It is a late spring evening car lights are on, a little music coming out of the ole Blauplunk, streets a bit wet from the early rain. The humidity is adding a little zip to that four banger. All the while the building walls echo the engine’s tune in competition with the radio. All is right with your world. A quick glance at the instruments and then aaaahhhhh!

There is a dimly lit red lamp on the Combination Instrument staring back at you. Your mind snaps back to reality, first thought is oil, no that’s green, red ? oh yeah that is the Generator Warning Light. What is wrong? Has the generator failed, or that new battery at $100 plus bucks gone belly up? Being the frugal kind of guy that you are, you are thinking out loud that it could be the regulator, well why not put your mind at ease temporarily with idea that the only thing wrong is the brushes in the generator. They would cost less then a regulator, but then again what if the generator is shot?

"I have to make do and nurse this baby home." Turn the radio off. That did not help much. Waiting at the traffic light, wait the red light is out, okay it solved the problem itself. Gosh these little cars are amazing. They cure themselves! Could be, or was it the light rain a while ago, sure that is it, the generator got wet. But you have to admit these 356s are amazing.

Radio is now back on, even turned up a little louder. Traffic light turns green and you stand on it. Looks like 5000 rpm, boy this baby really goes. A glance at the Combination Instrument and (you readers that have come this far have guessed) aaaahhhh!!!!!

The red light is brighter. So now you experiment, low rpm dim light, higher rpm the red light becomes brighter. Radio off, a turn is coming up, turn signal operated, can’t loose my cool still have to signal aaaahhhh!!!! the Generator Warning Light is keeping time to the turn signals.

Could it be the instrument lights bleeding through to the Generator Warning Light? No, it seems to be a function of the motor/generator speed. The instrument lights are not changing, just that little *&%#@ red Generator Warning Light.

Been there and done that? Sure most have, so what is the problem? Is the generator failing, or the regulator? Surely it isn’t that new battery. Oh, you just live with this phenomenon. Lets look further.

The source of this problem is the RS regulator and the battery charge. The T6C regulator is less inclined to exhibit this problem. So for any "C" folks out there I am sorry that I took so much of your time. The "C" regulator has a similar problem but not so pronounced.

Why the dim red Generator Warning Light? There is some resistance in the two relays in the Regulator (Current and Cut-Out Relay). The Cut-Out relay’s contact can also be a contributing factor to the dim red lamp if it is corroded.

The higher the generator current output, the greater will be the voltage drop in the two regulator’s relays. This is because of the inherent resistance of the copper coils. Somewhat low but never the less there is resistance. The higher the charging current, the higher the voltage drop, and the brighter the red light.

Were the battery kept at an initial higher charge then there is less charging current from the generator. The generator would only have to supply the lights/radio/engine load, and not have to charge the battery. The Regulator should be at set for 7.1 to 7.5 volts. Any driving during the day at 7 volts plus will charge the battery and when night falls there is less charging current required which reduces the dreaded dim red light phenomenon.

Mostly day driving try 7.1 volts. Usually night time driving set the regulator for 7.5 volts. I like 7.3 volts.