Date:         Wed, 2 Mar 2022 01:01:03 +0000
Reply-To:     Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Another D15 connector failure example- The fix!
In-Reply-To:  <313684436.1621599.1646009941047@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

 Further thought says that just the action of unplugging and replugging could do immense wonders as this will kind of be a "self-cleaning" approach.  If you did this 2 or 3 times, but before the first time added the extremely thin film of Vaseline where possible, you would have a clean connection that on both sides of the contact area of the pins which would now be protected by a tiny fillet of grease.

    On Sunday, February 27, 2022, 04:59:02 PM PST, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:  
 
  I saw Alistair's photos of burned plastic connector.  Now, isn't it true that almost every electrical failure and problem does NOT occur in the connecting wire, but rather....at the connection points.  Why?  Mother Nature.  Corrosion.  Those stout, plated, beryllium copper male and female pins and sockets do a good job; but over time, atmospheric oxygen and water vapor start to do their thing.  Builds resistance due to corrosion.  High resistance = heat = failure.  How to prevent?  Might take some surgical precision:  that is, with strong magnifying lenses, good tools, and abundant patience.  Basically (after disconnecting main power battery), disconnect things one at a time.  Maybe use a Freon-based electrical contact cleaner to remove spruce up.  But then get in there with a fine tool to remove bits of corrosion.  After that, seal the job.  No, not with a coating like di-electric grease.  Rather, a conductive grease.....even Vaseline....the thinnest wipe.  This should put corrosion at bay for many more years.  (And sure makes future disconnection easy.)

Granted....there are potential major flaws in this approach...that you will actually screw things up.
If I would have to guess, it would be that the majority of these connection issues have occurred in more humid environments, and even worse if Vanagon is housed outside.  

NO!  I haven't gone through my van stem to stern doing this.  Huge task.  But everytime I am in the vicinity of things that are fairly readily visible, I do the best I can.  And that is why almost always when it comes to electrical issues, the first advise given is "clean your grounds".

    On Sunday, February 27, 2022, 04:20:28 PM PST, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:  
 
 Just to update, I was at the burned out van stripping more stuff. Took a pic of the female side of the D connector.
If you doubted before, this might sway :-)

https://shufti.blog/2022/02/19/vanagon-another-d15-connector-failure/

Alistair 


> On Feb 27, 2022, at 3:25 PM, Jim. Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> It must be pretty rare, the unfused failure that might cause a fire. I have
> driven about every kind of VW and many many other cars--rarely owning them
> in the same decade as they were manufactured in--and don't ever recall a
> problem. Except for a Karmann Ghia that burnt to the ground, me, wife and
> infant child fleeing onto the roadway--but that was a battery fire.
> 
> Jim
> 
>> On Sun, Feb 27, 2022 at 11:24 AM David McNeely <davmcneely40@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Wow!  I guess I didn't realize this.  Given the quite large number of fuzes
>> in every vehicle I have ever had, going back to the early sixties, I
>> thought everything was protected.  I do remember that a large amperage fuze
>> block started to appear in vehicles some time in the eighties or early
>> nineties.
>> 
>> So, if one is part way to a destination when the failure occurs and stops
>> one from going further, that might or might not be better than being stuck
>> at a starting point.  In the latter case, little or no damage may have
>> occurred, other than to the fuze, while part way there and there is a fire
>> .... .
>> 
>> Oh, well.
>> 
>> On Sun, Feb 27, 2022 at 8:17 AM Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Following old school wisdom I guess the thought at one point was to let
>> it
>>> run to failure! There are many wire circuits in the VW and other cars
>> that
>>> do not have any form of over current protection. Many American vehicles
>> use
>>> a fuse link or other device at the main battery-starter connection to
>>> protect most everything except the starter itself. For the Vanagon while
>>> most every light bulb has fuse protection to the bulb or even filament
>>> level the ignition and fuel system is completely unfused. Same for all
>> the
>>> wiring up most of the switches and even after the switches to the fuse
>> box.
>>> 
>>> Dennis
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> On Behalf Of
>> Gene P
>>> Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2022 1:03 AM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: Another D15 connector failure example- The fix!
>>> 
>>> I just noticed nobody answered that question “why isn’t the ignition
>>> circuit fused?”, so I’ll take a shot at it.
>>> 
>>> Because if it was fused, a burned fuse would prevent the engine from
>>> starting.
>>> It follows the logic that you would be better off being at least part way
>>> to where you’d need to be to get the fire damage fixed.
>>> 
>>> gp
>>> 
>>> ‘87 T3
>>> ‘81 R65
>>> ‘61 TR3
>>> 
>>> From: Alistair Bell
>>> Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 9:50 AM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: Another D15 connector failure example- The fix!
>>> 
>>>> On Feb 20, 2022, at 8:49 AM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>>>> One question though, why isn’t the ignition circuit fused?
>>>> 
>>>> Alistair
>>> 
>>