Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 07:02:47 EST
Reply-To: RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Subject: WTB: Healight connector (2) (they burned???)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
In a message dated 3/20/2003 11:10:49 PM Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
> Looking for two white plastic main headlight connectors (they plug into the
> bulb) for my '87 Westy.
> Both of them seem to have melted/burned at one of the leads. Can anyone
> tell me why this happened?
> Oh, btw, the bulbs are the blue xenon bulbs. Could they be drawing too much
> power? The wires seem
> fine, so I don't know...
>
Philippe, you need to install relays in your headlight system. See
my <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/hdltrela.htm">Vanagon Headlamp Relay Upgrade</A> webpage for complete details. The system
is fragile in its OEM condition and upgrading to more powerful bulbs will
certainly make most of the system have a meltdown. For this reason alone it
is wise to install the relays. The OEM wiring is adequate to handle the
power and amperage but the switches and plugs are not. You will need to
change those melted headlight plugs and this is not easy. If you can get the
wire terminals removed from the plastic blocs and they are in good condition
then you can get new or used blocs and use them that way. Just make sure the
wires are well attached to the metal terminal ends, no fraying, the terminal
ends need to bright and clean, then coat the terminal ends with dielectric
grease before inserting them in the blocs. Also coat the bulb terminals with
the dielectric grease before plugging the socket on the bulb. If your
terminal ends are toast then you can find new terminal ends but it is not
easy. The three tiny ones on the main headlight are hard to locate. The
larger ones for the driving lights are more readily available. See you local
quality auto parts store for these. The most probable cause for the melted
blocs and fried wires at the bulb connection is electrical arching due to
corroded or insufficient electrical contact between the terminal end and the
wire or the terminal end and the bulb pin.
Cheers
Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm">BusFusion</A> a VW Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 12 ~ 15, 2003
'87 Westy & Lionel Trains
Member: <A HREF="http://www.vanagon.com/">Vanagon List</A>, <A HREF="http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/">LiMBO</A>, <A HREF="http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/">IWCCC</A> & <A HREF="http://www.ccvwc.ca/">CCVWC</A>
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm">STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel Mufflers</A>
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html">Frank Condelli & Associates</A> or http://frankcondelli.com
| 
