what is this relay and where does this wire go?

[Home Team Van]

I'm having some electrical issues in my 82 Diesel so I decided to clean all the grounds on the two blocks under the dash before I go any further. I see that this wire is loose from something( it's the fatter one coming out the bottom center of the relay) and obviously want to put it back. I'm just awful( but trying) when it comes to reading the wiring diagram in the Bentley. Thanks.

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82 Diesel Westy

[erdonline]

What are the numbers on the relay? That might give some indication of where the wires go. Can you trace any of the wires to the relay?

Ed in CT
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'85 Vanagon Westfalia
'84 Vanagon 7-passenger
'98 Mexican air-cooled Beetle

[Home Team Van]

I can't really see where the wires are going but I did pull the relay and the part # is 171 937 503 SJR. the #'s by the spades are 30, 86, 87, and 85.
12volt 40 amp.
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82 Diesel Westy

[crazyvwvanman]

Looks like the radiator fan high speed relay.

Mark

[Home Team Van]

thanks Crazy. If I'm reading the Bentley correctly(97.40) this loose red wire(12g) which is connected at bottom of the relay with a blue/red wire would connect to the back of the fuse panel #7?
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82 Diesel Westy

[erdonline]

Whatever it is, it is a basic single pole, single throw relay that gives power to one thing when some other circuit has power.

30 is from the battery, 86 is the trigger wire, 85 is ground, and 87 is the "out" so that when 86 is live, it connects 30 and 87.

If it is a relay without a resistor, the polarity doesn't matter, so 30 and 87; and 85 and 86 can sometimes be reversed.

Edit- I just had one other thought- You could just connect the wires from terminals 30 and 87 and see what comes on. (Might be the two heaviest wires- both red?) Now, I'd be cautious because you don't know what it controls. If for some reason someone put a starter relay there, it might engage your starter, or who knows what, but if you put it in neutral, set the parking brake, and listen as you touch the two wires together, you might hear or see something come on. If it is indeed a radiator fan high speed relay, you'll hear it come on.

Ed
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'85 Vanagon Westfalia
'84 Vanagon 7-passenger
'98 Mexican air-cooled Beetle

[crazyvwvanman]

Yes, that is right. The red wire is power for high speed fan, from fuse #7, same side of #7 as a red/black wire of same size that powers low speed fan. One concern is that the large brown wire you showed unplugged is possibly the ground wire for both speeds of the fan so the fan would then not work at all until that is connected.

Mark

[Home Team Van]

Mark and Ed- thanks to both of you. Mark, the loose wire was the red wire not the brown one. It's now connected back at the fuse box and I can here the fan come on. Now, I can get back to my OTHER electrical issues. Thanks again to everyone that chimed in.
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82 Diesel Westy