Date:         Mon, 1 Jul 1996 10:01:13 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "David Easterwood" <deasterw@st6000.sct.edu>
Subject:      Re: HELP! '64 ignition shot?


>I thought that was what I wrote???????

So we are saying the same thing different ways, each thinking we 
are right and the other is wrong...  Too funny!  :)

>Power to the ignition does not go *through* the light switch. 

Agreed, but it can short at the light switch.

>Why would he lose power to the ignition when he does not use the 
>lights???? 

If it shorts at the light switch, it doesn't continue to the 
ignition switch.

>If I read the first post correct (I may have missed 
>something :>)) I thought the problem happened even with the lights 
>off. If the engine died *only* when the lights were turned on, then 
>I would agree with you without question. But...if his light switch 
>was *SHORTING OUT*, his harness would burn-up being unfused. All the 
>post reported was the engine dying.

He said it had happened sporadically before.  With the engine running 
he turned on his headlights and the engine would stumble, sometimes 
re-catching, sometimes dying.  This time when it died he lost all 
power to the ignition switch, no matter the position of the light 
switch.

So in the beginning it only shorted in the on position, and now...

This has happened to me on two buses.  On one of them the 30 wire from 
#8 fuse to headlight switch melted, the other didn't.  On the one that 
melted the wire, I replaced the wire & it promptly melted the 
replacement.  In both cases replacing the light switch solved the 
problem.

My '59 single cab is beginning to develop this problem now, and when 
it cuts out I reach under the dash to jiggle the 30 wire on the back 
of the headlight switch.  Always carry enough wire with you to hotwire 
your bus so you won't be stranded.

Dave