key buzzer / musical tones at start up

[zippyslug31]

Several years ago I had a friend who had (I think) an '86 westy that made a little 3-note musical song when you turned the ignition over.
Not exactly sure if it was 3 notes, but from memory it was this little "faa-Lah-LAA" sound.

Fast forward to now. My '90 westy has never done this since I've owned it. I'm assuming this is just the key buzzer since I can also have the key in the ignition with the door open and no warning sounds occur. I've looked under the dash and found a few different plugs where I think this may have lived at one time.


Call my a dork, but I'd like my van to nag me when I leave the keys in it and I'd like my dumb little "faa-Lah-LAA" sound at start up!!!!

So.... anybody know the details? Where to source one of these devices and where they go? Any pics of the location or plug number/description would be super helpful as well.
_________________
previous:
'80 westy
current:
'90 syncro westy 2.5L subi, triple knob, 16" wheels.
'84 sunroof van, 2.1L motor.

[Volksaholic]

The relays can be had... here's a guy on eBay that has some listed: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHIME-RELAY-RABBIT-...0050857829 (No financial interest, but I have bought from him and was pleased with the transaction). It shouldn't be hard to source one used either since it seems most folks want to disable this feature rather than putting it back.

The relay plugs into one of the empty sockets above the fuse block. It can be seen in this article about power the stereo from the key-in-ignition warning relay: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www....n%26sa%3DN

It's the relay with the little grill in the top to let that obnoxious sound out.

EDIT: Interestingly, this image collage shows it on its own socket above the other relays: http://www.biztek.com/k6acj/images/vw-collage.jpg My '88 is in the same location as the previous image I had posted.
_________________
1988 Wolfsburg Edition, 2001 Subaru EJ251

[zippyslug31]

Excellent reply! Just the info I was looking for, thanks!

So am I to understand that both the door BZZZZZZZ sound and the startup tones is from the same relay?
_________________
previous:
'80 westy
current:
'90 syncro westy 2.5L subi, triple knob, 16" wheels.
'84 sunroof van, 2.1L motor.

[ChesterKV]

[zippyslug31]

As Volksaholic posted, this ebay link above is for a "nicer" door chime.
_________________
previous:
'80 westy
current:
'90 syncro westy 2.5L subi, triple knob, 16" wheels.
'84 sunroof van, 2.1L motor.

[Volksaholic]

I had the chime version in mine but I pulled it out when I wired up the stereo to be powered by the key-in-ignition power. I like being able to leave the stereo switched on and have it shut off when I pull the key, and I don't usually leave the keys in my ignition unintentionally. Now what I'd like to figure out is how to shut the parking lights off when I leave the car... I've been trying to decide what behavior I want before I decide how to rewire things.
_________________
1988 Wolfsburg Edition, 2001 Subaru EJ251

[redstripe GTI]

I would love to know how to do that. I hate turning my radio on/off manually but would like it to be able to play without the engine running.
PM sent.
_________________
When my time comes I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandpa- not screaming like the passengers in his car.


1985 Doublecab Transporter

[Volksaholic]

Redstripe.... from reading another post it sounds like you're part way there. In the post about disabling the Seat Belt Annoyance buzzer you say you found that buzzer/relay and removed it. I'm assuming from the pic that you've got an '85 or newer... the fuse box and relay positions change in '86.

If I'm reading things correctly, Fuse #3 powers the radio in the '86 & up Vanagon, Fuse #8 or #9 in the '83 through '85. You also need to know whether your stereo has a switched power lead and a memory lead, or just the switched power. If it's got a memory lead (for things like radio station presets) you need to make sure that lead is always hot. Any of the three fuses above should give you that constant power, and if it's the old Heidelberg radio that came in my '85 it's got what appears to be switched and memory power, but in reality if you cut the switched power you also lose the memory. I don't know if it was supposed to work that way, but in practice that's what mine did and someone here told me that was how they came from the factory.

There's a gray/black wire that runs from the SU terminal on the ignition switch to the coil for the Seat Belt Annoyance relay. Even though the relay position changed, the color of this wire didn't. When you put the key in the ignition power is applied to that wire. If your relay is already out and you have no intention of putting it back in you can simply put a male 1/4" crimp connect on a wire and plug it into this gray/black power wire. I wanted the option of putting my Annoyance Buzzer back so I pulled the female connector from the back side of the relay block, spliced in a wire, then put the connector back into the relay block. This is probably silly because I wouldn't want to be trying to listen to the stereo while the relay is chiming, but I thought I'd leave the option open. In the '85 I sold I had used the male crimp connect plugged in where the relay would go.

In either case, you could run the radio directly off that power but I'm not sure the switched connection in the ignition is designed to take much current so I'm driving the coil on another relay with that power. I opted to do this in both the '85 and '88 Vanagons. I have a constant hot power going into the relay contacts and when the key is inserted the relay closes and applies power to the stereo. The relay was about $5 at a FLAPS... originally sold for adding fog lights.

I used the relay with future expansion in mind too... if I decide to put some window rattling subwoofer system in the van (not likely) with an amplifier that draws 2 megawatts, the worst thing I will do is blow a fuse or melt down the relay contacts. A more likely scenario that I've alluded to in a previous post is that I may take the parking light power through the relay so that when I pull the key the parking lights turn off even if the switch is still on. I haven't figured that one out yet... I may want headlights available even when the engine is shut down but the key is in the ignition because it's kinda handy sometimes, but that would take more extensive rewiring.

I hope this makes sense... I'm never too sure how easy it is to follow my explanation. Let me know if it's gibberish and I'll try to draw some pictures!
_________________
1988 Wolfsburg Edition, 2001 Subaru EJ251

[redstripe GTI]

Crystal clear! It is all hooked up and runs good. What a bonus- two birds with one stone. I didn't hook up up any subs yet but ran the wires for the amp while I was in there. I'm planning on putting the amp under the passenger seat nice and close to the battery so I just ran a blue wire (amp remote turn on from the head unit) and the rca cables down the middle under the heater channel cover and up into the base of the seat.

Thanks for the info Paul.
I'll add my vehicle to my sig now.
_________________
When my time comes I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandpa- not screaming like the passengers in his car.


1985 Doublecab Transporter

[RevKevin]

[RevKevin]

Yup, checked my parts and I don't seem to have them, should be pretty cheap and easy to come by though, if you hit up any MK2 H2O VW (85-92) they should have that relay so check your local Pull-A-Part. If you want to remember what kind of sound they made before buying one go to your local McDonalds, order inside and hang out for a few minutes, their fryers make the same noise when the fries are done cooking.

[dishrag]