Date:         Thu, 13 Feb 2014 13:15:41 -0800
Reply-To:     Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject:      Re: 99 Intermittent wiper function failure cause.
Comments: To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAB2RwfjAAf+yLJ8ezBR_GQ_O7BvGjeQF=tFZne0yrkUPSkpQ3Q@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

nice work fixing the board Neil.

I’ve had the same 99 relay in use since about ’95. So I’d say mine can take the current draw fine.

alistair


On Feb 13, 2014, at 12:04 PM, Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Re-heating the cracked joints was fairly easy to do with a low watt
> (40?) iron with a clean and tinned narrow pointed tip. A solder
> station with clamps and magnifying lens, use of a magnifying lamp,
> helped a lot. These tools have paid for themselves many times over and
> are quite affordable. A respected list member kindly suggested that
> reheated all the joints might be a good idea. I only reheated one
> other questionable joint.
> 
> Wipers work but are not road tested.
> 
> The other unmentioned reason for posting this. When I discovered the
> fault, pushing sideways on a wire going to the relay caused the
> intermittent feature to work again. Initially I assumed an external
> connection to the relay was at fault but that didn't really make sense
> as I knew the connections to relays/fuses to be ok and that  A
> failed-failing solder joint was something I initially dismissed as I
> assumed this typically happened to a relay that was incorrectly
> installed (BTDT) or somehow abused.
> 
> I haven't studied the later model year diagrams in Bentley, but it
> appears the OEM intermittent relay works like a 99 installed into an
> earlier model year Vanagon.
> 
> Is it possible that the 99 relay wasn't meant to handle the Amp draw
> of the Vanagon wiper motor over long term (years) use?
> 
> I do understand that a solder joint can fail over time due to normal
> wear and tear.
> 
> Neil.