Date:         08 Jan 97 07:03:09 PST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         CARVER_JEFFREY@aphub.aerojetpd.com (Jeff Carver)
Subject:      Re: speedometer noise and other ramblings

Sean writ -
> When it
> gets really cold outside, sometimes the speedometer will make a gravelly
> sort of noise. The frequency of the noise is directly proportional to the
> speed indicated on the speedometer, and seems loudest between 25 and 45
> mph. The noise does not affect speedometer or odometer function,
> everything works fine, the needle doesn't wobble or anything. The sound
> appears to be coming from the head unit itself rather than the cable, it
> sounds almost like a plasticky sort of noise. Any ideas? It doesn't seem
> to be causing any problems, but I figure it can't be helping anything. Is
> my speedometer getting ready to conk out? It only makes the noise when
> it's really cold and even then not all the time. It's very intermittent
> and I have no way of producing it at will.
> 
> This is an '81, by the way.

I have been having this problem for over a year.  On mine it's the 
shaft that's making the noise.  To check, remove the dash cover and 
the plastic protector.  Get on the road and drive.  While it's making 
the noises, reach over and wiggle the cable, if the noise changes, 
it's the cable, not the speedo head.  Inside the speedo the shaft 
terminates in a magnetic disc.  The magnetic disc tugs magnetically, 
of course, on a metal cup, thus rotating the speedo needle.  There is 
also a gear on the shaft to turn the odometer.  The only way I see a 
cable siezing up that would damage the speedo internally, would be to 
have the cable split, rotational energy build up in the partial cable 
and then suddenly releasing in a final spin of death, pegging the 
needle, and possible overpowering the geartrain and damaging it.
I have spent many months listening to mine grumble.

I spent a LONG time this fall filling and filling and filling my 
speedo cable with motor oil to lube it.  It's not like the old style 
cables that one can remove the cable and the sheath remains.  They 
are locked in at both ends.  I have tried silicone lube, graphite lube, 
and now motor oil.  The problem persists.  I have asked before, and not 
received any wisdom on what SHOULD use in there.  Any ideas?

> I've also noticed some strangeness with my heater flapper boxes. I'll post
> this to type2 as well because more people there have experience with heater
> flapper boxes :) . On the Vanagon, there is a lever on the dash which
> slides side to side for amount of hot air. This lever is connected to a
> cable which apparently splits into two cables, and each one leads to a
> heater flapper box. The cable attaches to a lever on the box which moves
> the flapper inside to determine how much hot air is let into the main duct
> that goes up front. I've noticed that when I move the lever to the left,
> which is the heat off position, the heater flapper boxes don't close all
> the way, i.e. warm air can still be felt coming into the cabin. I can get
> under the car an grab the lever and close it the rest of the way and it
> will stay there but it won't close all the way if I only use the lever on
> the dash. I've never messed with these cables on my other air-cooled VWs
> but I assume there must be some kind of adjustment, but looking under there
> I'm not clear what it is. Has anyone had to adjust these? 

The adjustment is at the control box end.  There is a gizmo like the 
one for the accelerator cable, cylinder with hole and a bolt that 
engages the cable.  Loosen the bolt (have a pair of pliers handy to 
prevent kinking the cable.  These can be reached across the top of 
the rear tires.  Use a flashlight.  Sidenote: I too have to re-adjust 
for seasonal changes.  My '80 yardbus has an additional spring from 
the adjustment gizmo to the frame to assist in closing the boxes.  Is 
this stock or an add-on?

> Speaking of adjustment, is there any way to adjust the cables that control
> which vents the heated air comes out of? On the Vanagon there is a single
> lever that lets the driver switch air between the front and rear floor
> vents, the front floor vents only, or the defroster vents only. As i move
> the lever to the defroster position (far right), the lever stops about an
> inch short of the stop on the right side. I get plenty of air from the
> defroster vents but I can't seem to get it to the point where the rear
> floor vent closes and only the front floor vents are open. It seems like
> it's either all the floor vents or the defroster vents, with no in-between.
> Anyone know how to adjust this?

Yours may be different than mine, they made some changes in the 
heating system between the '80 and '81 models.  So take this with a 
dose of reality.

The control levers only change the air flow from defroster to floor.  
That's it, there are no controls to change the distribution of the 
front floor (actually knee) outlets versus the rear outlet.  My rear 
only rear outlet is at the transition of the floor between the front 
and back, through the vertical section between the rear floor and the 
sloped walkway between seats.  Later models took away storage space 
under the rear seat (Westi) for a heater outlet (a mistake IMHO).

Pull off the dash cover and look around for broken cable sheaths.  
These may limt lever travel.  I fixed a broken one with slit tigon 
tubing with shrink wrap around it.

- Jeff
(2) '80 Westi's