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Red Light on Dash

I think the silly season has got into my 1978 Bus. I was driving down the road the other day and a heard a loud clunk under the bus, which I took to be just a stone being kicked up and hitting the pan.

Moments later my Battery light snaps on and is unaffected by the revs so thought I'd done a fan belt.

I nursed it home the 1-2 K's but noticed I had no turn signals (so I assumed not stop lights either).

Once home I find the fan belt is fine but fuse number 12, a 16amp was blown and blows again immediately I try to crank the engine. The bus starts and runs AOK but the fuse blows each time and I have no signals when it does.

All ideas gratefully received.

Cheers,

Smegggg The Bay from Oz.

1978 Type 2
Reply to
Smegggg (John)
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Find out which lights, etc. no longer work. Especially, check the horn. Could it have fallen off?

And pull the 4-Way Hazard switch out to see if they work.

It may be worth a session underneath the Bus, looking for signs of damage.

Get as many clues as possible.

Speedy Jim

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Reply to
Speedy Jim

Thanks for the pointers Speedy Jim (you're a legend).

This bus is a "real-fixer-upper", in other words where do I start to bring it back to life and yet it's my daily driver.

The horn hasn't worked for ages as the wire keeps falling off, so I'll check that first. I replaced the 4way about 12 months ago for the same problem with fuses (memory is getting old too).

The previous owner just ripped things out it the failed.

Thankfully it's a holiday weekend so I've got some time to tinker with it.

Thanks again!

Smegggg The Bay from OZ

1978 Type 2
Reply to
Smegggg (John)

Aslo ... BIG ALSO !!!

If you think your fan belt is broke. DONT drive it home !

At least stop and check. If its broke and you are not far away and you want to 'nurse' it home, wait a while for it to cool well, then make the SHORT trip. - repeat as necassary.

Rich

Reply to
tricky

Yeah, that's an important suggestion. Not much point in getting home if your engine is a slag of molten metal.

I carry a spare fan/generator belt, accelerator cable, and spare clutch cable just to be on the safe side.

Reply to
Michael Cecil

Well, checked the klights and brake, park, heads & interiors work AOK.

No indicaturs (turn) or Hazard (4way, but it's a new switch 12 months ago), no Fuel Gauge, or Alt/Oil lights. No horn, but that hasn't worked in months (I use my finger, lol)

Turns out it's a 79 model according to manual & chassis numbers.

So where to from here, process of elimination I guess.

Smegggg The Bay from OZ

1979 Type 2
Reply to
Smegggg (John)

Reply to
Smegggg (John)

Even with the fuse blown, the 4-Way Hazards should still flash as they use a different fuse but the same flasher relay. This could be a clue. There is a simplified diagram of the flasher ckt on this page of my web site:

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down to the bottom:"3-terminal 12V flasher, simplified wiring diagram showing 4-Way Hazard switch: '72 and later." I focus on the Hazard switch because often they will just "come apart" inside and short out. It may be worth pulling the 2 hot leads off the switch to see if the fuse still blows.

After that, disconnect the hot leads to everything else that fuse feeds in a process of elimination.

Speedy Jim

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Reply to
Speedy Jim

Success!

Hi Speedy Jim and thanks for the tips.

I've progressively eliminated the horn, turn signals, 4way switch and finally the "starter button", as installed by the previous owner when the ignition switch failed.

Sure enough there was wear on the lead, which was stretched to the max to reach the mounting point in the instrument panel, and a short to a dash bracket.

It now, until I replace the ignition switch, hangs out of the steering column shroud and I will look around for a new Instrument Panel minus the 1" hole.

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions, I really shouldn't be allowed in the garage unsupervised (lol).

Smegggg (John) The Bay from OZ

1979 Type 2

Reply to
Smegggg (John)

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