Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:55:00 -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: Front Blinkers are super Dim
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
lol....
tip for the future ..
when the little tits on the bulb are staggered , like one higher than the
other..
that means the bulb only fits one way.
and ..many a time people have put in a two filament bulb where a one
filament bulb goes, and vice versa ..causing all kinds of weirdness.
right side front parking light and right rear tail light could easily be on
the same fuse.
here is how to intelligently check fuses..
energize the circuit you are working on.
if there is power on both ends of the fuse ...it's good.
on the 'tooth' style fuses used in 86 and up ..
the good ones have a test point on the tops..
you just turn on the key and light circuits, rig your test light to look for
power ( the key itself is always a good ground ) and go down the line..
check each fuse for power on both ends..
a dead on or one not making contact will have power on one end only.
the early type fuses easily don't make contact..
it's effective to first ..always spray them down with a mist of wd-40.
then go down the row, twisting each one a little to re-establish contact.
I never leave the cover on those fuses.
and moisture can get in there.
and of course..
it only makes sense to have a different fuse for each tail light..
that way you are unlikely to loose all tail lights at once due to fuse
blowings.
and typically, one tail light is bundled with one front parking light.
and it's not the components so much ..
it is corrosion and poor contact here and there.
if you see a working bulb, but the inside is dark..
it's on it's way out, might as well replace it.
I have seen several cases where a new bulb was brighter than a working used
bulb.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "craig cowan" <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2011 6:17 PM
Subject: Re: Front Blinkers are super Dim
> Okay gang, I've learned alot. I've rebuilt sockets and figured out the way
> the bulbs go in matter. I have mastered the drivers side and it is working
> well. I even made a "tool" composed of a bulb with 3 wires soldered to it
> with spades at the end to bypass the socket completely and see the the
> terminals are at the right spots.
> However, the passangers side will not seem to work properly. I can get it
> to
> work well as a blinker but it will not operate at all as a side marker.
>
> Interestingly, I have now noticed that the rear corner light of the tail
> light assembly no longer works. I believe it did (and i've tested the
> bulb,
> bulb's good), so it seems they have failed together. Is this possible? Do
> they share anything in common?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Craig
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 6:09 PM, Rocket J Squirrel <
> camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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<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 <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<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/>
>>>
>>> <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
>>>
>>>
>>>
|