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dual batteries not charging

vwkj87 - February 5th, 2011 at 06:41 PM

Can somebody please help me figure out this problem. I finally have my 76 on the road and somewhere in the past dual batteries were put in.

Neither batteries are charging. I've only been for a few drives and after 2 or 3 trips the battery is dead.

I appear to have the voltage regulator, a relay and what I think is an isolator? Does anyone know, or has diagrams, of how this should be wired, or even how to get it back to the original single battery.

here are some pics.

Any information would be a huge help.

68AutoBug - February 5th, 2011 at 08:25 PM

Hi
a few wires there seem to be disconnected....

the bottom pic is a FORD starter solenoid....

I don't like them.... OK in fords...
I'd give it to someone else.....

not sure why its being used...???

try disconnecting one battery earth lead....
so only one battery will be in use....

if that battery is no good try the other one...

You can also connect both batteries together + to + and
- to - so they are in parallel and still 12 volts...
if one battery is bad, it will cause problems...

You have an alternator regulator on the wall...
does the alternator lamp in the dash work???
if it doesn't the alternator won't charge the batteries...

LEE

someone has tampered with a lot of wires there...

vwkj87 - February 5th, 2011 at 09:22 PM

Thanks. The disconnected wires don't seem to connect to anything, the wiring was a real mess with bits spliced in everywhere.

So start by getting rid of the solenoid.

Both batteries are good as far as i know. The alternator lamp is the battery symbol? No that doesn't come on.

68AutoBug - February 5th, 2011 at 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vwkj87
Thanks. The disconnected wires don't seem to connect to anything, the wiring was a real mess with bits spliced in everywhere.

So start by getting rid of the solenoid.

Both batteries are good as far as i know. The alternator lamp is the battery symbol? No that doesn't come on.

HI
Those Ford solenoids use a lot of power to operate....

the Alternator Lamp MUST be working for the alternator to charge..... battery symbol YES...
those alternator regulators are a pain too....

alternators with built in regulators are much better.

try replacing the bulb in the speedo....

otherwise, what I have done to a few beetles,. is add a dash light with two wires..... one goes to Power on the coil... +
the other goes to the regulator....
can't remember which one....??
and tape them to something in the engine bay...

the light should go on with the ignition and go out when the engine starts up which means the alternator is charging...

cheers

LEE

vwkj87 - February 5th, 2011 at 10:59 PM

That starts to narrow it down. I'll pull out the solenoid and try to rewire it like original. I can worry about dual batteries later. Do you happen to know of the decent wiring diagram?

Thank you so much for your help.

barls - February 5th, 2011 at 11:11 PM

try this one

vwkj87 - February 5th, 2011 at 11:29 PM

eep. Is there a simpler version?

barls - February 5th, 2011 at 11:49 PM

here is the key that goes with it
http://www.vintagebus.com/wiring/bus-76-key-1.jpg
http://www.vintagebus.com/wiring/bus-76-key-2.jpg
c is the alternator.
sorry i havent seen a simple diagram

vwkj87 - February 5th, 2011 at 11:54 PM

Thanks. It doesn't look so bad now.

vwkj87 - February 6th, 2011 at 09:23 AM

The blue wire from the voltage regulator was spliced into a the yellow wire that went to that relay.

I reconnected that back to the T1 connector and now the alternator light is working. also reconnected a black wire that was disconnected with two bullet connectors. Don't know what it's for though.

I've been told if it's charging properly you can take the battery terminal off the battery and it'll keep running. but the engine still died.

Any thoughts?

barls - February 6th, 2011 at 09:25 AM

put a multi meter across the battery to test it with the engine running, should be about 13-14v there.

vwkj87 - February 6th, 2011 at 09:27 AM

there is, but it's the same when the engine's off.

vwkj87 - February 6th, 2011 at 09:31 AM

Also alternator light stays on.

barls - February 6th, 2011 at 09:33 AM

all the time even if the engine is running? sounds like your regulator has died

vwkj87 - February 6th, 2011 at 09:46 AM

Yes all the time the ignition is on. Can i test the regulator?

vwkj87 - February 6th, 2011 at 10:14 AM

Are Beetle regulators interchangeable?

68AutoBug - February 6th, 2011 at 02:42 PM

Only if its for an alternator....

Generator voltage regulators are not the same....

the regulator for the alternators are a pain....

probably need to buy two.....

as they can blow at any time....

LEE

Joel - February 6th, 2011 at 03:38 PM

What a load of crap, the fail rate of generator regulators is far higher than alternator regs.
Most are original to the cars

Quote:

Originally posted by 68AutoBug
alternators with built in regulators are much better.

Till they die, which most do cos they're all from china these days and you have to replace the entire alternator rather than a $30 regulator.

Most people don't bother replacing internal regs even though it's possible.

That old Ford solenoid is what is doing the switching between batteries, so the system is not going to work without it.

It keeps the leisure battery seperate when the engines not running so it can be flattened without flattening the main battery then it's linked into the system via the solenoid once the engines started so it can be charged back up.

I had the same setup for my audio system.

vwkj87 - February 6th, 2011 at 04:20 PM

First the light stayed on on the time the ignition was, and the voltage didn't change on the battery.

After removing all the extra stuff and getting the wires in the correct place, the light went out when engine was running. and the battery was charging.

However after a half hour run the battery boiled.

New Regulator?

barls - February 6th, 2011 at 04:25 PM

id say reg in that conditions. nave you got a good auto elect around your area as id take the alternator to them and get them to test it as it shouldnt of boiled the battery.

grumble - February 6th, 2011 at 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by barls
id say reg in that conditions. nave you got a good auto elect around your area as id take the alternator to them and get them to test it as it shouldnt of boiled the battery.

Sorry to dig in but I notice the reg has individual wires,usually a plug,the potential is one of the wires is on the wrong terminal.The auto electrician is a good choice.

vwkj87 - February 9th, 2011 at 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by grumble

Quote:

Sorry to dig in but I notice the reg has individual wires,usually a plug,the potential is one of the wires is on the wrong terminal.The auto electrician is a good choice.

Went to 4 auto electricians and repco and none had one, but finally got one from a vw shop. He confirmed which pins were which.

Car started. Alternator light stayed on, battery read 14V, and engine made a clicking noise (???).

Turned it off battery read 12.6V. Thinking it's ok I tried to start it again but starter kept clicking and wouldn't start.

vwkj87 - February 11th, 2011 at 03:36 PM

Also i charged the battery last night, it's a good charger and it said the battery was good. tested it and it read 12.6V. Put it in the car and tried to start it and it barely turned over and went dead, like a flat battery.

groovy - February 12th, 2011 at 10:47 PM

dual battry get a redarc smart start solenoid from any 4 wheel drive shop there about $150 very ezy to wire up
get rid of the old solenoid you have in your car now and put it back to standed
do you have a good starter motor,have you tryed a load test on batterys,