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childofthewind Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2010 Posts: 763 Location: Eastern Sierra
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2019 10:58 am Post subject: Need help with my ignition switch wiring / basic electrical 101 |
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Greetings Sambanistas! Happy summer, everyone.
Long story short, my van wasn't always starting when I turned the key. Definitely seemed ignition switch related so I took the cover off and found that if I pulled the wires that go into the ignition switch a certain way, it would start. When I pulled the ignition switch harness out, this is what I saw: The black and yellow wire is burnt and has started to melt the switch. I have a 1987, if I'm correct, this is for the blower motor and accessories, right? Do headlights have anything to do with the black & yellow wire? Because not too long ago I had a really bad ground which started to melt my headlight harness.
Anyway, my basic question is, do I just buy a new harness with the wiring? But then where do I wire into? Do I just splice them? I should probably ask an electrician this question but thought I would ask here in case someone else has experienced this.
_________________ 1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1
“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote." - Melville |
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hardway Samba Member
Joined: January 03, 2012 Posts: 416 Location: Fidalgo Island
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:59 pm Post subject: Re: Need help with my ignition switch wiring / basic electrical 101. |
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Get a new connector housing. The part number is on it. Get the right connector or repair wire. We used to get just the connector itself. Now VW and others sell the terminals already crimped on a wire. A short piece with a terminal at each end. Apparently some people do not have the correct crimping tool or they cant do it properly. With the repair wire only a butt connector is necessary. You need a rectangular probe to compress the locking tang on the connectors to remove them from the block. You will not be able to remove the melted one Transfer the good connectors to the new block. You might want to crimp the used terminals slightly to optimize the fit.
The yellow and black wire is terminal X, it supplies accessories and shuts off during cranking to maximize voltage available for starting. Install a headlight relay kit. The headlights are powered by terminal X and are the primary cause of this failure. You also bypass all of the switches and the resulting voltage drop of the stock headlight system. I would replace the ignition switch with a Kostal unit if possible. |
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childofthewind Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2010 Posts: 763 Location: Eastern Sierra
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2019 6:52 am Post subject: Re: Need help with my ignition switch wiring / basic electrical 101. |
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Thank you! This was helpful, even with my limited electrical knowledge. I'll look for the housing with the wires already attached.
I actually do have the headlight relay kit (gowesty). But the ground for it somehow got severely compromised and also started to melt/look rough. I replaced the ground. So far, things seem okay.
One night during a super bad rain storm in Death Valley I had my high beams on, stereo on (powered via aux battery.. with an amp); heater blower on high, maybe for like three hours. Could there have been an overload of some sort? (I had noticed the bad ground/melting relay a day later).
Thanks again. _________________ 1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1
“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote." - Melville |
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childofthewind Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2010 Posts: 763 Location: Eastern Sierra
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swissarmychainsaw Samba Member
Joined: March 02, 2019 Posts: 279 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2020 8:23 am Post subject: Re: Need help with my ignition switch wiring / basic electrical 101. |
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In case anyone comes across this with a similar problem...
Ignition switches are a know problem because lots of current passes through them via the headlight circuit.
The two corrective measures are to replace the ignition switch (it's $10)
Part Link
Instructional Video on how to replace
and install a relay for the headlights. This will save your switch from melting in the future. Also it's good to note, as the OP noticed Vanagons can have grounding issues. This is a good time to clean/check grounds for these.
Vanagon headlight relay kit
Example of where to buy, but all the players carry this kit
Black/Yellow is headlight! |
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kamzcab86 Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008 Posts: 7923 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2020 10:27 am Post subject: Re: Need help with my ignition switch wiring / basic electrical 101. |
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swissarmychainsaw wrote: |
Black/Yellow is headlight! |
As noted above, the black/yellow wire is for the load reduction (X) circuit. More than just the headlights are wired into this circuit. _________________ ~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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