Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 15:51:15 -0500
Reply-To: Vlach Family <vlach@COBWEB.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Vlach Family <vlach@COBWEB.NET>
Subject: [Fwd: Re: Dead Headlights]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Thanks Tom -
Your assessment was correct! I found the grounding lugs (two sets) located behind the fuse box. Sure enough, as I was checking the wires, I felt a warm wire that turned-out to be the lighting ground. Yes, it was corroded! I cleaned the connector and plugged it back onto a spare grounding lug. Problem fixed! Thanks to your input, it only took me 12 minutes to troubleshoot and repair.
Much appreciated,
Erich Vlach
'87 Vanagon Syncro
-------- Original Message --------
Erich,
Check the ground under the dash. Look up, above and to the left of the
clutch pedal, on the wall to the upper left, at about ONE O'CLOCK on the
wall in respect to the door post.. In my 84 Westfalia, there is a 5 or
6 point ground to which elements of the lighting system connect.. If
I remember correctly, on my Westy, there is no relay affecting the
lights. The wiring system connectors tend to corrode at the ground
points. If the problem is the ground, clean, fix and lube with
dielectric grease to prevent or arrest corrosion. There my be a break,
too, in the wires, resulting in a loss of continuity, or a break
down/deterioration at the connectors. That condition deviled us until
my wife analyzed the cause.
Second, or first, as a matter of fact, check the connections aat the
bulbs. They sometimes corrode and, as well as, fall or break off the
sealed beam.
Third, Buy a Haynes manual from busdepot.com. (Usual disclaimers
apply.).
Please report the results of your analysis.
Regards,
Tom Hanlon
Palm Springs, CA
84 Westfalia
-------------------
Vlach Family wrote:
> Hello everyone -
>
> RE: '87 Vanagon Syncro
>
> My headlights were working just fine, and then died for no apparent
> reason.
>
> Description of events leading to failure:
> 1) Vehicle started and headlights were switched on. Lo-beams came on
> as normal.
> 2) After approximately 1 minute, the lo-beams dimmed momentarily,
> then back to normal.
> 3) After approximately another 2 minutes, the blue "hi-beam" lamp
> came on without any human intervention.
> 4) Attemt to turn off hi-beams resulted with no change.
> 5) The headlights turned-off. (Do no know if it was at the same time
> as #4 above or delayed.)
> 6) Ignition was turned off. Restarted vehicle after approx 1
> minute. The headlights came on momentarily and then went off.
> 7) Headlights are dead! Headlight / hi-beam switches have no affect.
>
> I checked all fuses in the fuse box for continuity . . .all's fine.
> I reseated all of the relays in the fuse box.
>
> Current status:
> A) Igniton: off Light switch: off
> Results: Blue hi-beam lamp comes on when hi-beam lever is
> pulled, goes off when released.
> Hi-beams: stay off Lo-beams: stay off
>
> B) Ignition: off Light switch: on
> Results: Same as #1 + relay in fuse box position10 clicks
> on/off with blue lamp.
> Hi-beams: stay off Lo-beams: stay off
>
> C) Ignition: on Light switch: off
> Results: All same as #1.
>
> D) Ignition: on Light switch: on
> Results: Blue hi-beam lamp is always on. Hi-beam lever makes
> no difference.
> The relay in fuse box position 10 cllicks once
> when ignition is turned on.
> Hi-beams: stay off Lo-beams: stay off
>
> Does anyone know how to fix this problem? . . .Could the relay be
> bad?
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Erich Vlach
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