Another CERRM

[telford dorr]

[That's a Critical Emergency Roadside Repair Method]

OK, suppose you're Robbie, you're 250 miles from nowhere, and your ignition switch decides this place, right here, is a great place to take a dump, so it does. No start, no run, no lights, no joy. Through intuition and experience, you determine that the ignition switch is no more. What do you do?

Well, if you're Robbie, you go to your spare stash buried deep within the bowels of the Bus somewhere, fish out your spare switch and install it. But what if you're just a normal person without such a spare on board, what then?

The typical response would be to cut the wires off the switch and start twisting wires together. While this will work, it's certainly not elegant. Would you believe that you can disassemble and repair the switch, and maybe have it last at least long enough to drive back to civilization?

Had a switch fail on a Bus the other day. A new switch was ordered. Looking at the removed old switch, and seeing as it was made in Germany and thus likely to be of good design, I decided to see what the failure mode was, and see if it was salvageable. The switch is easily disassembled. Use a small screwdriver to pry the sides of the switch housing away from the contact block retaining tabs, and carefully slide the housing up and off.

NOTE: an ignition switch contains lots of tiny parts and springs. If you've never done this before, do it inside a gallon ziplock bag or similar. One lost part and you're done for.

The switch has three major pieces: (1) a contact block which has wires soldered / riveted to it, (2) a outer housing, and a rotating contact carrier. There also six springs, three metal contact pieces, and a lockout pin.

After the switch is disassembled, wash all of the parts in solvent to remove the old hard grease, and let dry. Scrape all metal contact points so that they are clean, shiny, and smooth.

Here's the contact carrier from my switch:

As you can see, several places were melted by hot contact pieces. These caused the contacts to hang, thus killing the switch. Use a sharp knife to clean up these areas of crystallized plastic. It's important that the plastic is smooth so that the tiny springs can press the metal contacts into connect with the contact block. Now temporarily install the various metal bits (without springs) and see how they fit. In there's enough non-damaged plastic left, and everything moves smoothly, it's likely you can reassemble the switch and have it functional.

The first thing to assemble are five of the tiny springs into the rotating contact carrier:

The heavy long spring goes into the middle pocket. A heavy short spring goes on either side of the long spring. The large diameter spring goes on the lower pin pocket, and the light short spring goes into the outer edge pocket, as shown above. Use a little light duty grease (I use Super Lube or Lubriplate) to hold the spring in position.

Now install the three metal contact pieces, using some grease as needed so that they slide easily. Install the large "C" shaped ring first. Then install the "Y" shaped piece. Finally, install the ring piece. Note: all pieces will be spring-loaded, so handle carefully so it doesn't fall apart:

Now align the contact block with the rotating contact carrier and press the two parts together. It's wise to do a trial assemble before the metal contacts and springs are installed, so you know the proper orientation. With the switch in the "on" position, the "Y" contact piece will be touching the contact base pins labeled "X" and "15".

Now, while holding the switch together, turn it over and install the last small spring and the lockout pin with a little grease. Finally, install the housing over the rotating contact carrier. The proper alignment has a plastic boss, on the opposite side of the rotating contact carrier from the lockout pin fit into a circular track in the housing. When turned to the start position, this boss will press against an extra heavy duty spring in the housing (we didn't remove this spring, but left it in the housing). This is the spring which causes the switch to spring back from the start position.

Press the housing on until the fingers on the contact base snap into slots on the housing.

If you did this all correctly, you should be able to turn the switch with a large screwdriver from the "off" position (fully counterclockwise), to "on", and then to "start". The large return spring should force the switch back to "on" when you stop turning the screwdriver. The lockout pin should prevent you from turning back to "start" until you return to "off". [Study the dual tracks this pin travel in - the design is quite clever.]

With any luck, you now have a functional switch. If not, well, you tried.

---

The switch show is a '71 Bus type, and thus has the "X" contact for the headlights. It also has a "P" contact which is connected to "30" when the switch is off. It's not used for anything in a Bus. The wires were unsoldered and removed from this switch for clarity.

I have no idea if the Chinese made switches are anything similar to this switch. I likely wouldn't bother to try and rebuild one. In any event, this procedure is not intended to be a long term switch fix, as a damaged switch will never be as good as a new one. But it might save your butt in an emergency...
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Tom Powell]

In my tool kit I have a fused wire with a large strong alligator clip on one end and a smaller muscular alligator clip on the other. I connect the battery + to #15. I use the key to unlock the steering and push start the camper. In my '69 the light switch gets power before the fuse panel or ignition switch. The lights are not affected by a bad ignition switch. That's how I deal with a bad ignition switch.

Aloha
tp

[Wasted youth]

Nice! Love it... total perseverance rewarded with more miles.

I think this is the earlier switch? Unsure what year they changed, but my 1977 is a bit different and I think my 1973 is the same as the '77

Is this off your '71 panel?

[Bulli Klinik]

[jtauxe]

[airschooled]

Ahhhh I love it!

As an anecdote: This procedure is nearly identical to an emergency flasher switch that decides to go wonky somewhere north of nowhere. The crimped body style, balls/springs, and hardened grease gave me flashbacks… The biggest difference, is that the switch slides instead of rotates. That's a scary, unfused problem, and I went into it only because I didn't have any zip ties on hand. I think I used light dielectric grease to hold the springs and balls on the folding table I was using as a work bench.

I don't carry spares that I can fashion out of wire/connectors, so I'm with Tom on this one, except I do have a "remote start" switch buried in an auxiliary toolbox in back…

Robbie
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[Abscate]

It's easier to pull the wires and jump with wires made from spare wire and connectors carried as spares , isn't it?
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.ssS!

[telford dorr]

[telford dorr]

[airschooled]

[dasdachshund]

Thanks for the DIY, Telford.

-dasdachshund

[Clatter]

FWIW,
That same thing happened to me in 1992 somewhere between Albuquerque and Gallup..

It was midnight, in January, and I was loaded, moving everything to Phoenix from Denver.
(Including two roll-away toolboxes and a Sportster).

Yanked ALL of the wires from the bottom of the ignition switch, in anger.

The wires are all female spade connectors into the switch (1976 bus).

Took me a paper clip from the glovebox, and bent it into a 'multiple "s"' shape.
This would be a zig-zag, only with rounded bends in it.

These rounded bends were perfect to force into the female spade terminals dangling below the column; they would stay tight.
Multiple bends in the same wire enables connection.

Stabbing them into the female spades, and seeing what happens:
Stab one - ground.
Stab another - idiot lights on - run.
Stab a third - Lights on.
Hold the big wire/terminal against the paper clip - starter turns.
Release wire and GO..!

Weeks later, I still hadn't gotten by the dealer to get a new ignition switch.
(yes, you could buy parts new at the VW dealer back then)

Driving down 40 at midnight in February, you could look down at that paper clip and see it glowing red from the current going through.

It would melt if you bumped it; easy to do with it dangling down there by your right leg.
Molten red-hot paper clip would fall onto leg, skin to burn, hairs to singe.
Motor stops running, and everything suddenly goes dark...
Many foul words in short succession,
Clutch in, coast to side, light pocket lighter to find new paper clip in glovebox...

Ah, the good old days.
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[Abscate]

Everyone here knows how to Hotwire right?

Pull two,wires out, brush the against each other until they spark, when the engine starts you twist them together...
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.ssS!

[Bulli Klinik]

[airschooled]