Date:         Tue, 5 Mar 1996 15:16:35 MST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike White" <MIKE.WHITE@law.utah.edu>
Subject:      Re: Headlight oddity

> The headlights on the V6anagon (sorry to cause offense, Jim) have been
> acting a little strange: after being on for 1/2 hour or so during a
> long night trip, they lose power. Later they come back on, and then go
> off again, etc.

Two words:  Chevy alternator.

J/K.

Not that it is of any value, but I wired up my radio the other 
month, and whenever I turned on the windshield wipers my radio would 
go off and on!  

So I made sure last Saturday when I was installing the new CD 
player, that I wouldn't have the same problem. 
I got out the voltmeter, and with the ignition off found a live 12v.
Hooked it all up.

It worked great.  Went into the house, did whatnot and decided to go 
for a drive.  No power to the stereo when I tried it again!

I thought, oh well, and took off, thinking I'd fix it later.  That 
night on my way home, I tried it again to see if it would perchance 
work.  Yup!  Worked great.

Huh?  Turn off lights.  Off goes radio!  Turn on lights, on goes 
radio!

Seems I had the headlights on when I was testing for an always live 
line to hook into!

As Homer would say...  "D'OH!"

BTW, Steve, I found a new engine for you to put into your Vanagon.  
That cool Audi W-12!  It might fit!  <grin>

- Mike White 

[Mail: mike.white@law.utah.edu   -   mwhite@eng.utah.edu]
Visit my '57 23-Window VW BUS at: [http://cloud8.law.utah.edu/]