Date:         Sun, 15 Apr 2001 20:07:25 EDT
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Load Reduction Relay: what's it do?
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Two questions please:

Part Number: 171 937 503

1.What does the Load Reduction Relay do? (It's mounted on top of the fuse
box)

2. It seems mine is bad. It has to be shaken a bit to make it work sometimes
and the connection of the four wires to it seem good so I'm not blaming them
(even just cleaned the contacts and all). For example the windshield wipers
won't work--jiggle the yellow and black wire coming off the relay and the
wipers come on. Also it would SEEM the relay stays engaged after the engine
is turned off. I would think this is not normal. I'm basing that assumption
on the fact that the rear heater fan and sometimes the windshield wipers will
run after the engine is shut off--then after a minute or so they'll shut off.
For better or worse I've opened the relay to look at it's innards. And of
course now that I have it open it works correctly--if in fact it was ever to
blame. Maybe just enough josteling to have it work for a while? So the
question:

Does this relay simply disengage power to rear heater fan and wipers and the
like when the starter motor is engaged and then complete the current to
accessories when the engine is running and then cut off the circuit when the
key is shut off? Or is there more? And might I get away with replacing the
relay or is it something else down the line that would cause it to
malfunction? (Wires from the load reduction relay seem to also go to the A/C
relays or maybe aftermarket cruise control relays among other things.
Whatever the case those relays (A/C or cruise control) will click on and off
when the key is ON and the load reduction relay is jiggled slightly.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA