Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:09:02 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Front Blinkers are super Dim
In-Reply-To: <CAH3v19Jc2zy8BQiqZp7OB0BF3qpi-rfjj=dVvSZnGJF4iGQMiw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Even a headlight doesn't draw enough current to cause a 4-volt sag in
the wiring.
How about this: your voltmeter does not respond quickly enough to catch
the full 12 volts during flasher ON when you probe the bulb. It only
gets up to 9V during the "on" cycle before the voltage falls to zero for
the OFF moment.
If that's the case, then the 9V is a red herring, and the bulbs may in
fact be the wrong kind.
Whatcha got there? A digital or an analog voltmeter?
--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
Bend, Ore.
1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people.
1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer ca. 1972 from a defunct company in
San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westrailia.
Sent from my kitchen.
On 08/25/2011 02:59 PM, craig cowan wrote:
> gowesty sold me the bulbs, there previously were no bulbs and thus no data.
>
> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 5:43 PM, Rocket J Squirrel
> <camping.elliott@gmail.com <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> It would take some seriously wrong bulbs -- bulbs with far more wattage
> than would fit those sockets -- to drag the voltage down from 13V to 9V.
>
> BTW, voltage isn't current. Current is amperes.
>
>
> --
> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> Bend, Ore.
> 1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people.
> 1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer ca. 1972 from a defunct company in
> San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westrailia.
>
> Sent from my kitchen.
>
> On 08/25/2011 02:39 PM, Karl Wolz wrote:
>
> I was thinking "wrong bulbs", but if the current is actually 9V,
> that's
> obviously not the problem, although he said the problem occurred
> when he
> replaced the bulbs, so they're still my prime suspect.
>
> Karl Wolz
>
>
>
> |-----Original Message-----
> |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.__com
> <mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>]
> |On Behalf Of Rocket J Squirrel
> |Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 1:52 PM
> |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> |Subject: Re: Front Blinkers are super Dim
> |
> |He says the side marker lights are nice and bright. Don't they
> |share the ground with the turn indicators? Poor grounds on
> |both sides of the vehicle is not impossible, but I don't know
> |how a ground could favor one filament over another.
> |
> |AND the man writes to say that, "I seem to be getting around 9
> |volts to the blinkers while 13 volts is measured in corner
> |marker mode with the engine running."
> |
> |Far better to investigate where the missing four volts have
> |gone. Me, I'd be eyeballing the blinker relay thingy.
> |
> |--
> |Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> |Bend, Ore.
> |1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people.
> |1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer ca. 1972 from a defunct
> |company in San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westrailia.
> |
> |Sent from my kitchen.
> |
> |On 08/25/2011 01:19 PM, Greg Potts wrote:
> |> Measure continuity from ground side of the bulb connection
> |to ground.
> |> If it's more than 0 Ohms, you have found the problem.
> |>
> |> Happy Trails,
> |>
> |> Greg Potts
> |> Toronto, Ontario Canada
> |> 197x Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
> |> 1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop (ND Graphics graphics wrap)
> |> 1988 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop (Colleen's ride) Engine
> conversion
> |> blog: http://www.pottsfamily.ca/__wordpress/
> <http://www.pottsfamily.ca/wordpress/>
> |> www.pottsfamily.ca <http://www.pottsfamily.ca>
> |>
> |> BUSES OF THE CORN - AUGUST 12-14th, 2011
> www.busesofthecorn.ca <http://www.busesofthecorn.ca>
> |>
> |>
> |> On 8/25/2011 3:36 PM, craig cowan wrote:
> |>> What ground goes to the blinker?
> |>> The relay is labeled number 21 and it looks like it's in
> really nice
> |>> shape.
> |>> Contacts are perfect. Any way to test?
> |>>
> |>> -Craig
> |>>
> |>>
> |>> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Rob<becida@comcast.net
> <mailto:becida@comcast.net>> wrote:
> |>>
> |>>> if it's VW, electrical& a problem add a ground.
> |>>> Seriously, add a ground or at least super clean what you have.
> |>>>
> |>>> Rob
> |>>>
> |>>>
> |>>>
> |>>> At 8/25/2011 09:42 AM,craig cowan wrote:
> |>>>
> |>>>> In getting all the lights to work on my project syncro
> ('87), i'm
> |>>>> finding
> |>>>> that the front blinkers are SUPER dim. Uselessly so. This
> |is despite
> |>>>> new
> |>>>> bulbs and cleaned up housings. As side marker lights with
> |either the
> |>>>> ignition off or on, they are wonderfully bright. However,
> |as blinkers,
> |>>>> only
> |>>>> a single element lights and poorly. I seem to be getting
> around
> |>>>> 9volts to
> |>>>> the blinkers while 13 volts is measured in corner marker
> |mode with the
> |>>>> engine running.
> |>>>>
> |>>>> I really have no idea why this would be, as it seems to
> |me there's good
> |>>>> power and ground since the marker mode works well.
> |>>>> Any ideas as to where to start? I'm completely at a loss
> so any
> |>>>> suggestion
> |>>>> would be good.
> |>>>>
> |>>>> Thanks!
> |>>>>
> |>>>> -Craig Cowan
> |>>>>
> |>>>
> |>>>
> |>>
> |-----
> |No virus found in this message.
> |Checked by AVG - www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com>
> |Version: 10.0.1392 / Virus Database: 1520/3856 - Release Date:
> |08/25/11
>
>
|