Itinerant Air-Cooled

The last couple of days, after starting, the oil pressure light goes out after a second or two, but the alternator and oxygen sensor lights pulse (or flicker) faintly. I've driven off, or revved the engine, and they went out, but not today. I had to stop for gas after about 3 miles, and the alternator was still flickering (the OXS had gone out), but when I started up again, driving along the surface streets in 3rd at around 40mph, the alternator light went out, never to come back on again during the commute.

I'm assuming that, as it didn't stay on, it's probably not the alternator itself having an issue (I'll check tonight with a multimeter), so I'll also check the belt free play. What would cause the OXS light to come on and flicker for a while, though?

Also, when I pull the emergency flasher switch, there's no light in the switch knob, and the indicator light in the dash comes on and stays on without flashing. The indicators themselves do nothing - I did have to zip tie the emergency flasher switch together a couple years ago - so does this sound like more of the same?

Add that to my column switch no longer self-cancelling (not an issue in itself as I have a manual canceler at the end of my left arm ), and then last week it decided to no longer allow me to flash/dip my headlights, not even a click from the switch when I pull it - new switch required, I think...

rallybug wrote:The last couple of days, after starting, the oil pressure light goes out after a second or two, but the alternator and oxygen sensor lights pulse (or flicker) faintly. I've driven off, or revved the engine, and they went out, but not today. I had to stop for gas after about 3 miles, and the alternator was still flickering (the OXS had gone out), but when I started up again, driving along the surface streets in 3rd at around 40mph, the alternator light went out, never to come back on again during the commute.

I'm assuming that, as it didn't stay on, it's probably not the alternator itself having an issue (I'll check tonight with a multimeter), so I'll also check the belt free play. What would cause the OXS light to come on and flicker for a while, though?

Also, when I pull the emergency flasher switch, there's no light in the switch knob, and the indicator light in the dash comes on and stays on without flashing. The indicators themselves do nothing - I did have to zip tie the emergency flasher switch together a couple years ago - so does this sound like more of the same?

Add that to my column switch no longer self-cancelling (not an issue in itself as I have a manual canceler at the end of my left arm ), and then last week it decided to no longer allow me to flash/dip my headlights, not even a click from the switch when I pull it - new switch required, I think...

Where to begin . . . . . . . . . . . ?

With idling warm engine, place in 3rd gear and slow the engine down until the oil light starts to flicker. Do any other lights join in?
Alternator should not flicker once the regulator has switched. Yes check belt and check blue wire connector for integrity. By the way, I had a flickering alternator light on the Road Warrior that was a failed alternator bearing beginning to ground the rotor intermittently. When it stayed on no matter what I did, I replaced my 419,000 mile 29 year-old original alternator with a new Bosch replacement alternator that lasted one year before failing.

No blinky from blinkers AND emergency switch point to the flasher relay. See if it has swallowed mass quantities of water from your leaking windshield seal. Chastise yourself if you do have a leaking windshield seal.

Clean the contacts on the dimmer switch. Just a little lint can thwart them.
Colin

ALT and OXS lights go out after revving the engine, not to come back on until I stop the engine and restart - still starts on first turn of the key so I think that it is charging.

No leaky windshield anymore, but will check. Blinkers work for left and right (no self-cancel, but that's probably just a mechanical issue with the tab failing), but no four-ways. The knob lights up when the lights are on, though, and when I pull the knob, the blinker light on the dash comes on and stays on permanently, but no flashing of the actual blinker lights. I have had to zip tie the switch together once, so maybe that has failed.

An added bonus is with lights off, I can't flash the headlights. When I have the lights on, I can switch between low and high beams successfully, and can hear the clunk - very confusing!

https://youtu.be/OnWReVs1drQ

rallybug wrote:An added bonus is with lights off, I can't flash the headlights. When I have the lights on, I can switch between low and high beams successfully, and can hear the clunk - very confusing!

You are not supposed to be able to flash the headlamps when the lights are off . . . . ?

Amskeptic wrote:

rallybug wrote:An added bonus is with lights off, I can't flash the headlights. When I have the lights on, I can switch between low and high beams successfully, and can hear the clunk - very confusing!

You are not supposed to be able to flash the headlamps when the lights are off . . . . ?

Answered in an old message on The Samba from Nigel Skeet - US market models don't have the functionality, European ones do, hence my confusion.. US headlamp relays are missing terminal 30 that allows for the flashing with lights off.

Unless you add the functionality because you can't get a proper USA replacement relay. Followed the above mentioned thread and added a jumper from the plug in block (not sure of official name) that matched up with terminal 30 on the relay and jumped to the fuse block and now not only have high-low beam but can flash with lights off. Not sure I'll ever use it but fun to have.