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Date:         Sat, 11 Nov 1995 17:48:17 -0600 (CST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Joseph F. Fournier II" <jfourni@comp.uark.edu>
Subject:      '71 Ignition Switch

Okay, I'm a little confused. I ran Muir's test for ignition switch failure and decided that yes, I have the problem: hot wire from voltage regulator to coil; engine doesn't run with hot wire removed.

I think what's happening is that the part of the switch that received current from the battery via the solenoid is fried. This conclusion is based on resistance tests on the switch and various wires. The black and red wire is the one that's suppose to be feeding current, but even with the key turned on, I can't seem to get any resistance from this to any other wires. There's a three-wire set that shares a common connection with the key on (the black, the red, and the yellow). When the jumper goes to the coil, the black wire then feeds back current to the other two. There's a brown wire too, but I don't know what that's for. I tried looking at the wiring diagram in Bentley, but I haven't figured it out yet.

Okay, the part that confuses me is this: without the jumper running from the regulator to the coil, I can turn the engine over just fine...though it won't start...makes sense; no fire to the coil. But, when I do install the wire to the coil, if it's cold out, or if the timing's just a little off, the engine turns over a couple times and then sloooowly over once and then a couple more times...like a really drained battery. Also, I can see sparks connecting the jumper, so I know there's a short. I'm guessing it's in the faulty switch, since I don't see any sparks connecting the battery without the jumper. I'm wondering what's causing this drag...Any ideas?

BTW, Bentley says you have to remove the steering wheel (which I did) in order to get this switch out. I disassembled the entire steering column, per Bentley. I see no benefit to this, however, since the switch itself seems to be impossible to remove from the assembly to which it's attached (on the '71) and the electrical component (which is where my problem is) can be removed by disconnecting the switch wires, loosening the set screw on the bottom, and then carefully pulling at the wires with a pair of needle-nosed pliers.

My edition of Muir ($4.00 sticker price, I believe) makes note of a '71 bus sitting in his yard with a faulty switch because VW claimed you couldn't remove the switch from the assembly and he was stubbornly refusing to pay $34? for the assembly. My local FLAPS wants almost $30 for the electrical part of the switch alone. Same frustration...different times.

Re-installation of the electrical component takes a little finesse, but it'll require that with or without the switch still on the steering column. HINT: Watch carefully how it comes out; it'll have to go in the same way. Removing the steering wheel was a real pain...too bad I didn't try getting the electrical part out first.

Thanks! Joe

---------------------------------------------------------- Joseph F. Fournier II <jfourni@comp.uark.edu> 501.575.7353 <a href="http://comp.uark.edu/~jfourni/"> Joe Fournier</a> ---------------------------------------------------------- | "640K ought to be enough for anybody." | egg-n-noggin | | -- Bill Gates, 1981 | \/ | ---------------------------------------- -------\/\/------


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