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Bikechunks Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2023 Posts: 45 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 10:47 am Post subject: Headlight switch short |
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I was driving my van the other day when all of a sudden the headlight switch started to pour out smoke. Once I turned it off the smoke stopped so there wasn’t much damage. I don’t know where to start looking for a problem, any advice would help. Thanks! |
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squeegee_boy Samba Member
Joined: April 27, 2008 Posts: 758 Location: Langley, BC, Canada
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 12:31 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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What year of van? The older ones (85 and earlier 84 and earlier, thanks!) don't have a fuse on the dash light circuit. I found this out very suddenly and violently on a freeway. That was fun.
This is the blue/gray wire off the dimmer portion of the headlight switch. This wire is where I would start looking for a short.
Robyn
PS, put the year and model of your van in your signature, it'll help us a lot _________________ 1984 FrankenSyncro Westy. EJ25 RMW kit
1971 Super Beetle with an EJ22. Oh yes. Daily driver
Last edited by squeegee_boy on Sun Apr 02, 2023 3:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bikechunks Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2023 Posts: 45 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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It’s an 85, I’ve had a few problems with the wiring in the 85 but this is by far the worst. |
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AceTaylor Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2009 Posts: 137 Location: PERKASIE, PA
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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Do you have high wattage bulbs? I melted my switch by using higher wattage bulbs without using relays to handle the higher load. In addition to the switch being fubar, the plastic connector was melted and deformed. I had to bust it all apart and plug the wires in individually. After that incident I installed relays and no problems since. That must be at least 20 years ago. |
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crazyvwvanman Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008 Posts: 9895 Location: Orbiting San Diego
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 2:35 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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85 and later came with a fuse for dash lighting.
Maybe someone replaced the fuse with a higher amp one?
85 Bentley diagram says fuse S-13 and 8-amp.
80-84 no fuse.
Mark |
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DanHoug Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2016 Posts: 4715 Location: Bemidji, MN
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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overloading the switch with high wattage lamps can cause this but also the rheostat to control dash lamp brightness can overheat and smoke without blowing a fuse, if a fuse is even present. a new switch will get you a few years smoke free operation or you can eliminate the weakness by soldering a strap over the rheostat connections and controlling brightness with tinted silicone lamp covers.
OR put the rheostat on full brightness which bypasses the wire wound element that gets hot. _________________ -dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
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designer Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2009 Posts: 484 Location: Idaho-but just the tip
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2023 4:55 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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Just happened to me last week ...
This is what you need.
https://gowesty.com/products/headlight-switch
Early: # 251-941-531M (1980-1990)
mine was smoking and melted at the dimmer wheel. _________________ __________
87 Syncro Westy : 2.5l
"It is that annoying, accelerating downhill so I can make it up the next hill in the same gear. Foot to floor hoping I can get out of the way of other cars getting onto the highway." - somebody on here around 2013. |
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Bikechunks Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2023 Posts: 45 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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Thank goodness this wasn’t my 91. Finding a headlight switch for that year is incredibly hard. |
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Sodo Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007 Posts: 9517 Location: Western WA
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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Bikechunks wrote: |
Thank goodness this wasn’t my 91. Finding a headlight switch for that year is incredibly hard. |
Yes it is. I bypassed my '90 switch with relays, so now there's only a couple watts going thru the headlights switch. _________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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bartt59 Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2009 Posts: 31 Location: Directly over the gravitational center of the earth
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight switch short |
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I have undimmable/stoppable dash lights and just got a new GW headlight switch (M) today to replace a failed (I thought) switch in my '84 Wolfsburg that follows the '85 Bentley circuit diagram. I now have full brightness dash lights in all 3 headlight switch positions with key on/off and the dimmer has no effect in this unfused circuit. Metering across the constant on yellow/red power and dash light blue gray pins numbered 30 with the switch fully off should show 0 volts but there is full continuity with no dimmer effect. This is the same condition with 2 other switches I have. Am I failing or do I have 3 faulty switches ? Does anyone have a switch to test to in/validate my stupidity ?
Thanks from Arkansas. _________________ Failure is not an option, unless, of course it was predicted and nothing was done to prevent it.
1984 Westy GL 4 sp
1985 Westy GL Auto |
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