Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 01:10:02 -0700
Reply-To: developtrust <developtrust@COX.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: developtrust <developtrust@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Testing Front Door Power Lock Accuators??
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Great fix. Thanks for the posting. If you can jury rig the springs you will
think of the proper boots. Anything from an eye dropper to a ??? should
work. How big do you figure the boots are (were)?
William
> Hi all,
>
> As nobody out there seems to be a guru on the Power Locks, I took it upon
> myself to pull one out and dive in (after waiting the obligitory few hours
> for a reply from list members).
>
> Anyway, the rivets are not an issue... I thought I had to cut them all,
and
> then re-rivet them, but I played around with the lock accuator and saw
where
> it was pivoting on. I had to peel back a sticky messy foam coating, and
> beneath was the one lone screw to remove the unit.
>
> I opened the little bugger up last night, and was rather surprised to see
> that it was filled with water! Since it had probable been filled with
water
> for a year or so, that meant that all the metar was either corroded or
> rusted, nothing moved or turned, and it was generally a sad scene.
>
> After a few hours with a little wire brush thing, a nail clippers file, a
> small pointed grinding wheel, and some penetrating oil, I managed to take
> the entire assembly apart, and clean it up and put it back together.
>
> There is a contact that slides against the side as the main gear wheel
> rotates, and that contact is embedded inside a slit in a plastic part...
> should just stick out far enough to make contact.
>
> Beneath this contact were springs... very thin cheap springs, which in
mine
> were simply rust dust now. I pried the little contact piece out, cleaned
> out all the messy steel bits and rust powder, and tried to think, at 2am,
> how to get this little thing spring loaded again.
>
> I happened to look into my desk drawer, thinking for some odd reason that
I
> would have the perfectly sized and tensioned springs in there... and I
> actually did! I grabbed an old mini-Bic lighter, and ripped it apart,
the
> spring for the flint is too thin and stiff, but the spring under the gas
> lever is perfect! If you cut it exactly in half, place the cut (sharp)
edge
> down, and then load the metal contact strip back in until it clicks, you
> will have a professional overhaul completed!!
>
> Now I get to do the other one today... and yes, I do have another lighter.
>
> QUESTION: What can I do about the boots?? They are gone, and I am
> imagining little plastic bags glued on to the accuator or something...
does
> anyone know if one can just buy the boot, or is there a McGuyver type fix
> that I can try??
>
> Thanks for listening to my reply to my own posting!
>
> RSF
>
> <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{
>
> Robert S. Fish
> Salzburg, Austria
> 1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
> 1987 Golf Cabriolet
> 1991 Golf
>
>
> > I am finally getting around to troubleshooting my dead power lock
system.
> >
> > This afternoon I took the rear hatch panel off, and connected power
(using
> a
> > hot test lead) to the yellow wire connected to the power lock
accuator...
> > Surprise! The thing spun, and actually locked the door... and better
> yet...
> > so did the side door! White wire then unlocked them both... cool!
> >
> > So then I got into the front doors... and on the passenger side, the red
> > wire is indeed hot, so I used it to power the yellow wire, and Presto!
> The
> > rear and side doors locked... white wire unlocked them... Hmmm
> >
> > This also works when I give power to the yellow and white wires in the
> > driver's side door (from a hot test lead, as the red wire is NOT hot on
> that
> > side). But the FRONT DOOR LOCKS NEVER MOVE!!
> >
> > QUESTION: Can I test the function of the front door accuators somehow?
Or
> > do I really need to remove them (I HATE rivets) and open them up and
clean
> > contacts etc.??
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your advice!!
> >
> > RSF
> >
> > PS. The boot on the passenger side is shot, so I will remove that one
> first
> > if necessary, and clean it up. If I manage to get it working, is there
> any
> > trick to manufacturing a new boot for these things??
> >
> >
> > <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{
> >
> > Robert S. Fish
> > Salzburg, Austria
> > 1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
> > 1987 Golf Cabriolet
> > 1991 Golf
> >
>
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