It has been said here by some that I might better apply myself to digging into a problem before asking questions. I do plead guilty to wanting to learn about any Handy Hintz before opening the Wonderbus and getting my tit in a wringer. But that pertains to mechanical issues - I am inexperienced in these matters.
But electrical stuff I know. I've posted only one question about electrical matters.
This morning the Wonderbus suffered a complete blackout. After a couple cranks to try to get it started (no chokes) all of sudden there is no -- zero -- power anywhere. No dash lights, nuttin'.
I'm not posting this to ask for advise. Nope -- not me, not for this. I'm posting to say that I will have this taken care of all by my little ol' self before the weekend is over. Can't work on it today, and tomorrow looks rough, but I'll have it done by Sunday evening. Just watch.
Put in a small rotating 12-v fan on the dash - you'll never be homesick for air-con again. It's amazing how cooling that little fan, and rear sliding windows, can be.
See how they Are Squirrel?................They tell *you* stop askin before you try and fix it,................But they wanna know how before they try...................Man Oh Man!
Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply MUADIB®
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It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's. It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs. -- Oxford University Press, Edpress News
It truly is a Wonderbus. It fixed itself and I am disappointed. This intermittent problem has occurred a couple times before. Today, armed with voltmeter and wiring diagram, I approached the bus from its blind side, and soothed it with soft words. Once gentled, I inserted the key and turned on the ignition. Lamps powered up. Tried to crank. Bus went dark. Further turns elicited little more than weak blips from the gauges.
Good. It's still messed up. Something to fix. Checked battery voltage.
12.4. Good. Inspected portion of wire in engine compartment that goes to starter solenoid. Good. Before clambering under to follow wires, I put on my LED backpacking headlamp and checking for voltage at fuses 4 and
Voltage -- roger. Hmmm. Look at wiring diagram. Heavy wire goes from fusebox -- unfused, I note, to ignition switch and then back to terminal
50 on solenoid. Can't see that wire easily. Turn ignition one more time.
Rats. Starter kicks over. Try again. Still kicks over. I think I'm dealing with the famous crappy-connection-in-old-ignition-switch that requires the Bosch relay modification. Order one today.
But I am disappointed and must ask RAMVA readers to wait breathlessly for my next installment. No, I did not fix the problem. No, I do not know what it was, and can't live up to my boast. But I am carrying a voltmeter in the car, and a copy of the wiring diagram. If it fails again -- and it will, O yes it will, and probably at night . . . in the rain -- I will fix it. And by doing so, maybe earn a Brownie point, a modicum of credibility. Some respectability in this wilderness called RAMVA.
But time will tell. Time will tell.
Well, gotta go, the 8 year-old daughter has the > It has been said here by some that I might better apply myself to
......................I have a crappy-worn-out-ignition-switch in my '77 bug. Since Jan & Chris cautioned the group against using a crappy-bandaid-to-mask-the-real-problem-relay, I used, instead, a nifty seven dollar pushbutton switch (50 amp) wired straight from the battery to the solenoid and I mounted it in the kick panel under the rear seat so that I can reach it without anyone noticing.
Since it is usual to have the "start" position of the ignition switch cut all power to everything except the starter and ignition, so that the starter can get the undivided attention of the battery, what's your procedure when starting your 77 bug?
Ask any question about ac vw s and ignore any stupid remarks from anyone as to the nature of your question. Many smart people can and will answer you with helpfull answers (even ANT if the moon is in a first quarter). Dennis
.................The old switch is still good enough to to provide adequate current to everything except the solenoid. So, whenever it fails to energize the solenoid which is maybe one out three attempts, I leave it in the 'on' position as if the engine was running and then reach back to that 50 amp button underneath the front of the rear seat and hit it. Like I said, if Jan or Chris were standing at least 20 feet away, they'd never suspect a thing...............lol
.................That's precisely why I bypassed the whole shebang with a separate circuit and switch to the solenoid on my 77 bug. I'm getting too old and lame to push start a bug by myself.
why put a bandaid on it?....if the ignition switch is bad, then order that(or find a good used one)....would you put new wiperblades on a busted windshield?
------------------- Chris Perdue
*All opinions are those of the author of this post* "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug"
I remember having cars in the past that had a switch like that in the engine compartment to roll it over during tuneups and such. We don't need it with the VWs, but it was handy on a big V8 that was hard to turn by hand.
I added a switch like Tim's but in the engine compartment. There it did double duty as a turn-over switch when setting dwell and whatever. I did replace the ignition switch and I did replace some connectors and some corroded wiring. The problem in my bus, over the years, was the solenoid itself. Once I replaced the solenoid I never needed the relay or the pushbutton switch EXCEPT - As I've told this story a hundred times in here I'll cut it short - When I drove Bussy abusively, he would wait until a time I parked over a mud-hole or deep water puddle... a patch of greasey blacktop would suffice also - and he would use that opportunity to get even with me! Once I installed the switch in the back, he gave up that little tantrum trick (really!) A word of caution though - if you put the starter switch back there, be damned sure you've taken the bus out of gear before you start it - especially if you have the idle set high! (Don't ask - I won't tell) The relay system used to buy me about three months but then it didn't produce enough power to kick the solenoid in. I used to buy Bosche Reman starters every
13-14 months (12 month warranty) until I found the solenoids available and have not replaced a solenoid or a starter since probably about '97. I assume you have cleaned your battery terminals with baking soda slurry and rinsed thoroughly, reassembling with silicone grease or some LPS1 sprayed liberally over it all.
(About LPS1: I used to demonstrate this by running a garden hose into the magneto of a running motorcycle engine. It died immediately. I then sprayed LPS1 on the points and restarted the engine. It started right up and I ran the hose in there again. It never died after the LPS1 was applied. WD-40 is not nearly as good but will dry wet connections. In motocross in the Seattle area during winter, we generally got a full season out of an LPS treatment and about 1 moto from WD-40!)
What are the symptoms of a bad solenoid? My bus does this: turn key to start and nothing happens, no click, nothing. It is intermittent; only does it once a month or so, and the battery has charge.
Say no more. I get the picture.
Presumptuous, aren't you? You seem to think I know what I'm doing.
LPS1 . . . LPS1 . . . nope, doesn't ring a bell. What is it?
The problem is battery or battery connection. Insufficient power to kick the starter solinoid does not make the bus go dark. dirty battery connection makes the bus go dark under heavy load. Look for corrosion around the ends of the battery wire, or swollen wire. Could even be on the ground side.
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