Date:         Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:45:56 -0600
Reply-To:     Jarrett Anthony Kupcinski <kupcinski@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jarrett Anthony Kupcinski <kupcinski@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: intermittent electrical problem in dashboard and wiper fluid
              problem
In-Reply-To:  <1325215134.29696.YahooMailNeo@web164513.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Joy,

Bentley 97.119, fuses for 88 and 89 Digifant. On the 89 (and probably most models), the instrument cluster lights are on a completely separate circuit from the blowers. The fuse that controls the instrument cluster lights #3, and the fuse that controls the fresh air blower is #13. Wipers are #17. Also, the light that illuminates the clock and the light that illuminates the speedo are on the same circuit, so if one goes out and the other doesn't that likely means that the contacts at the bulb for the speedo, or something on the circuit ribbon cable near there, are bad. Unless you've got some funky electrical short, the fact that the blowers seem to go out at the same time is coincidence, and might be due to a bad ground or loose connection on the blowers. If you had a cross circuit wiring fault, you'd likely be blowing multiple fuses.

This assumes, of course, that your wiring is stock.

-Jarrett
89 Westy

On Dec 29, 2011, at 9:18 PM, MICHAEL H wrote:

> Joy, Karl W raises a good point about speed. I use a safety pin to direct the spray at or just below a piece of tape on the inside of the windshield. sit at the wheel and stick the tape at eye level. forward speed wil counter gravity a bit ; even a bit more with `Rain-X'. it's not rocket surgery but a major pain in the hair to keep adjusting the spray pattern to an unmarked point. my best with the elecs ...           mike
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 1:03 PM
> Subject: intermittent electrical problem in dashboard and wiper fluid              problem
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> Now that Matilda is running properly, figures that other stuff would
> surface...
> 
> First problem - I seem to have an intermittent electrical problem in the
> dashboard.  Sometimes the light behind the speedometer doesn't go on, and
> with it several other things - the blowers to defrost the windshield, in
> particular.  Wipers work, the light on the clock works.  I don't know if
> the light on the tach works because it has been disconnected for ages.
> 
> I couldn't find the fuse chart, to figure out which fuse(s) control these
> things.  Is it in the Bentley somewhere?  Or elsewhere?  Could this be a
> fuse problem?  Or more likely a loose connection somewhere in the dash?
> 
> Matilda's an '89 - that might affect which fuses are relevant, I suppose.
> 
> Second problem - the pump that should put out wiper fluid makes noises but
> no fluid comes out.  (I just poured a bunch in, so the tank isn't empty.
> Unless it has a leak, but I didn't notice one.  And since there's a noise,
> this isn't part of the aforementioned electrical problem.)  Could something
> be blocked in the system?  I haven't tried to use wiper fluid since last
> winter - and for a LONG time I have had major problems trying to get fluid
> to spray in the right place on the windshield.  Endless application of a
> pin to move the jets this way and that, but the fluid is always too high or
> too low.  Might these two problems even be related, if things are clogged?
> Or does it sound like I need a new wiper fluid pump?  Do others have major
> trouble trying to get the fluid to go in the right places to actually clear
> the windshield?
> 
> Both of these are major issues if I want to drive in the very messy
> Newfoundland winter!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Joy