Hi, we have a 76 T2 and its been fine until the last couple of weeks. The engine starts fine when we are leaving the house but when we return it wont start without using a jump-starter. We took the battery out and charged it for days, but it never reached full charge so we replaced it, but we are still having the same problem. The battery light does come on when the engine starts but goes off again within a minute. Any suggestions would be most welcome.
I think the "within a minute" is a clue . It should go out almost immediately after the engine's started. What voltage have you got on the battery with the light out (engine running)? May be that your alternator's not charging, and you have a battery-powered vehicle...
That does seem about right. I do seem to vaguely remember that I had a car with duff charging but would start with a freshly recharged battery and would run even if the alternator was disconnected. I once had to take a trip at night when the lights got dimmer and dimmer. I got home but there was nothing left in the battery to restart.
The warning light goes out if the alternator is just barely matching the battery voltage. Check the wiring and measure the battery voltage. Between 12.7 and 12.1 indicates from full to flat with the engine stopped. It should quickly go over 13.8 to 14.2 with the warning light off and the engine running. Suspect : worn brushes or failed regulator or loose wiring.
