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jforero
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2009
Posts: 2
Location: Houston
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 Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 4:25 pm Post subject: 1991 vanagon headlight switch melted. |
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Folks the headlight switch in my 1991 vanagon overheated and melted.  The part number on the switch is 251-941-531Q. I understand that number has been superseded by 251-941-531T but VW no longer supplies that switch. Does anyone have a swith that I can buy or does anyone know if I can use a swith from an earlier model and make it work? |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 10627
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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If you use a "headlight relay kit" then any switch will be sufficient. You might check your headlight bulbs, maybe the reason the switch melted is because your van has (some or all 4) higher wattage headlight bulbs.
To run higher wattage bulbs, the "relay kit" is absolutely required. And if you add the relay kit, your next switch can be old, used and will still last forever because all the real power goes thru the relay.
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'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb
Last edited by Sodo on Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Corwyn 
Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2009
Posts: 2419
Location: Olympia, Washington
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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Both GW and VC carry the headlight switch. Yours melted because you are drawing too much current through the switch. Check either of the aforementioned vendors for a high power headlight relay kit.
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'90 White Westy ("White Lightning")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
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MsTaboo
Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2006
Posts: 4548
Location: East Kootenay, British Columbia
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/smartlist_585/headlight_switch.html
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Currently:
'90 Syncro Westy 3 knob w/Zetec
The information age has morphed into the age of disinformation and willful ignorance. Agnotology!
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crazyvwvanman
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 10366
Location: Orbiting San Diego
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:45 pm Post subject: Re: 1991 vanagon headlight switch melted. |
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The dash wiring harness is different to support the new type switch. If you substitute the older type switch into the newer dash harness you will be bypassing the protection fuse for the dash lighting. That is not a good idea.
You could splice a fuse inline with the gray/blue wire leaving the switch to restore fuse protection.
Mark
| jforero wrote: |
| Folks the headlight switch in my 1991 vanagon overheated and melted. The part number on the switch is 251-941-531Q. I understand that number has been superseded by 251-941-531T but VW no longer supplies that switch. Does anyone have a swith that I can buy or does anyone know if I can use a swith from an earlier model and make it work? |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 11:54 am Post subject: |
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Frank Condelli sp? fuse relay kit is only $37 from his site, was checking it out last night.
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Tencentlife said,
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2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
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susan dolvin
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2003
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2025 11:15 am Post subject: Re: 1991 vanagon headlight switch |
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Hi, does anyone know where to get a 1991 headlight switch? It was working but then the tail lights quit. HaVe checked vc and gw both out of stock.
Thank u so much for any clues.
This is for a bus for my grandson.
Susan Dolvin
1966 Dormobile Westy
1988 Riviera weekender
1990 Westy |
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zerotofifty
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Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 3752
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