Date:         Fri, 07 Mar 1997 10:05:01 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Wynn <lmf1@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
Subject:      Electrical Mayhem '83

        Greetings and a happy friday to all. Well, Ive got yet another
little problem with my favorite beastie. 
        Some background: About 4 months ago I go out and hop in the van and
start her up after not having driven her for a good week and a half. It
started fine, but then I notice that my stereo no longer was running.
Normally it displays time and misc items even when off, but the LED was
blank. So I dirve off anyhow and the van is still operating fine mechanically.
        Then, I go to spray and wash both windows, when all of a sudden the
fuse blows. Now this has me dumbfounded because a) I have no electrical
knowledge, and b) the van had been fine for quite a while, and I couldnt
think of anything that would cause such a drastic change (due in part to a).
        So the weekend comes, and I enlist the help of a good freind who
just happened to graduate from electrical engineering. He gets the stereo
working again, 
and then goes to work trying to solve the other problem, when he happens
upon a wire that is completely melted and fried just behind the dash
console. So he replaces the length of fried wire with some new stuff, and we
figure everything should be fine.
It wasnt. There was no noticeable change witht the new wire installed,
and....now the damned dash lights dont function. So at night I cant see
crap, except for the lovely glow around my RPM gauge. And since it was
already 9pm on a friday night we figured we'd quit for the night and work on
it later. Its now much later....by a couple months....and now my van sits
out back dead for the past week. 
        Also: whenever I had ever started the van up, the battery light
would stay on until I revved her a bit. Its a new battery, but obviously (i
think) something is drawing power even when the van is off, or could
something be shorted out?

        Anyhow, and I apologize for the lenght here, I have to remedy the
whole electrical system, and I dont want to let my buddy touch it again, so
I need options, suggestions, and a ton o' help.

Mike Wynn
Edmonton, AB