Ignition Switch Promblem

[Colonel Mosby]

I thought today would be a nice day to go to Walmart in my 1970 bus. Well bus is still at Walmart. When I turn the key to on position everything lights up. When I go to the start position the gen/oil lights will dim but nothing will turn over. Thinking the electrical half of the ignition switch is no good now. I do have a extra electrical half of the switch on hand. Anyway to test that old switch before I go into that repair? I hate that repair. I hate the little grub screw. It is hot today. I just did this repair on my 70 beetle not but a couple of weeks ago. Appreciate any thoughts.

[telford dorr]

Go to the starter, unplug the red wire on the spade lug, and clip a length of wire to the now vacant starter terminal. With the trans in neutral, touch the other end of the wire to the battery "+" terminal. Engine spins? Bad ignition switch / wiring. No joy? Starter issue.

Some people do this directly at the starter, but I don't like laying under the bus making sparks next to the gas tank and fuel lines. Just not my thing...
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Colonel Mosby]

[telford dorr]

[bsairhead]

Check the ground strap.

[Colonel Mosby]

Holy smokes! I fixed it. That little red wire on the back of the starter somehow had jiggled loose. I am now going to hook up an I V and replace all the sweat that just poured out. THANKS man! Your tip had me going the right way! By the way repaired a VW BUS in a Walmart parking lot is not conducive to productivity. I had to talk to about a dozen people and I heard a dozen stories about how folks once had a VW back in the day. I was a good boy and humored them.

[Colonel Mosby]

[telford dorr]

It's called a "hot start" relay. It was originally a cobby fix for a bad ignition switch or wiring. These days, because all parts are made in China and aren't worth crap, it's a needed improvement to compensate for those poor quality parts (or for preserving the still good OEM German parts that you may still have). You can buy it as a kit (but make sure the relay is rated for at least 40 amps), or build one up from parts. I use an old '60's style Ford starter relay. You want to mount it in the engine compartment, up out of the weather.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[TomWesty]

[Colonel Mosby]

[Colonel Mosby]

What happened to the apple tree?
Did the neighbors house burn down too?

A wet relay can cause your starter to drive your bus into the neighbor’s Honda Fit and then up onto their front lawn coming to rest against their apple tree where it eventually burns the relay open. You meet the nicest people in a Honda...... [/quote]

[telford dorr]

[TomWesty]

[Abscate]

[telford dorr]

Back 30 years ago, it was an admission of mechanical / technical incompetence if one installed a hot start relay. Now, it's a matter of preservation...
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Colonel Mosby]

[telford dorr]

Be sure to coat or pack some dielectric grease on or into the 1/4" blade connections so they don't corrode in the weather. Make sure the fuse and relay are weather protected. Mount the relay somewhere that you can pull the fuse in case the relay should stick.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Abscate]

[vwwestyman]

I used a horn button to trigger my relay in the '78 for a few years. Long ago, the coil came loose, rotated around, and grounded the + wire, burning it. I've changed the ignition switch a couple times, more recently with a VW one, and they have never lasted long.

I just ordered another new one, in fact. Going to look at the wiring harness again and see if there is anything more I can clean up, so hopefully this one will actually work for a while!

As far as the relays, I ordered some water proof ones off Amazon earlier this summer. They came with the mount with a wire pigtail attached. It is easy enough to wire up the "kit" that this would be a good way to go.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Colonel Mosby]