help before i bloody well sell Beryl ...

Come here to ask for technical help and advice
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biddy2101
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Joined: 6th April 2012 - 12:35am
Location: Uxbridge

help before i bloody well sell Beryl ...

Post by biddy2101 » 16th January 2013 - 11:22pm

So Beryl isn't digging the cold weather - she started 1st time on Monday morning with a covering of snow however yesterday morning & this morning she wasn't starting, no matter how nicely or sternly i spoke to her...

The battery is currently being charged by BIG BETSY (borrowed from a friend) - as Limp Linda wasn't touching it (halfords model).

What i want to know now is WHAT ALTERNATOR DO I NEED TO BUY & WHERE FROM as i got paid today & i need to get my kids to school on time & i need to get to work on time & before i make a very rash decision that i may regret as spring is only round the corner

Thank you, Biddy

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miketyp3
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Re: help before i bloody well sell Beryl ...

Post by miketyp3 » 17th January 2013 - 9:27am

What are the symptoms?
Is the battery flat when you come to it in the morning, or is she simply turning over but not starting?
If its the latter I wouldn't be looking at the Dynamo (normally they don't have an alternator).

Does she start better when the engine is warm (i.e. after a run), or is it the same?

Mike
Mike

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Editor
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Re: help before i bloody well sell Beryl ...

Post by Editor » 18th January 2013 - 1:13am

Cold weather of itself doesn't usually give problems if the battery can turn the engine over OK. Cold, as in frosty, usually means dry air, and less chance of the spark leaking to earth through damp surfaces.

What can affect our Type 3s (more than Type 1 and 2s with their enclosed upright engines) is damp. The engine is exposed to air from under the car, which can throw salt spray and moisture up from the road. If the weather turns warm and wet after a cold spell, there can be a lot of condensation on the distibutor cap, coil, spark-plug leads and plug caps. This may be what's happening to beautiful Beryl. It's not really her fault. She may need a bit of WD40 to cleanse the grime of the day. She may even quite like a waft from a hair-dryer if things get desperate. Bosch made brown silicone rubber boots to shroud the plug insulator to stop condensation there, but I don't think they are available these days.

It may be that her (ignition) points have too small a gap - the heel of the fibre part on the points can wear and reduce the gap, leaving the spark weaker than normal. This is quite common if whoever adjusts them doesn't lubricate the distributor cam with a smear of grease.

Sometimes a charger like limp Linda is handy - a long slow charge can improve an ailing battery better than a high power boost. If you have had to turn the engine over and over on the starter, then only drive short distances, the battery may not get enough charge without a bit of outside help.

Unless starting after a month or more of inactivity, when the carbs may be empty of fuel, having to turn the engine over more than a few turns probably means there's a problem to solve in the system. She's just asking for help!
Dave.

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nitro_warrior
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Re: help before i bloody well sell Beryl ...

Post by nitro_warrior » 23rd January 2013 - 10:17am

Take the distributor cap off and scrape the contacts clean so you can see shiny metal. Pull the rotor arm off and sand that clean too. A regular job on old cars with distributor caps.
VW Type 3 Fastback
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