ELECTRICAL SYSTEM # 6                      Date:  04-03-94, 14:54
Left by:  TURBOTIM
Sent to:  ALL                            Status:  Public
  Topic:  Ground & DIS

 The most common problems from bad ground to the charging system
are poor charging and a dead battery. Many shop misdiagnose this
problem as a bad alternator when the ground is the only problem.
To test you VW ground side of the charging system take a
voltmeter and with the positive lead hooked to the positive
terminal on the battery. Touch the negative side of the meter to
the battery and note the reading, now take the test lead and
touch the alternator case, the difference should be no more than
.2 volts. If you have a major difference than take the lead and
follow the ground path back to the battery. Along the way you
will see the ground lost from alternator bracket to engine to
transmission to transmission mount up the negative cable to the
battery. Our auxiliary ground kits come in two styles. The one
we sell most is an 8 gauge high strand count cable with two gold
terminals crimped, soldered, and shrinked tubbed to the cable.
We include a metric nut and washer to attach one end to the
alternator studs protruding out the back of the alternator. This
cable sells for $19.95.  The other auxiliary ground cable we
sell is a kit with two cables.  One from the alternator to
either the cylinder head ground pod on the late models or a
valve cover stud on early models, the other cable goes from the
stud or pod to the battery negative cable bolt. This kit sells
for $24.95.  Both kits will solve any ground problems between
the alternator and the battery. This area is a large portion of
charging problems on H20 VW's.


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