Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2022 13:11:11 -0500
Reply-To: Derek Drew <derekdrew@DEREKMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Derek Drew <derekdrew@DEREKMAIL.COM>
Subject: Camper Light Mystery Resolved
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"Oxidated terminal junctions in the van walls" is the short
answer. The long answer is below. <br><br>
The rear camper light in this 91 wouldn't work unless I ran a separate
diagnostic jumper clamp from the light body (which is ground) to vehicle
chassis ground. <br><br>
I measured no continuity between that light's grounds and the grounds of
the driver's side ceiling mounted utility light so we knew that the OEM
ground path had a break in it or other obstruction.<br><br>
To diagnose the issue I had to detached the wooden panel that the light
screws into which isn't extremely enjoyable. I used a ratchet (with a
screwdriver head) where you are able to turn the ratchet head by rotating
the handle of the ratchet instead of trying to swing the ratchet since
there wasn't much room for other approaches. <br><br>
Once it was down I could see a set of + and - wire junctions above the
light itself over the rear table, and after looking, I found another
identical junction again about a foot forward up in the walls of the van,
above the sink. <br><br>
I first measured the resistance from the ground wire of the forward
junction point to the front driver's ceiling light grounds, and the
resistance was near zero, so that section was not the problem. <br><br>
I then measured the resistance from the junction wires 1 foot to the rear
(where the light wires join with chassis wiring via a connector) and the
resistance from this junction forward was also zero. Resistance from this
point to the light ground itself was also zero, but there remained no
continuity between the ground at the forward junction point and the light
body's ground. <br><br>
From this I deduced that there was corrosion in the actual terminals
where the rear light junction is (where the light's terminals connect to
the chassis wiring terminals). <br><br>
These terminals were pretty dark with copper oxidation, and the wires
themselves had a blackish appearance where they bed down into the
terminals. <br><br>
If the van had been built with marine grade tinned wire, I suspect that
this problem would be less likely to have occurred in the first place.
<br><br>
My plan is to cut all the terminals off and replace them with brand new
terminals using the marine grade wire and I am sure that this will
prevent future problems. <br><br>
I suspect I could probably also apply de-oxit type chemicals to fix the
problem if I did not have spare brand new terminals handy but I don't
know how long that would last. <br><br>
Earlier we were wondering if there had been a short someplace in the
lines and the answer is no.... it was just oxidation in the crimps or in
the terminals of these wires in the wall. This is scary because this 91
van is in beautiful shape and it is hard to know how many other junctions
in the van wiring are also near the point of failure with no outside
evidence of such. Maybe something like this is why the rearview external
mirrors stopped responding or why the central locking system in this
mint-looking van is also not working. <br><br>
I checked to see if the lines were subject to too much current because
the 3 LEDs that are in the light right now are real monsters that must
put out more than double the light of the incandescents and also required
bending the contacts sideways a lot to make them fit. The answer is no,
the LEDs were not outdrawing the incandescents that were in there before.
I measured it today and the 3 incandescents were drawing a total of 1.8
amps whereas the three monster LEDs together are drawing what I measured
to be 359ma (0.359 amps). This means that I can throw three of these
lights with LEDs into the van and wire them to the same circuit and I
will still be drawing little more than half what the indandescents were
drawing. That means I don't have to make a new upgraded + wiring harness
with an undersink feed point for all these lights. <br><br>
It is besides the point, but if anyone knows where somebody may have an
extra of these camper lights for sale, I am offering $125 plus shipping
for used ones out of old campers and this offer will probably remain open
forever. These lights are somewhat obsolete because they are built
for incandescent bulbs but I like the way they look because I can add
more to the vehicle interior and this looks like it came from the factory
this way. <br><br>
For this van, while I am doing all this today, I will add one more above
the sink, and one more over on the other side of the vehicle over the
sliding door. <br><br>
After thinking about it and using these vans for 30 years as campers, I
no longer believe in providing the ability to have lights in our vans be
operated by the doors closing (via door pin grounds) because it is too
easy to miss a light on during the daytime while camping or having the
doors open otherwise and run the battery down. <br><br>
I'll even be disconnecting the driver's ceiling mounted utility door
light in this van so it won't come on via door pin grounding for this
reason. <br><br>
I probably have a serious case of PTSD from all the times I found lights
to be on when the doors were open and I didn't know the battery was
draining away. Now I won't have to check for this problem another 5,000
times before I die<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
____________________________<br>
<b>Derek
Drew</b>
<br>
Sharon CT<br>
derekdrew@derekmail.com<br>
Email is best normally but...<br>
Mobile: 703-408-1532 (voice and texts) </body>
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