FAQ 46
Question: One day I'm driving along happy as can be in my 1975 Super Beetle with a 1970 engine, and the generator light comes on. I go home turn the car off. I try again the next morning....and its off. It's happened repetedly now and its really started to concern me. My dad checked the generator and said that was fine and to just drive it. So ok fine, I drive it with the light still coming on faintly at times. Then oddly enough my gas gauge says I have no gas. So I go to the gas place put in like 2.00 and its full. Get back in the car and the gas gauge works again. Then last night I was driving in it and everytime I put my foot on the clutch the hand brake and oil light would come on. And different lights keep going off on the car and staying on. I imagine its something electrical, but I wouldn't even know where to start. Any insight you could provide would be greatly appreicatd. Answer: Intermittent problems are always the worst. My first guess is a charging system problem, but I'm not sure how that could account for the oil light coming on. Is your Bug idleing too slow? Does the oil light go out when you give the car a little gas? Does the generator light only come on a low rpms? If so, just raise the rpm. Aside from a problem with the charging system (probaby the regulator) it sounds like you've got a short. Rodents chew wires, and then things get messy. Visually inspect wires first. Replace problem wires one at a time (so you can remember which wire goes where). Next start with suspect circuits, and remove the wire from each end, and check for a short to ground. If a wire that isn't connected to anything has a short, pull it out and replace it with the same size, and hopefully a similar color wire. A test lamp, and a VOM meter (volt-ohm-milliamp) is really handy. One of those $15 meters should be fine.
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