Battery/Generator Light

[Dal]

I've searched the forum and could not find another post discussing this so...

While driving to work today, my Battery/Generator light came on. There are no strange noises coming from the engine comartment and the car seems to be driving fine. The belts seem to be OK and the battery is not draining after the car had been parked for 8 hours.

What can be the problem as the owner's manual is of no use? And, more importantly, is this gonna be another $1000+ repair?

[speedie]

I would have the battery load tested and have the charging system checked (this checks the ability of the alternator). Places like Autozone can do this for you on the spot. Your alternator may be going bad, but it is currently able to keep up. A load test and a system test will at least eliminate them as possibilities.

You may want to get this done sooner rather than later lest you will be stranded or your car will go kaput will you are driving.

[kcfoxie]

I agree w/ speedie.. it may have come on because of a drop in voltage from the alternator. if it is the alternator, it's not a hard replacement.

[noR]

Get it checked out SOON.

Faulty generators can cause broken batteries.

[iam7head]

our alternator(not generator, unless it's a bike )went around 100k, pretty easy install for a VW.

autozone rebuilt is around 200 with core return, there's two kinds, one came with a polished pulley and one doesn't. the one with the pulley doesn't have a proper electronic port, i ended up slicing and solder some wires.

so make sure you get the one with the right connector.

btw our bug is a 98


if you have a multi-meter you can check the voltage at idle, then bump up the load by using high power items like high beam, a/c,etc, the voltage will drop a bit, if the alternator is going south, it will not able to bump it back to sub 14ish volts.

or

you can just bring it to autozone