Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2001 15:06:07 -0800
Reply-To: "J. C." <jcblues@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "J. C." <jcblues@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: slight glow from oil press. light
In-Reply-To: <9a.109078fe.27cb8436@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Same thing happened to mine. It would intermittently
glow bright, then fade and go out. Looks to have been
a frayed wire occasionally grounding out. THe manual
says if you really do have an oil problem the brake
light goes on, too. mine never did when oil light lit.
Also note, the oil light won't tell you if your oil is
low, according to manual. Plus, if there's a problem
w/ oil pressure you should be able to hear it. if it
sounds normal i wouldn't worry about the engine; just
fix the signalling problem. Advice from a non-expert.
Jim Carter
Enfield, NH
'84 Westy: the Orange Violin
--- Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM> wrote:
> As I came down a long hill (about a mile) in the
> rain tonight I noticed a
> slight glow from the oil pressure idiot light
> (really very slight--I had to
> turn off the instrument lights to be sure). I put it
> in neutral and coasted
> down the hill. Buy the time I reached the bottom the
> glow had gone away. The
> rest of the mile or so ride home on level ground the
> light remained off. I
> had only driven about 5 or 6 miles when I started
> down the hill. And I have
> never noticed this glowing of the light before.
>
> I'm wondering if this is a cause for major or minor
> concern--so if anyone has
> experienced this or has information I would
> appreciate it. I have a few
> questions and they are in "most wishful thinking"
> descending order:
>
> 1. Is it possible that the heavy rain completed the
> circuit at the sensor--if
> the sensor was soaked and, since it was a poor
> connection created by the
> water the light merely glowed slightly?
>
> 2. I think I may have been deliquent on an oil
> change. Could the combo of the
> thinning oil and the downhill slope be just enough
> to make the light glow?
> (no excuse for the deliquentcy--I'll get right on
> that, but I will rest easy
> if this kind of thing could be the cause).
>
> 3. Does the sending unit even offer itself to the
> possiblity that it could
> send a slight signal causing the idiot light to
> glow--or is it simply and
> "on" of "off" switch which means the light would be
> on brightly? (the light
> shines brightly when the key is turned on before I
> start the engine. It turns
> off and stays off along with the alternator idiot
> light once I hit the gas
> enought to bring it up to 1200 RPMs)
>
> I should add, but it may have nothing to do with the
> above:
>
> Thinking about it there is a bit of gremlin in my
> electrical system in that
> about two times over the last three months the
> "fasten seat belt" light has
> come on momentarily while driving and while
> seatbelts are fastened (I think
> it's on a timer at start up anyway so would have
> little to do with whether
> seatbelts are fastened or not?). The rear heater
> fan, if left on in the
> highest speed position when the ignition is turned
> off will run for a few
> minutes then the fan will stop itself--or if I don;t
> give it the few minutes
> to shut itself off it will run until I turn on the
> hazard lights or I think
> it will go off if I push the brake pedal. (odd, no?)
> A couple of times I've
> heard a relay buzz for a moment for no apparent
> reason during daylight hours
> with no turn signal, fan or wiper switch turned on.
> This last I attributed to
> a loose power connection to the wiper relay since
> some jiggling of the wire
> is need to get the wipers going (the DPO "fixed" the
> fuse box by adding a
> separate fuse for the wipers and a separate fuse for
> the defroster fan--from
> the facotry I believe these componants shared one
> fuse. I think the defroster
> fan seized and melted the fuse panel
> slightly--probably because he had the
> fuse covered in foil if I know Frank. I have owned
> the bus for 4 years now
> and the new fused system has worked fine it seems.
> But I have to get on the
> loose connection.) And finally the Hazard switch
> glows dimly a few moments
> after the headlights are turned on. Meaning it
> doesn't light up right away
> but will glow after about a 1 or 2 second count. I
> thought this might be
> normal since the light in the switch should not glow
> fully bright like the
> other instrument lights or else it would be blinding
> to the driver. When the
> Hazards are turned on it blinks using the full power
> of the light.
>
> Sorry it's long
> TIA
> Jeff
> 83.5 Westy
> LA,CA
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
|