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Smoking headlight switch in my 67
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allihjelm
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Location: Akureyri, Iceland
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:51 am    Post subject: Smoking headlight switch in my 67 Reply with quote

Hi,

Don't know if you have had this experience, but last night when I took my 67 for a drive with the The Antique Automobile Club of Iceland, smoke starts coming out of the headlight switch. I could hear electric sizzling sound right before the smell of smoke filled the cabin.

Now the fader for the lights in the dashboard is out and the switch works just as an on/of switch for the dashboard but the headlights seem to work as they should. I can still hear occational electric sizzling so something is definitely going on in there.

Have you guys had this experience? Guess buying a new switch is the only way to go. Any idea where to find this item?



We actually had a Volkswagen theme for the first drive with the The Antique Automobile Club of Iceland yesterday evening, and as a VW owner I had the honor of driving up front (2nd):

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


For those of you interested this house it's called Hofdi and is where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met back in 1986. This meeting is believed to mark the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Smile

Anyways, all info about my problem is well appreciated.

Thanks, Al.
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Cusser
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had this happen on one of mine, the wire for the dimmer for the dashboard lights must've shorted out, and isn't fused. I just wired my dash lights to be always on when the parking lights were on, couldn't dim them any longer. the remainder of the light switch has worked fine.

Or you could replace your light switch and the wiring for the dash lights.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297
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allihjelm
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cusser wrote:
I had this happen on one of mine, the wire for the dimmer for the dashboard lights must've shorted out, and isn't fused. I just wired my dash lights to be always on when the parking lights were on, couldn't dim them any longer. the remainder of the light switch has worked fine.

Or you could replace your light switch and the wiring for the dash lights.


Thanks for this info Cusser.

How much hazzle is it to replace the switch completely. Any soldering involvelved? Any chance of damaging the dashboard if left unattended?
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allihjelm
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another question related to this, is there any chance of frying the rest of the electrical circuit if this problem is left unattended?

Thanks, Al
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Hakka
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PostPosted: Sat May 01, 2010 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know getting part to Iceland is not as easy as mainland Europe or America, but I would really suggest trying to find a new switch. If you look at the wiring you should be able to see which wires have fried/melted. The classifieds on this website might be your easiest bet. I would be surprised if any other problems arise if you disconnect all of the dead wiring.
Good luck!
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spectre6000
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PostPosted: Sat May 01, 2010 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a similar issue in my bus. "Gremlins" are not fun, not easy to find, and they tend to multiple. Don't get them wet! If you take things apart and look up in there, you'll likely find that the wires look an awful lot like fried bacon. It's not pretty and not very safe. You probably have some 50 year old wires in there with 50 year old insulation just crumbling away. If two pieces of insulation crumble at approximately the same place (i.e. where there's a bend in the harness, or where the wires occasionally rub up against some body metal) they'll short and get nasty. The best course of action (especially since you only drive the car very rarely) is to get a new wiring harness and replace anything else that has burned out.
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allihjelm
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does anyone here have a tool to loosen the switch.

I have tried everything to loosen the switch, ending up scratching the dashboard a little.

Can I buy this tool or do you have an advice on how to loosening it properly?

Thanks, Al
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61SNRF
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a link to the tool.
http://www.airheadparts.com/vintage-vw-parts/miscellaneous/dash-switch-escutcheon-tool-zvt012941
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lovethatconvertible
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's a thread somewhere, but many have made this tool by hand out of a small steel tube and just shaped the end to fit into the slots.
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&Dan
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A washer can be filed to fit and makes a great escutcheon tool.
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Cusser
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I heard a golf shoe spike wrench fits as well.

After removing this, replacement is straightforward, push on connectors. But draw a diagram first.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297
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KTPhil Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Parking lights were unfused on earlier models, not sure about '67. Not a good idea to use smoking electricals!
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old_n_slo
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here you go:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=405872&highlight=tool+knob
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