Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:01:15 -0700
Reply-To: Keith Hughes <keithahughes@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Keith Hughes <keithahughes@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: AC Questions - 85 Westy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 15:36:38 -0400
> From: Jim Ogul <jimogul70@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: AC Questions - 85 Westy
>
> Sorting through this and learning as I go along. When
> I say maximum cool I
> am talking about the four position switch setting. Its
> marked maximum cool
> in the full couter clockwise position.. It works fine
> in that position and
> when I turn it to off it turns off. Past off there are
> two more positions
> which I think are low fan and high fan but they dont work at
> all. I guess
> I can live with that since Maximum cool seems to be what you
> need here in
> Maryland. Now when its on maximum
> cool the electric radiator fan is on
> which I guess is normal. To my ear it sounds loud and
> it speeds up and and
> slow's down with engine speed (is that normal). If I
> ever needed to
> replace it I notice GoWesty has one but it says 1986-1991
> and mine is a
> 1985. Wonder if they one they have would work in an
> 85?
>
Jim,
The switch you need is http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4065&category_id=69&category_parent_id= , this is the one for tin-top Vanagons up to 85, and Westy's up to '85 and some '86 models (like mine). Sounds like your switch is fried. The high speed position in the switch seldom has problems because it only triggers the 3rd stage fan relay that runs power directly from the battery (at least that's how mine was configured - it's a dealer install, and doesn't exactly match anything in Bentley), so the switch only sees the relay coil load.
After smoking a couple of switches in mine over the years (it has the larger dual evap fan, but older style evap coil - go figure), I put relays in for all fan speeds so the switch sees almost no amperage. Exactly like the headlight switch. No problems since.
If the radiator fan is on High (very loud), then something else is going on. Mine is wired so the high speed fan comes on when the AC comes on - not original - but that's 'cause I'm in Phoenix and need all the help I can get! Especially at low speed. I also installed a trinary switch that shuts the compressor off on high head pressure instead of just turing the high speed radiator fan on, so it's still protected from head pressure.
Keith Hughes
'86 Westy Tiico (Marvin)
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