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sdwalter
Samba Member
Joined: June 08, 2008
Posts: 90
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 Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:17 pm Post subject: A story and a question |
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I was driving home in my Thing last night when I saw red and blue flashing lights behind me. I pulled over, expecting the officer to speed by. To my surprise, he pulled in behind me. When he approached the car he asked if I knew why I was being pulled over. "Certainly not speeding" I replied. Apparently this response was more amusing to me than it was to him. He was a younger lad, so maybe he just didn't understand. Anyhow, he informed me that my driver side headlight and passenger side tail light were out and documented it with a 15 day fix it ticket.
So now the question. The problem with the headlight is not as simple as the filament. I swapped headlights and the low beam on the driver side never lights. On high beam, both lights are lit, so I do not think it is a ground issue. I am going to tear into it this weekend, but does anyone have any suggestions as to probable causes?
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mattt
Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2004
Posts: 1146
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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98% chance it's the fuse. With the headlight switch on, twist the fuse in it's holder/socket. It will most likely light. The fuse panel and fuses that VW put in these cars suck. Corrosion happens easily. Best way to take care of it......pull all the fuses out and use an eraser on the head of a pencil to clean all the contacts on the fuse holder/panel. Might want to hit the heads of the fuse with the eraser as well, or just put new fuses in. Each headlight has it's own fuse.
The taillight might be the bulb. I think both running lights are on the same circuit side to side, so if one side is lit and the other isn't that would make me think bulb. |
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Ferretkona
Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2005
Posts: 1306
Location: Columbia, CA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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You may need to check the wiring in the harness where it attaches to the headlight. I have had the ground disconnected and the bright ground thru the dim.
Might be your dimmer relay as well.
_________________
74 181 Thing
2008 Ford Sport Trac V8 4x4
2008 Ford Escape V6 |
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sdwalter
Samba Member
Joined: June 08, 2008
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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| As a follow-up, my headlights only turn on if the car is running. If I turn the switch on with the engine off, the running lights come on, but the headlights do not. Once I start the engine, the lights turn on. I have owned the car for 10 years and it has always operated this way, so I never gave it a second thought. Is this normal, or do I have other issues? |
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mattt
Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2004
Posts: 1146
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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| sdwalter wrote: |
| As a follow-up, my headlights only turn on if the car is running. If I turn the switch on with the engine off, the running lights come on, but the headlights do not. Once I start the engine, the lights turn on. I have owned the car for 10 years and it has always operated this way, so I never gave it a second thought. Is this normal, or do I have other issues? |
That is how some of the VW switches work. I've had that style headlight switch in a Thing, I've also had a different headlight switch in another Thing that the headlights didn't turn off when the key was off. They looked the same from the outside, but the part # on them was different. |
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kubelmann
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2003
Posts: 3268
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:55 am Post subject: |
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| The lights off with ignition switch off switch is a 311 part # and the on with ignition switch off is the 211 part # |
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Video Bob
Samba Member
Joined: November 03, 2005
Posts: 261
Location: Bishop, GA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 5:49 am Post subject: |
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Tail light problems can also be corrosion related. Check all the connectors in the tail light circuits in the engine compartment and clean with an electronic spray cleaner from Radio Shack or electronics store.
_________________
Ya can't have too many Vdubs!
1956 Oval
1966 Beetle
1974 Thing
1974 Super Beetle
1976 Westy P22 |
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carterzest
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2008
Posts: 3840
Location: Star, ID
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:34 am Post subject: |
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duplicate-oops
Last edited by carterzest on Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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carterzest
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2008
Posts: 3840
Location: Star, ID
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| carterzest wrote: |
| Video Bob wrote: |
| Tail light problems can also be corrosion related. Check all the connectors in the tail light circuits in the engine compartment and clean with an electronic spray cleaner from Radio Shack or electronics store. |
Personally removed all fuses and used a piece of emery cloth/sandpaper to each and every terminal in the fuse box....carefully bent all terminals so they were tight again.....sparayed the entire fuse box with wd40 as well with all the fuses out......then, replaced every single fuse with new.....My intermittent light issue went away as well as stereo lack of power issue. then hit all the connectors with electronic spray cleaner(wd40 I was told does the same?)....... |
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bmwloco
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2006
Posts: 1093
Location: Asheville NC
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: |
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It doesn't take much time, but it's worth the effort.
I took every light on my '85 Vanagon out, cleaned the terminals with steel wool and then coated them with dialectic grease i.e. silicon electrical grease. Then I checked the bulb. Bad, replaced, good, cleaned up and installed.
I need to do exactly the same task with my Thing. Do that and check the fuses, you'll be good for many miles and years to come.
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'85 Vanagon Westfalia |
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