Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 10:19:19 -0700
Reply-To: warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Testing Front Door Power Lock Accuators??
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Both of my front actuators were so far gone I could not repair them. I had a good spare and I need one more.
Robert
1982 Westfalia
1987 Wolfsburg
----- Original Message -----
Wrom: HYUCDDJBLVLMHAALPT
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2002 12:58 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Testing Front Door Power Lock Accuators??
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 actuator 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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