Date:         Wed, 21 Mar 1990 09:39:28 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         steve@molly.tn.cornell.edu (S.Smith)
Subject:      more reverse lights woes


spent sunday messing with the reverse light on the blue beast (83 diesel)

The ramp phenomenon reported earlier (reverse lights work with back end up,
dont work with the car level) isnt repro. this time.....

Also, the switch VW sold me isnt working right, if i push the switch in, the
lights come on and stay on. I'll take that up with them later ....

Well i have to get these thing working to get my (overdue) inspection
sticker.  Decide to wire a switch to the dash. Check the wiring diagram,
83 diesel. 12V supply comes off fuse #12, switch on trans always hot. Plan is
to switch 12V at dash, jump trans switch. i have a flash of inspiration and
unscrew the left rear taillight assembly and pull it around the corner so i
can see the lights from up front!

I pull fuse #12, and the lights still work!! I mutter something not very
printable about $80 manuals with bad wiring diagrams ....

I finally find the hot wire going to the reverse lights; its on the HOT
side of fuse #12, ie its not fused at all .... this is not good.

I rewire it through the switch, fused, and now my dash light switch controls 
the reverse lights = YEAH!

BUT .....when i start up i cant get the glow plugs to light, nor the engine
to run unless i have the reverse lights switch on!!!

The 12V hot wire that feeds the reverse light circuit also feeds the glow
plug relay and the stop solenoid (fuel cutoff) circuits - despite what the
wiring diagram says. 

So unless i drive down the road with my reverse lights on i cant run the car,

This week i will have to pull a wire from front to back so that the rl
have their own, isolated 12V supply.

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get my license plate lights to
work, anyone have any tricks getting these buggers back into place? I had to
put some terminal connectors on and they dont let me fit the assembly back into
the hole in the body. i think i will hard solder wires on them today at
work.

all in all, a frustrating day, and i still dont have my damn van back...

any condolences will be gratefully accepted, if you read this far!!