71 Westy Turn Signals Ultramega fast!

[BearBroth]

Hi all, I'm a Type 3 guy, not new to VWs but a relative noob to T2's. My wife owns a '71 Westy that recently crapped a turn signal switch. After doing my homework on these, I soon realized that this was not the best part to break. It is an eight-wire switch.
I was rooting around the local Pick N Yank and came upon a 69 Brazilian Deluxe Bay (If anyone is looking for deluxe side trim, let me know, it has ALL of the trim intact with clips... what do these go for?). I grabbed the switch from this bay because it was also an eight wire, although the handle was slightly different. I was able to install the switch onto my wife's bus with no problem but now the turn signals blink incredibly fast. I would like to assume that perhaps when the original unit crapped, it damaged the relay (popped a few fuses, hi beams were stuck on, and the charge light came on; after the replacement - all of these were cured). Am I barking up the wrong tree? Where is the relay located? It sounds like its behind the fuse panel against the nose of the bus ...about right?
Thanks in advance for any and all responses.
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[1977_L63H_P27]

The first thing to look at is bulbs. Does it flash quickly on both the left and the right sides? Now turn on either and go look at the bulbs. If one bulb is out, it puts too much power to the relay and makes them flash fast. Kind of a warning system that you have a popped bulb. Also, you may want to try it with the parking lights on, just to make sure the correct filament is flashing. Good luck!
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[busdaddy]

Did you confirm each wire actually went to the same contact on the switch or just match up colors?

If the arm is different does it still allow the switch to move fully, or does it prevent full travel?

The relay could be in a couple of places in a 69 (lucky you, VW was moving things and changing signal wiring in 69), it's either plugged into the bottom of the fuse box or clipped to the top of the bracket that connects the column to the fresh air box.

Fast blinking is sometimes ground issues, but if it didn't do it before the new switch went in there's a good chance it's the switch. I've had fast blinks with a dying switch in the past, usually just one side and accompanied by smoke from the switch. The contacts smear together internally.
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[BearBroth]

Thnx for the responses guys. Checking the bulbs was the first thing that occurred to me too. I did and they're all good. It's not the kind of fast flash you get when you have a blown bulb. It is, for lack of better explanation, "machine gun" fast. You can barely see them go off and on.

I also made very sure the wire colors were right. I soldered and heat shrunk the wire-ends, and I was ensuring color match as I was doing it. Never hurts to stick my fat grape under the dash to re-verify I guess. Also worth noting, before I installed the switch, I did a continuity/resistance check on the switch with my multimeter and the switch checked out alright. It clicks nice and crisp in both directions. I haven't had the chance to go out there and play with it since the weekend (crazy work schedule) but as soon as I get the chance, I'll replace all bulbs, clean all terminals (& grounds), replace the relay; and see what happens.
Busdaddy, my bus is a 71. the bus I stole the switch from was a 69. Is the relay in the same location?
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[fusername]

whenever I loose a bulb in my baywindow, the flashers go nuts like you described. I also had a loose connection from wehre the po removed a trailer hookup which caused the same hyperfast blinker. when my relay failed, the lights would just come on and stay on. when my 4way switch failed it would cause whatever symptom it felt like at the time, either rapid flashes or solid lights. have you tried jiggling the 4way switch while the blinker is on? some times gently turning pulling pushing wiggling will make the problem go away, which generally means the platic part of the switch is popping out of the body. if it does that, clean the contacts inside while yo ucan, then push the halves back together and peen the edges back down. a zip tie or 2 is a great way to keep it tight as well.

good luck, i hate this stuff.
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[alnvilma]

Mine was the same with good bulbs. Turned out to be a bad (brown) ground wire connection on the rear light. Just sand all the ground connections clean for starters. My $.02

[busdaddy]

If it's a 71 the relays are all on the bottom of the fuse box, disconnect the battery and carefully lift it out of it's bracket.

How do your hazard lights behave? Brake lights?
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[borninabus]

sounds like a bad relay. the one in my KG does the same thing when it's cold.
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[Lucas Grams]

My "bad relay " problem (which this could be) was solved by removing and replacing same relay into socket a couple of times. That was in my '71 westy, relay attached to fuse box. No problems for a couple of years now. No signal "machine gun" problems that is...

[busdaddy]

Depends if it's been raining alot lately too, a leaky windshield usually fills the relays with water, not good.
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[Randy in Maine]

No real advice to offer other than the emergency flashers have to work for the turn signals to work correctly. Your volt ohm meter wil earn its keep here.

This might be worth reading....

http://www.oldvolkshome.com/hazard_switch_ovh.pdf

http://www.type2.com/library/electris/vw-9prong.html

[borninabus]

[TheShane]

[busdaddy]

[BearBroth]

Thanks for the help all of you. You will keep me very busy this weekend with stuff to check. Just so happens, it's been relatively cold the last couple of days, the windshield seal is a fossil and does leak a bit so it wouldn't surprise me if the relay is full of H20, the bus had a hitch I removed about a year ago but the trailer wiring is still there, I have not checked the grounds yet since they were working fine (time to check them anyhow I guess), and I have not checked the Tsignals/brake lights/flashers at the same time. I'll root around this weekend and see what I find. Keep you posted. Thnx again!.
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"It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated."
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