATTERY.  THAT IS THE FACTORY 
SETTING.  You are either being scammed or you have an idiot with the meter.  
Many American cars charge at 14.5 volts.  Long drives at this rate tend to 
overcharge batteries.  That is why they do not last as long as they do in 
VW's.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
>From:	vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu  On Behalf Of hanninkt@ix.netcom.com
Sent:	Monday, April 21, 1997 7:35 PM
To:	Multiple recipients of list
Subject:	Rebuilt alternator for my 91 Carat

Went out to the Carat this morning and noticed that I'd left the cell phone on 
(sorry joel, but it 
is hands-free) since Friday night and the beast wouldn't start. Wife hade the 
jumper cables with 
the Toyota, and didn't want to wait for AAA so it stole the battery out of the 
'75. It fired right 
up and got me to work.
At lunch, I went to my "flsars" (friendly local starter and alternator rebuild 
shop) who load 
tested the battery and said that it only need a charge and then asked me if I 
wanted the charging 
system checked out, which they did and said that the regulator output was at 
13.75 volts and would 
need to be repaired.
They quoted me a price of $125.00 for a rebuilt 90A bosch alternator.

Two questions, is 13.75 volts a bad reading for an alternator, and does $125 
for a rebuilt 
alternator seem resonable?

TIA

Tim Hannink
Orlando, Florida

1991 Vanagon
1975 VW Bus
1973 412