Date:         Sat, 19 Feb 2022 21:36:33 +0000
Reply-To:     "ddbjorkman@verizon.net" <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "ddbjorkman@verizon.net" <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: Another D15 connector failure example
Comments: To: "albell@SHAW.CA" <albell@SHAW.CA>
In-Reply-To:  <365F3AAE-7163-44E7-9A6F-B4AE281854AA@shaw.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Hi Alistair.  Just for fun, what would one have to do to move the connection from the D15 to the larger D23?  Is the wiring sufficient or would one want to do changes there also?  Sounds like it may be a wise change.
Dave B.the Boston one


-----Original Message-----
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Sat, Feb 19, 2022 3:14 pm
Subject: Re: [VANAGON] Another D15 connector failure example

I’ve went round in circles with what caused what..  and I’m not thinking d15 had anything to do with fire.

The d15 supplies ign coil and, this is the kicker, the crankcase vent heating unit. That heater is fused just upstream of it.

But it draws current which stresses the d15. Other same era Vw used d23, larger pin. Vanagon didn’t.

I’ll guess fuel lines were culprit for the fire.

Alistair 

> On Feb 19, 2022, at 11:51 AM, Raimund Feussner <ray@v6bus.de> wrote:
> 
> Edit: Scratch "the fuse would have blown and spared the panel."
> 
> I now see that D15 is unfused, a direct connect from the ignition switch.
> Anyway, if it shorted, it was in the engine bay. By the fire or not, who
> knows.
> 
> If it shorted around the ignition switch, the smoke would have been in
> the dash.
> 
> Raimund
> 
>> Am 19.02.2022 um 20:46 schrieb Raimund Feussner:
>> I think the bad fuse panel didn´t cause the engine fire,
>> and the engine fire didn´t cause the fuse panel meltdown.
>> 
>> IF the engine fire caused a hard short in the rear of the van, the fuse
>> would have blown and spared the panel.
>> 
>> I estimate these are two damages independent from each other.
>> D15...digging out my XLS...: ignition coil. Nothing that should draw too
>> much current anyway? This is the first time I hear of of D15 being
>> notorius?!
>> 
>> Regards
>> Raimund
>> 
>> 
>>> Am 19.02.2022 um 20:32 schrieb Eric Caron:
>>> Wow!
>>> 
>>>          this would be a fun project.  Always sad to hear of a loss
>>> of a van, But, always good when the van is salvaged to keep others
>>> alive and healthy.
>>> 
>>> Keep sharing your findings.
>>> 
>>> Eric
>>> 
>>>> On Feb 19, 2022, at 12:58 PM, Alistair Bell<albell@SHAW.CA>  wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> I recently bought half of a van with my neighbour. Salvage title. A
>>>> restored 86 westy that had an engine fire. A lot of work went into
>>>> that van, sad to see it ruined.
>>>> 
>>>> Anyway, I pulled the fuse panel the other week and found a good or
>>>> is it bad? example of the notorious D15 connector burn.
>>>> 
>>>> https://shufti.blog/2022/02/19/vanagon-another-d15-connector-failure/
>>>> 
>>>> It’s a bad one, it should have, by rights, stopped the van. I doubt
>>>> the engine fire shorted the circuit causing this much damage. The
>>>> corresponding white connector on the wiring loom was really badly
>>>> burned. Appeared to me to be chronic heat via bad contact .
>>>> 
>>>> Alistair