Date:         Tue, 12 Oct 2004 10:09:34 -0400
Reply-To:     Karl Ploessl <ploessl@SUNMAC.SPECT.UPENN.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Karl Ploessl <ploessl@SUNMAC.SPECT.UPENN.EDU>
Subject:      Re: lock yer doors without keys?
Comments: To: Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

>  On my 80 Vanagon I have to lock the doors with the key. Doesn't work
with
>  holding handle or so, use the key. You can't lock the key in the
van. Good
>  thing. I had a 72 Westy which doesn't have this future.

a note or warning for all those 1980 bus owners:

originally, vw kinda screwed up on the passenger side door lock.
if the lock button is DOWN when the door is closed, you cannot get in
from the outside.
but!!
if you pull on the INside latch, the door opens.

this is NOT good if you have kids or really stupid adults riding with
you on the highway. :(

but there's a fix.

get a passenger side door latching mechanism (the big brass thingie
you see on the back edge of the door when you open the door) from a
1982 or later bus. you do NOT need to rekey the bus or anything. just
unscrew the big brass gizmo and put the new big brass gizmo in its
place. that's it. i think the later gizmo has a B on the end of the
part number.

with the newer gizmo in place, you can no longer open the door from
the inside if the lock button is pressed down. :)

i'm not sure about the 81's, so you guys need to check it. it's likely
that the same problem exists. i found out in my 80 bus the hard way
... kid opened the door at 60mph, even though i'd pushed the button
down. :(  nobody hurt ... just scared me a lot.

joel

---------------------------
that was "normal"  VW lock behaviour: you could lock the door by
pushing the little button down on the door (one couldn't open the
door from the outside without a key) but from the inside one could
always open the door by using the 'regular" door opener (beetles,
variants, 411...)
--
Karl
'81 Westy "Jenny"
Wilmington, DE