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Electrical regulators
Yogie - November 22nd, 2004 at 01:34 PM

This may sound a dumb question but if I put an alternator in to my beetle with a built in regulator, this means I can do away with the one under the seat doesn't it?

Yogie

Yogie - November 23rd, 2004 at 12:06 PM

Maybe the question was a bit harder than I thought. Does anyone know?

Bizarre - November 23rd, 2004 at 12:50 PM

yes - ish

It is not a simple swap over. I mean, dont "just" have a go at it.

You dont have a regulator under the seat but there is another relay box thingy.

It is worth it for the lack of brushes and more amps

I have some spares at home if you want me to take a picture of the parts

Yogie - November 23rd, 2004 at 03:16 PM

This is to go into the 72 beetle we are restoring. I have already bought a 75amp alternator kit with the regulator but I wasn't sure if I still needed to fit the one under the seat.

GL1972 - November 25th, 2004 at 02:48 PM

I'm pretty sure VW Trends some time ago (This Year) ran a tech article on replacing a Gen with an Alternator. You have to bridge some wiring where the old regulator was.

Alternator internal regulator = no external regulator.

Brendan

1303 - November 26th, 2004 at 07:11 AM

You can get rid of the regulator under the seat but you need to connect the field wire from the generator at the regulator to the battery warning light wire at the regulator.

Then the feild wire that normally connects the generator(thin wire) is connected to the alternator as the warning light wire.

Yogie - November 26th, 2004 at 12:06 PM

Thanks for your help guys. Your blood is worth bottling.:beer

68AutoBug - November 26th, 2004 at 10:48 PM

I have heard of people leaving the old regulator hooked up under the seat..... they usually have problems...

The old Voltage regulator is replaced by an Alternator with a builtin Regulator that also changes the Alternating Current of the Alternator to Direct Current to match the battery....

or an Alternator with an External Regulator... which will need replacing every few years...
The Alternator with built in Regulator are the BEST ..... IMHO..

The wire to the dash tell/tale lamp is Very Important with an Alternator as it needs this lamp to excite the alternator into charging.... No Lamp= No charge

Also the Alternator Stand IS different to a generator stand...
just in case You haven't got one...

Lee -- 68AutoBug --

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug 

Yogie - December 3rd, 2004 at 11:09 AM

Thanks Lee, you are a wealth of information.

Yogie