dash lights are dead

PNWesside31 · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:27 pm Post subject:

Forgot to mention...

Van is a 91 Multivan, and I did check fuse #20 and its fine..

Thanks again

tam_shops · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:51 pm Post subject:

Mine did that and it was the headlight switch. It was seriously irritating!

There is a cool illuminated one you can replace it with though! Someone was kind enough to send me one, it is COOL! Think it's this one:
http://www.autoatlanta.com/Porsche-477941531F-srch.html

tam

PNWesside31 · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 11:05 pm Post subject:

Abscate · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:48 am Post subject:

PNWesside31 · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 11:36 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the advice.....another weird thing happened today....when I got in the van, I went to lock the auto lock doors, and the locks started locking/unlocking on their own, and then finally stay locked. Does this have anything to do with all these electrical gremlins?

PNWesside31 · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:03 pm Post subject:

tam_shops · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:04 pm Post subject:

I do not have power locks, sorry.

No strange problems with anything after the light switch was fixed...

tam

Sodo · Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 5:24 pm Post subject:

I need a new one because the dimmer is burned out. Mine is partnumber 251 941 531 0. The ones on eBay are 251 941 531 M. You can see the rheostat wires melted & balled up at the point where the wire melted.

Does anybody know what's the difference for a '90 headlight dimmer? It's easy to find them for '78-'89 VW transporter, but I don't see ANY offerred for '90-'91. Can I use the "to '89" headlight switch on a '90 van? -----> New Head Light Headlight Switch Headlamp Driving Lamp VW Volkswagen Vanagon http://r.ebay.com/CSca2U

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

_________________

'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w ~~47k~~ 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

Ida

Hi - Ida : 1985 Westy Auto Tranny 2WD 1.9 L

Problem : Instrument Panel Lights / Indicator Lights / Tach / Coolant Gauge

NOT WORKING WHEN VAN RUNNING ( but -- indicator lights / panel lights working when van not running ... Tach not working at all , Coolant gauge hits high and flashes immediately when started from cold)

I have just replaced old original circuit foil with new GoWesty printed circuit board, checked all wires and fuses : /

Possible the stereo etc taking all the juice ??
Or a grounding problem ?

Anyone else have similar issue/advice ?

Ida sad Crying or Very sad

IdahoDoug · Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:37 pm Post subject:

What prompted the foil replacement? Same issue before the replacement?
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

kamzcab86 · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:42 pm Post subject:

Sodo · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:46 pm Post subject:

Kamz that's fantastic. Thank you. My '90 switch has 10 pins.
_________________

'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w ~~47k~~ 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

crazyvwvanman · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 6:24 am Post subject:

The important difference between the 2 switch types is with the dimming dash lighting section. The later switches use a dedicated power input pin for the dash lighting section with a protection fuse wired in that input power source. The earlier switches power the dimmer section from the common power pin and then the dimmer wiring has a fuse after the switch. If you use an earlier switch with a van that has the later wiring it will bypass the existing fuse, a bad idea. You would end up with no fuse protection for the dash lighting wiring.

Mark

Sodo · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 10:16 am Post subject:

That's great information, thanks for clarifying. I guess a guy could add an inline fuse-holder (that would probably never blow, but will protect of course).

This will become important if one switch or the other becomes NLA.
_________________

'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w ~~47k~~ 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

Ida · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 12:16 pm Post subject:

Hi IdahoDoug
The foil was corroded, needing replacement, and I foolishly thought this would fix the issue

Sodo · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 7:38 pm Post subject:

rubbachicken · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 10:51 pm Post subject:

lucy had the same issue, the blue foil was fried, so i bought a bunch of LED's
i sent with blue LED's, i bought 100, i think $4 delivered with 100 resistors.
a few minutes trying to figure out the best way to go about making up a small loom.
i put 2 leds in the speedo, another 2 in the tacho, another behind the oil light panel, and one behind the clock, in hindsight i think 2 behind the clock would have been better.
i took power from the light of the hazard warning switch, and soldered a wire long enough to meet the ground crowns.
i don't have a picture behind the dash, but this is how it came out

_________________
lucy our westy

lucy's BIG adventure

meet 'burni'

kguarnotta · Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 3:03 pm Post subject: Re: dash lights are dead

Thanks to madspaniard for this tidbit - I was having issues (and of course everytime I fixed one thing another would break, but could not find the root of the blown fuses - until I saw this post. I disconnected my 12V illuminated lighter, and problem seems to be solved.

I'm going back in to try to get the clock working again(was working before I took cluster out) I still don't have the light on the clock, but the clock was working before.

Anyway - thanks madspaniard!

kguarnotta · Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: dash lights are dead

I forgot to ask - for fuse #3 on an '86 syncro, should this be a 10 amp fuse (which is what I had there, and what the GoWesty fuse diagaram indicates) or a 15 amp fuse (which is what manual says?)
_________________
-Kevin
Lincoln, MA

2001 Eurovan
~~'86 Triple Knob Syncro w/EJ22~~
~~'78 Westy~~
'69 Single Cab
'65 Kombi - EZ-Camper

creative native · Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2020 1:32 am Post subject: Re: dash lights are dead

Sodo, I suggest buying a backup switch, if possible, before they become NLA. I did this for my '86. My original headlight switch was very worn, so I bought an NOS one from the Samba classifieds, then I decided to buy the backup. I'm glad that I did, because when I was doing some instrument cluster work, the NOS unit made a popping noise, then a puff of smoke and then I had no headlights or cluster lights. Thankfully, I installed the spare and kept on working.


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