Date:         Sat, 2 Jul 2011 09:32:58 -0700
Reply-To:     Angus Gordon <birdworks@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Angus Gordon <birdworks@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Dave Beierl is an Absolute Vanagon Jedi
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:  <4e0f3a6e.6182e50a.0bbe.ffffb7e9@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Is your VGA (TM) a factory option, or aftermarket? Are they still available?


Angus Gordon
Bainbridge Island WA

www.wordless.me



On Sat, Jul 2, 2011 at 8:33 AM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> 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
>