Date:         Tue, 14 Feb 2006 08:20:25 -0500
Reply-To:     Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: In addition to a 3rd brake light,
              clean your contacts for the rear lights
In-Reply-To:  <20060214072215.59762.qmail@web33502.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I find that very bright rear lights do create some night blindness,
particularly if stuck behind a car with them for a few minutes at a
light or busy intersection, etc.  The reason there are laws or federal
regulations for maximum output car lights is to prevent night blindness
in other drivers.  The minimum standards are supposed to make sure that
we are bright enough to be seen.

Several people on the list have pointed out that you can get a big boost
in brightness if you simply clean up the contacts going to the tail,
brake, and turn light sockets.  About 20 years of use has created some
corrosion and that will rob the circuit of the power needed to get the
light up to its stock level of brightness.  I recently had the quick
clinking and flashing for the right rear signal that indicated one of
them was out.  Looked and it was the rear.  Disassembled the unit and
the bulb was good.  But it had a thin layer of light gray oxidation on
it.  A few strokes with a file and I was back in business.

I have seen rear light socket boards that were covered with that stuff.
If the plastic lens is cracked water can get in.  I have replace a
couple of the boards that seemed to have more corrosion than is worth
trying to fix.  A good item to grab if you can get them cheaply.

I really doubt that Vanagons get hit from the rear at a higher rate than
other cars of their age.  In 21 years of vanagon driving, I've only been
hit from the rear once and that was in broad daylight and very minor.
Driver behind me assumed I was pulling out into the lane of traffic from
a stop in a short merge lane when I moved forward about 3 feet, and I
didn't go (given the van's rate of acceleration), and she popped me.

Most rear ends are caused by inattentive drivers, drunk drivers,
following too close, etc.  When you see a rear ended car in a lot, you
don't know if it was hit in day or night and if tail lights had anything
to do with it.  Vanagons came equipped with the taillights that DOT
required, just like all the other cars of their year of manufacture.

So, I would clean up the rear contacts first.  And then hope the drivers
behind you are paying attention and are sober.

Nonetheless, I think the 3rd light mounted high idea is a good one, even
though I don't really think it will make much of a difference in rear
end rates.

Just my $.02.


Sam

--
Sam Walters
Baltimore, MD

89 Syncro GL, Zetec Inside
85 Westy Weekender
85 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel - to become veggie oil powered

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