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Date:         Tue, 11 Apr 2017 22:22:33 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Backup light puzzle anyone?
Comments: To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To:  <A71DD651-3921-4813-A824-67C4B60BA98A@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Three hundred ohms might as well be an open circuit compared to a 21 watt stop lamp with a working resistance of around seven ohms. A truly good switch ought to have resistance in the low milliohms range. However modern multimeter ohmmeters apply very low energy to the circuit and occasionally this might contribute to a discrepant reading.

I suspect that the issue with your original switch is a matter of you pushing the plunger all the way with your thumb vs the transmission pushing it only partway.

Yrs, d

On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 10:10 PM, OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net> wrote:

> Have been a Very Firm Believer in VOMs most of My life > Until > Today ~ > > Another BackUp Light Issue ~ Only this 1 is Switch Related ~ Have a Friends > > 87Westy @ My Place that I am doing a bunch of Stuff to & while moving it > last > > night discovered that the B'U'Lights were not working ~ Bulbs checked out > OK > > so I pulled the wires off the Switch, Jumped them & the Lights Worked ~ > Found > > Used Spare that I had & put a VOM to it to see if it was OK & it showed > roughly > > 325 Ohms when pressed so figured it ought to pretty much be usable ~ Put it > > in & the B'U'Lights worked Just Fine ~ Decided to VOM the Old "Bad" Switch > & > > was Quite Surprised when it showed a DeadShort when pressed ~ Decided to > > put it back in only to find that it Produced No Lights ~ Put My Spare back > in & I > > get Lights ~ ReVOMed "Bad" Switch > DeadShort > Put It back In > No Lights > ~ > > My UsedSpare is now in place & the B'U'Lights are Working Nicely ~ > > ORR ~ DeanB > > > On 11 Apr , 2017, at 2:11 PM, David Beierl wrote: > > > Your voltmeter should be able to tell you where the problem lies. > > > > Yrs, > > d > > > > On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 3:42 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > >> Yeah, DC circuits are famous for floating currents when grounds are > >> disrupted. I'll replace the ground wires and connectors and see what > >> happens. > >> > >> Stuart > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Dennis Haynes [mailto:d23haynes57@hotmail.com] > >> Sent: Monday, April 10, 2017 6:42 PM > >> To: Stuart MacMillan; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >> Subject: RE: Backup light puzzle anyone? > >> > >> You need to look at the grounds at one of the rear sockets. Resistance > at > >> the grounds is putting the 2 lamps in series from the other bulbs giving > >> you > >> the half voltage causing the low current sensitivity of the LEDs to > light > >> up. > >> > >> Dennis > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > Behalf Of > >> Stuart MacMillan > >> Sent: Monday, April 10, 2017 9:09 PM > >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >> Subject: Backup light puzzle anyone? > >> > >> I got a pair of LED back up "bulbs" along with the other LEDs for my '85 > >> automatic transmission Vanagon, and they are on all the time when > ignition > >> is on (other bulbs work fine). The switch on the selector is brand new > >> (both > >> parts), but there is a constant 5v at the backup lights and at the > switched > >> contact on the selector switch, and the proper 12 volts on the power > side. > >> 5v is enough to illuminate the LEDs. > >> > >> > >> > >> There has to be some kind of short in the wiring between the switch and > the > >> lights, but where would that wire pick up 5 volts? The rear taillight > >> light > >> assemblies are in excellent condition and I've re-done the ground at the > >> left taillight. > >> > >> > >> > >> I've had to go back to the filament bulbs until I can figure this one > out. > >> Or maybe just forget about the LEDs because the short is probably buried > >> somewhere in the wrapped harness under the van. > >> > >> > >> > >> No end to the fun! > >> > >> > >> > >> Stuart > >> > >


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