Generator not working! Panic!!

[panichelp]

I work about 500 miles away from home and I go between work and home in a Vw Passat 1.8 -96. About 20 minutes before I got to work the radio turned off and the gps went from the 12v-charging into battery mode. I thought it was just a fuse and kept on driving. About a mile after that the speedometer stopped working and shortly after the revmeeter as well. The warning light started blinking so I pulled over and after that i the car wouldn't start. A colleuge of mine came and picked me up and we returned in the afternoon, switched batteries and I could keep on going for the last couple of miles. The battery light was on though, so the battery wasn't charging.

For all I know it's the generator. The panic lies in the fact that I need to have it working by friday so that I can get home. The battery works fine but lies right below 12v with the enginge turned on. My first, and so far only, hunch is that the cole (or whatever their called in english) is worned down. I added a picture of them and it looks as they are all out. If you compare them to a pair of new ones it's like night and day.



http://www.autokatalogen.se/afw/udde...e.do?id=275985


So what do you think? Could that be it? Any other ideas?

[mikowilliams]

check the altenator to see if its genorating power

[panichelp]

Sorry, I don't even know what that is...

[mikowilliams]

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/im...USALT-2038.jpg
thats a picture of a new one
if the batterie dies after 15 minutes of driving thats probably why
make sure your battery is good and the water is full and all the cables are clean and tight especialy ground (-)

[panichelp]

Ok, thanks. I'll have to wait unil tonight to see how i goes. The new regulator hopefully arrives today.

[mikowilliams]

awesome good luck
and the thing you showed not sure what it was but youll probably want to change it if its that worn out

[panichelp]

The new regulator did the trick!! Now I can get home friday afternoon.

Thanks a million!