Date:         Sun, 30 Jun 1996 22:07:59 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Douglas <douglas@bigpig.pig.net>
Subject:      Re: HELP! '64 ignition shot?

Jonny Miner wrote:
> 
> Here's the story:
> I've had a couple of instances on my '64 (6 volt) when I turn on the
> headlights and the engine dies in mid-flight. I just figured it was because it
> was still 6-volt and the headlights require a lot of juice. I've also had a
> couple times when I put the key in, turned it and nothing happened. I usually
> just turn it all the way back and try again and (for some reason) it works.
> Well the other night coming home at about midnight, I put the key in and
> started it. While it was warming up I turned on the lights and the engine
> died. When I tried to restart it, it wouldn't start, I got no dash lights at
> all and realized I had no power at all (no headlights, radio, interior lights
> etc). Upon consulting Muir, I checked the fuses (fine), figured the ignition
> switch must be shot, hotwired it and drove it home. With the hotwire on,
> everything operated fine. Next day I swithed out the ignition switch with the
> one I had leftover from my '60 splittie (R.I.P.) with NO LUCK! I have no
> reason to believe that the '60 ignition switch should be dead and I still have
> no dash lights and no electrical power anywhere. The fuses all appear fine.
> Tried to get a new ignition switch, went to two places, niether one had one
> and both said the chance of BOTH switches being dead are pretty slim. Muir
> says it should be the switch or the fuses.
> 
> Any ideas? Would a bad switch kill ALL electricity? Are '60 and '64 switches
> incompatible? What am I missing?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> --Jonny


Hello Jonny.

The feed to your lights does not go through the ignition switch.

1. Check the connection of the large wires at your starter.

       1 should go to your battery (the largest).
       1 goes to the gen set.
       1 goes to the front, to feed your fuse block.

2. Check the connection to the terminal on the right hand side of the fuse block 
(US models). Two large wires should come off the *TOP* of the block. One of these 
wires is larger then the other; the largest one is the feed from the starter 
connection you checked in step 1.

3. The smaller wire from step 2 goes to term #30 on the light switch. This line is 
not fused and should be hot all the time.

4. The wire to term. #30 in step 3 feeds through to term #30 on the starter 
switch.

The loss of both your lights and ignition would lead me to step 1 or 2 above. 
Sounds like a poor connection; you can pull enough through it for your engine, but 
not enough for your lights.

Check not only the connection at the *push-on-term* but *INSIDE* the term also. 
The crimp-on connectors can corrode inside and you can miss the problem.

Douglas