Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:01:45 -0400
Reply-To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Front Blinkers are super Dim
In-Reply-To: <110601cc6465$2711bc50$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
And the winner was....
FUSE #8!
All is well, and now every light on the bus works!
Next weekend it should be on the road!
-Craig
On Fri, Aug 26, 2011 at 10:55 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> 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 <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 <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/>
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>> <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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>
| 
