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Date:         Tue, 7 Jun 2011 21:49:19 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hundt <dhundt@BENDBROADBAND.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hundt <dhundt@BENDBROADBAND.COM>
Subject:      Re: hissing relays?
Comments: To: dvdclarksn@aol.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I had one go bad years ago, must a pinhole leak because it still worked fine for a couple years. It made a similar sound to what you are hearing. Pull out the Mitey-Vac and start checking things out, hopefully it is just a leaky hose. I replaced mine eventually, didn't remove the dash IIRC, but remember it being a pain. Don ----- Original Message ----- From: dvdclarksn@aol.com To: dhundt@bendbroadband.com ; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 9:15 PM Subject: Re: hissing relays?

Didn't think of that but if I were losing vacuum there wouldn't the pedal be feeling different and coming up (away from the floorboard) more? I will check it though to see if a hose is loose or something else is out of sorts.But no it can't be the booster cause that part is about $750.00 new-yikes! I'm thinking about an upgrade with it eventually. Seems as though I have read that the E30 or E36 series BMW can be modified to fit a vanagon and provides more assistance to go along with other brake upgrades. I'm the service manager at our local BMW dealership and I know one of my techs has bound to have a good used one for sale. For the life of me I can't figure out why or how a relay could make a hissing sound. I will listen again with my "listening tube" (approx. 18" long piece of automotive hose with about a 1/4" I.D.) before I tear the dash apart. Well going to do that anyway to fix the blankety blank odometer, ribbon cable conn. problem and radio issue. Put it on the Westy project list I guess.

David Clarkson 90 westy with a serpent in the dash

-----Original Message----- From: Don Hundt <dhundt@bendbroadband.com> To: dvdclarksn <dvdclarksn@AOL.COM>; vanagon <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tue, Jun 7, 2011 8:04 pm Subject: Re: hissing relays?

Your brake booster is in roughly the same location as the relays, that may be where your hissing is coming from. Don ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Clarkson" <dvdclarksn@AOL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 9:45 PM Subject: hissing relays? I've been listening for something on my vanagon for a while. There is an audible hissing noise that seemed to come from one or both of the relays used for the very common headlight upgrade. I thought at first that there was some sort of grounding problem tied into either the amp, crossovers or stereo receiver but recently disproved that when the radio was disconnected completely and removed. I have also had pulled the fuse on the amp as well. I still had the hissing noise that would continue for about a second after the engine was shut off. The noise occurs whether the headlights are on or off. My question is could this be a grounding problem with the relays or simply one or both of the relays themselves? This is the second pair that I have had after one got broken when it came loose in the dash and when a fuse for the relay power was damaged it melted down the other. The original pair did not cause any hissing but it seems that I changed something like maybe the grounding point for the relays. Anyone out there had a similar problem or maybe some explanation or fix. I have heard of buzzing relays? before but not one that mad a hissing sound like air being let out of a tire. Thanks for any insight that anyone can offer. I'm thinking that I might just buy a couple more and maybe get a slightly more expensive and hopefully better quality relay. With this 21 yr. old van that is approaching 300k on a rebuilt engine I really am tuned into any noises especially one that might mask a more serious noise. David Clarkson 1990 Westy Ssssssss....


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