Date:         Tue, 19 Dec 1995 11:15:13 -0600
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         drphibes@siu.edu (Peter DePaoli)
Subject:      Re: Bad Short '73 Bus

At 09:02 AM 12/19/95 -0600, James Brill wrote:
>Not a short bus, a bus short.  This is on a friend's '73 bus.  The 
>symptoms are that the battery will go dead if it sits for 24 hours 
>without running.  The battery was replaced.  No improvement.  We then 
>did the Muir fuse thing where you pull out fuses one at a time until 
>you don't get the spark when you install the ground cable.  We 
>narrowed it down to the number two fuse.  This fuse controls the park 
>and tail lights and the license plate light.  We replaced one bad 
>bulb and cleaned up one other to get it to work.  Still a spark.  We 
>pulled out the headlight switch and ran the volt meter over it.  None 
>of them show any power except the big hot wire coming into the thing. 
>We also checked the emergency flasher switch, which is on another 
>fuse, just to be sure.
>
>So, we are stuck.  This is where we kindly ask you fine folks if you 
>have seen this problem before and what was the fix?  Standing at the 
>ready, multimeter in hand....
>-- 
>James A. Brill Jr.         \\  //
>jbrill@unlinfo.unl.edu   \\ \\// //      If you're not outraged
>University of Nebraska    \\//\\//     you're not paying attention.
>free-lance homo sapien     \/  \/
>
Hey Jim... Have you checked the secureness of all of the wires which connect
to the voltage regulator?  On my '71 Westy I can remember a similar problem.
And another possibility of something you may want to check is if you have an
open ibnition circuit,, or more simpler, on my '73 beetle, when its cold
(mostly) and even when its not, the ignition switch will stick open when the
key is removed, while the bug has a key buzzer, and my bus did'nt i think if
the same thing happened with no buzzer it would make for a voltage parasite.
and lastly you may want to get your hands on a wiring diagram to check if
all wires are going to their respective correct homes.  Good-Luck

Peter DePaoli
Carbondale,IL
'69 Panel Camper
'71 Westy (parts anybody?)
'73 Super Beetle
a chevy 2 bikes 2 cats 2 birds and 2 dogs