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Hi all,
Finally got my 74 Thing back from body shop and put the
engine back in yesterday.I have installed a new alternator with
internal regulator.The wiring which went to the old generator's
regulator are RED (heavy)
Blue
Black

I suspect the red is the B+, the blue is D- and Black is ground, is this
correct?

Thanks to all...
Wayne

VW follows the DIN convention of using brown for ground. Black is primarily used for Term 15 (ignition-switched) but in this case it's just a non-essential D+ wire to the dealer diagnostic plug - there's another one at the generator D+ terminal. It wouldn't hurt anything to connect them to ground, but it wouldn't accomplish anything either unless you jumpered them together at the plug.

The only wires you need to hook up to an Alt are the heavy gauge Red wire(attaches to post on Alt), and the blue wire(attaches to spade term usually(goes to the idiot light on the dash)). It really cleans up the wiring in the engine compartment. You can run the wires right to the Alt, no need for them to cris-cross the engine compartment.

Thanks guys,
Appreciate the input, it's nice to confirm things.

Wayne

I've wired up my alt as the diagrams have shown, and after doing so, the gen light and the brake light are always on?? I've had times{from loose connection at fuse block} where the lights flicker. But the lights are allways on. telling me power is being fed to the alt. anyone else seen this before??? I liked it better when the light was off, and when it came on, it was stop and check the fanbelt....
Thanks

Do you have access to a wiring diagram? There are some out on the net for Things. Cant remember the sites. How many wires do you have hooked to the Alt?

I've wired up my alt as the diagrams have shown, and after doing so, the gen light and the brake light are always on?? I've had times{from loose connection at fuse block} where the lights flicker. But the lights are allways on. telling me power is being fed to the alt. anyone else seen this before???
Yes I am just having the same problem. someone 0out there have a solution?????????

ToRy

I feel your pain in this struggle. I have been working through teh electrical system of Herr K and have no luck getting the electical system to funtion. I have done so many things that i do not know where to start. I have a bad turn or wiper switch an perhaps a dead short and perhaps an off again on again short. I am currently in the replace parts hoping to fidn the issue. K-mann

wait... lemme get this straight- out of the 3 wires that originally went to the generator ( voltage regulator under seat), the heavy red wire goes to the B+, the ( i can't even tell what color this is anymore) wire goes to the D+ for the gen idiot light, and the brown ground is unnecessary (?) I started up my new mill and it runs like a champ... and seems to be charging the battery, because I've noticed no lag in the starter for 10+ starts- and the headlights seem strong- so why this goofy gen light all the time????? I'm going to run down to my mechanic tomorrow to see if he's ever run into this, and how to go about fixing it. Any light he sheds on this, I'll share with you.







Lates- ToRy

Only two wires to an Alt. Large Red w/ stripe to lug terminal on Alt. Blue wire goes to idiot light. Thats it. If your speedo idiot lights are staying on, Id think one of two things; Alt not charging, or you wired it up wrong.
The idiot light is a necessity, without it the Alt will not turn on and start charging. The charge? in that wire actually switches once the Alt turns on. The positive voltage from the idiot light excites some coil in the Alt and gets it to start charging(something like that). Thats why w/o an idiot light it will not workAfter it starts charging it goes negative I think. Someone with the correct terminology care to clean up what Im trying to say??


It sounds like your lights are getting power from somewhere else that they shouldnt be getting it from.

opps