Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:55:28 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Total Mystification!
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I don't get the impression that you are looking at the wires in the Bentley
wiring diagrams..
see that power goes 'from here to there' ..
and testing for that ..
or testing that power gets to the device..
or that the device ( like wipers ) gets the ground it needs, etc.
let's say there are two approaches to fixing electrical things ..
one is RANDOM ..
you just wiggle things, replace components, and re-do grounds until you just
happen to get things working again.
that can be valid ..that can work.,
the other method is to be Intelligent about it.
Find out what is missing, and from where.
it's more fun and rewarding I think.
if something does not work..
either power is not getting to it,..
or the device itself is broken/tired ..
or the 'power return path' is not working ..ie. grounds.
did you see and work on the multi-ground point/s above the fuse box ????
they put it right where it's hard to see and access...
those spade connectors there are 'usually' weak ..
they corrode..
they get weak from age and current flow.
heck..
most of what I fix on vanagons is related to corrosion.
I would encorage people to not regard vanagons as we might regard say ..
the typical refrigerator.
Refrigerators are about the most relaible thing I've ever seen..
far more reliable that a simple light bulb..
they go for decades with Zero attention ..
people regard all things like that pretty much these days..
my cell phone ....nothing to do to it excpet keep it charged up, dry, and
not smashed somehow.
and modern cars are very much like that ...less and less service on them all
the time..now gouing timing chaiin cam drive rather than timing belt..
and when it's all electric ..
electic motors don't get service really ..they just operate for a long, long
time until they are worn out.
but .
it's not like that vanagons ..
sure ..they made many parts that are 'lubed for life' ..
but in practice, in the REAL world ..
they wear ...............the factory lube on moving parts wears out or
evaporates ..
and they corrode.
And eviidently ...most people don't have much 'corrosion awareness' ..
or any awareness half the time , lol !
I was shocked recently ..
fine vanagon ....great smart decent intellegent owner and young man son both
love the van ..
huge project, make it all fixed up ..
yet in the last I don't know how many years..
and all the money they spent on that van at fancy shops..
and two male adults that love that and want it really nice ..no body ..
no body in the last 6 years and thousands of dollars spent ever checked the
tail, license, and side marker rear lights ..
six fillaments there...smart intellegent not-poor people...
yet only one filament of the six working.
As I like to say now..there is no Tail Light Fairy.
nor is their a corrosion fairly ..
'someone' has got to be inspecting the electrical contacts throughout the
van ..
since they're all 20 years old ..
and no one usually ever does much corrosion treatment and prevention that I
see anyway .
I'm sure there are members here who do ..
but your 'ordinary vanagon' gets very little actual care in the regualar
world.
I see vans with thousands of dollars worth of new parts on them..
yet never any effort at all to treat and prevent corrosion.
I see lots and lots of new parts...but I don't see vanagons really being
taken care of actually.
The vans are too awesome and useful to just let them rust away.
electrical contacts......
take the front turn signals...
those will just collect water sometimes if never removed and inspected and
treated ..
then you have a rusted to nothing hard to get light socket .
and it is SO easily prevented. Just a few minutes per front turn signal
assembly.
why not nuture and care for these fine vans ??
scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2011 1:38 PM
Subject: Total Mystification!
> OK, I'm still banging my head against this wiper/horn thing and though
> I thought I had it resolved. I do not. Not only did changing out the
> ignition switch for a new one, the end result was....Nada. They still
> don't work but intermittently, AND to add woe to worry, now the heater
> fans do not work. They too follow the same intermittent pattern. With
> the new switch, jiggling it doesn't work. Not only that, the horn blows
> when I turn the steering wheel.
>
> HELP!
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
>
> --
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
