dead van diagnostic tools, wiring bypass

[xflyer]

wherbusche, Best to know what year the Vanagons are as there are different relay wiring(s) and relays on some of them.
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1989 Campmobile, 1984 7 passenger beater Vanagon
Both with cool A/C

[Busfixer]

Help! I almost have the wiring bypass built but ran into a snag. When testing the diodes pictured below (50V, 10A), I cannot get voltage to flow through either diode regardless of orientation. 12.8V flows through my test leads hooked in series to my volt/ohm meter, but it quickly drops to 0V when I insert either diode in series. Am I doing something wrong or are these diodes bad? I must admit that I am a rank amateur in the electrical category.
Puzzled, Busfixer

[DanHoug]

Digikey RARELY makes a mistake but those are NOT diodes!!! those are capacitors. here's what that part number should look like:

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-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

[jlrftype7]

[tjet]

I made the tool with a Posi-Lock fuse holder, and a diode that fits in like a fuse...

https://www.amazon.com/Littelfuse-02400104P-Diode-...&psc=1

https://www.common-motor.com/posi-lock-blade-fuse-...lkQAvD_BwE

Posi lock brand connector info

https://youtu.be/Yiimgl-Rdmw?si=zVx31hbxa2M2ECPF

[Busfixer]

Thanks Dan, jlr and TJet - I believe Dan is right and these electrical components are capacitors. Dan, when I put them in series as described previously, they would show 6V, 3V, 1V then 0V, allin about 1-1/2 seconds. 0V steady after that. So your recognition of them being a capacitor combined with the quick voltage falloff to0V sounds like you are correct. I will call DigiKey tomorrow. JLR, attached below is a pic of my fine Harbor Freight multimeter in the Diode test position and it reads “1”. Apparently this means no flow. Confirms capacitor idea. Thanks for teaching me that function. TJet, if I don’t get satisfaction from DigiKey, then I may go your route. Thanks for the links.
Thanks again to all - I love the Samba! Busfixer

[DanHoug]

DigiKey is 80 miles from my house... a company of over 5,000 employees in a town of 8,800!! 3 million sq ft. i've been ordering from them for 40 years and have never had a wrong order but mistakes happen.

frustratingly, before Amazon and DeJoy ruined the USPS, i could order parts in the afternoon and have them in my mailbox by 10am next day for $2.99 USPS 1st Class shipping. now it takes a week to get here and has pretty much circumnavigated the state of Minnesota before arrival.
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-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

[Backtotheeightiesagain]

There is an emergency bolt on box that fires random sparks into the distributor.
Not seen another one and there is nothing on the Internet about it. Just connect to 12v and King lead. In cap.
Useful diagnostic tool bypass the distributor.
Unfortunately no one makes it now

[Busfixer]

Follow-up: I finally received the correct diodes from digi-jet and built the diagnostic wiring harness. I added an optional short lead in case I wanted to power the harness from the alternator stud instead of the positive battery post.

I originally built the harness to diagnose a hard shutdown problem at highway speeds. While I was waiting on DigiJet diodes, I replaced the original ignition switch, changed coil power tap on fuse panel from D15 to D23, and cleaned several relay, coil and distributor connections on 2 yr old parts. The problem disappeared.

But I now feel a lot better having the diagnostic harness in my 88 Bus wherever I go.

Another issue will pop up at some point in the future and the harness is ready!

Thanks, Busfixer

[do.dah]

If you have it,, you won't need it!!
The inverse; If you don't have it, you're gonna need it, REALLY REALLY BAD!!

[DanHoug]

those diodes can break pretty easily so cut a section of chopstick longer than the leads and wrap electrical tape around the whole mess to bind them to the chopstick support.
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-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

[Busfixer]

Dan I was going to wrap the diodes with electric tape but thought the reason they were bare in previous photos was that they get hot. How about a popsicle stick and electrical tape?
Busfixer

[DanHoug]

[reevesme]

Your device helped me to fix my vanagon today. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

83.5 with a 2.1L engine (replacement) and digijet ignition system. Was having a hot start issue that could have cancelled our trip to Moab.

Coil wasn't get enough current. DIsconnected the fuel pump jumpers first, then the coil feed. Then it would not start again. Reconnected the coil feed; boom fired like a champ.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

[tjet]

I just bought a nice Fluke recently to keep onboard.

https://www.fluke.com/en-in/product/electrical-testing/clamp-meters/fluke-362

Ive been looking for a good clamp meter to help troubleshoot draw issues.


Link

[bobbyblack]

I've been posting in the topic Stupid and Lazy, but I've completed the full test harness and now have some dialogue that direct me here for further reflection and advice.

I hooked up all connections as in the original post. I then pulled out of the garage, and let the bus idle while dealing with a few Family matters outside of my VW realm. Around 18 minutes of idling the engine stalled, and I felt around the engine compartment for hot spots. The coil was warm, not hot. Everything else was either cool, or about the same temp at the engine case. On key to start, it fired up immediately, so I went back in the house, but as I closed the door, my wife said 'it just died again' because she can hear much better than me. So again I went out and keyed it to start, again success on running. For a few times over the next 10 minutes, it cut, I restarted without switching off the power to the test harness.

I pulled it back into the garage and cut power to the test harness to shut down. Thus, I am hopeful that this entry to Mark's topic can lead to the resolution.

Thank you, one and all.

-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[bobbyblack]

87 Westy riddle might be solved by one or more of the following: cleaned grounds, tightened (more) all connectors to the coil AND temporarily hung my new-in-box lifetime warranty coil (same as the one in place) and like magic, no hiccups whatsoever on my commute home today.

Pie in face, I guess..

Good results I likely should have tried the first day it started getting under my skin.

Still glad to have built and used the test harness!!

-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[DanHoug]