Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2012 09:14:34 -0600
Reply-To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Preliminary...Headlight weirdness? (long)
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuLe+P+MLQbyJavziqs1KX_6383Rn7Zs7Z-vo=frPmTZSA@mail.gmail.com>
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I would think that the fact that you don't fill the click when you
pull the stalk would
cause me to start looking in that area as that is a mechanical switch
& I believe the click
should always be apparent.
ORR~ DeanB
On 9 Jun , 2012, at 7:07 AM, Don Hanson wrote:
> Last evening while returning from windsurfing (heading west into
> 30-gusting to 45mph winds) in the Columbia River Gorge, my
> headlights began
> misbehaving. The wind really doesn't have anything to do with it,
> since
> that is pretty normal for the Gorge Wind. Just thought some might
> find
> interest in how my particular van gets used...
>
> I have not yet this morning begun electrical troubleshooting, one
> of my
> 'weak areas' when it comes to automotive skills. 84 vanagon. I
> understand
> the headlight switches are often 'problematic' and I do have a
> spare, so
> I'm putting swapping in my spare switch near the top of my diagnostic
> agenda.
>
> I have my axillary driving lights...2 KC daylighters...wired in to a
> secondary VW light switch (in the blank spot of the instrument
> cluster)
> and that switch controls a relay to power those secondary lights..
> This
> secondary switch gets power only when the highbeams of the
> headlights are
> on...so when driving in remote areas, I can switch on the driving
> lights
> along with the highbeams and have them go off when I use the dimmer
> stalk. With me so far? The relay main power (fused) to aux
> lights comes
> directly from my axillary battery...
>
> So as I came home around dusk....about 8pm with clouds...my blue LED
> highbeam indicator came on when I switched from parking lights to
> regular
> headlights....Pulling on the stalk dimmer switch caused the blue LED
> to dim
> slightly but didn't do the switching it should, I felt no "click" as
> the
> stalk was pulled in, no feel of activation.......and my headlights
> weren't
> working. Parking lights do work, turnsignals do work, driving
> lights do
> work when the secondary switch is turned on...
>
> I didn't find any blown fuses in a quick cursory check of the fuse
> panel.
>
> I did get a flashback from a passing trucker on my way out east to
> windsurf earlier in the day. I use my highbeams sometimes to signal
> passing trucks when they have their trailers past me in tight passing
> situations...like real trucks do for each other...and I usually get an
> 'acknowledging' blink of the truck's lights after they complete the
> pass...a "Thanks, Buddy" thing...I guess. When I pulled into our
> barnyard,
> I tried the 'flash the lamps' quick pull of the stalk and no
> lights...So
> this new problem just happened (or showed itself) suddenly in one day.
>
> I am essentially lost when it comes to reading wiring diagrams and
> making
> any sense of them...I am trying to get better with electricals, and
> I've
> made some progress, but with a system that is moderately complex like
> vanagon headlights/emergency flashers/dimmers/automatic shutoff of
> the main
> headlights to parking lights, etc etc...I have no real hope of making
> sense, given my current (sorry...) understanding of the wiring
> diagrams or
> using said electrical maps to help me get the lights back to working
> order....
>
> I haven't been in the dash or messing with any wiring in a month or
> two,
> so I don't think I screwed it up with ham-fisting. I can operate my
> digital electrical tester and I can use a test light effectively now.
>
> So, when it warms up a bit outside, I'll be going at this
> problem. If
> anyone has any tips or a suggested plan of attack, I could use any
> the help
> I can get. Nothing is too basic to suggest to me.
> My preliminary plan is to re-check the fuses, then swap out the
> headlight switch. Then I plan on checking the headlight grounding
> and the
> auxiliary light grounding...I think that can cause weird behavior.
> From
> there....I guess I will just start tracing wires with my test light
> and see
> where it stops shooting electrons....I am pretty lost from that point.
>
> Suggestions? Guesses? Tips? thanks,
>
> Don Hanson
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