I have a Motorola Alternator on my '74 Super Beetle
The question is there is a wire coming off of the B+ post that goes to a cylinder thing with rubber inside. What is this? Is it needed? I ask because the wire came out of the rubber. Everything seems to work fine without it.
Thanks John
By your description, it sounds like a condensor. If I'm right, it's there to absorb the voltage spike that occurs when an electric circuit is broken. With an alternator, this can happen hundreds of times a second as the brushes travel over the armature. Without the condensor, the spike will try to jump the gap as the circuit is opened, and will eat up your brushes very quickly, and burn pits in the brush contacts too. There's a condensor on the distributor to protect the ignition points in the same way.
I'd replace it ASAP. Even if I'm wrong about what it is, they didn't put it on there for decoration.
Cheers, Walt
What color was the wire. Did another wire come out the other side? Does it look like one should?
Go to Speedy Jim's site. Look at this.
Could just be for noise reduction - do you now get a high pitched wine in the radio that alters with different engine rpms?
no strange sounds from the radio. the wire is black and there is nowhere for a wire to come out.
john
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