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Date:   Sat, 2 Jul 2011 11:33:41 -0400
Reply-To:   David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:   Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:   David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:   Re: Dave Beierl is an Absolute Vanagon Jedi
Comments:   To: Ryan <easywind1975@hotmail.com>
In-Reply-To:   <BLU0-SMTP1913D55FE2C4F657B8C548DDF5A0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type:   text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 10:47 AM 7/2/2011, Ryan wrote: >Could these switches heating up and fusing in one position be >related to faulty grounds?

Nope. They're related to VW cheaping out and not using relays in two heavy(ish)-load switches where it would have made sense to do so. The switches develop high resistance which dissipates power and makes them heat up; and you then discover that VW made the housings out of thermoplastic so it softens and the fixed contacts sink down and trap the movable contact so you can't turn the switch off.

I already suggested a relay on the blower switch. Adding a (commercially available if you don't want to roll your own) relay kit to drive the headlights will give you better light and preserve your fancy new headlight switch, or let you get away with using a crummy old one that's already mostly worn out.

Don't feel *too* bad...my beast blew a coolant hose (the wrong one got shipped as I discovered when replacing a bunch of hoses; naturally that was the one that had already failed and had a silicone tape bandage on it, and naturally I forgot about it after the replacement hose came in), converted a once-a-month P/S refill leak to red blood running down the street all in the same ten minutes, and some time in the day or two leading up to that blew a hatch strut as well. But the Vanagon Guardian Angel(TM) allowed this to happen while sitting outside the house.

Yours, David


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