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Tail Light Assembly
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Hank Montura
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:06 pm    Post subject: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

It looks like one of my tail lights isn't working. Is anybody else having a problem with the tail lights? Corrosion on the tail light assembly? Blown fuse?
Once again, any help will be appreciated.
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Check the fuses.

Take out the four screws and pull the light assembly.
Unplug the connecter, look for corrosion,
Pull the bulbs, make sure they are good and the sockets are good,
Clean the grounds under the ignition coil.

Dave
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Hank Montura
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Thanks Dave,
It is only one of the tail lights. Would you happen to know which fuse it is? I'll be cleaning the assembly and the connector with steel wool and see if that helps and a new bulb as well. I did have a fuse burn up a few years back and have wondered what it connected to.
Thanks again
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Sodo
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Hank,

Look at your fusebox cover, molded into the inside, is a list of the fuses. See this post.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3...highlight=
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Hank Montura
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:59 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Sodo
Thanks. I am hoping it is an easy fix but nothing has been easy with Trogdor these past couple of years. Lots of after market and improvisation. Thanks for the fuse answer.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 5:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

check your grounds, also, if any trailer lights or anything else was "spliced" on to the tail light wires, you may have a broken wire. Your test light/continuity tester is your friend.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 6:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

make brighter lights. coat inside of lamp house which is black, with metallized silver tape. you may have to cut it into small pieces, and use tweezers and a stick to cover all the black, on e done you get more light. Cool
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Westified
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 8:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Hank Montura wrote:
Thanks Dave,
It is only one of the tail lights. Would you happen to know which fuse it is? I'll be cleaning the assembly and the connector with steel wool and see if that helps and a new bulb as well. I did have a fuse burn up a few years back and have wondered what it connected to.
Thanks again


Hope this helps:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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Hank Montura
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:07 am    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Whoa Westified,
This is great!
The fuse that burned up a few years ago was a blade type fuse and if I remember it was of to the right of the main fuse box. I'll be using all of these posts as a reference.
Thank you all again
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 1:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

You are welcome. If you have air cinditioning fuse #18 for the A/C blower is hidden under the lower steering column cover. You need to remove the cover to access it. I had that fuse holder melt because my blower motor was creating to much resistance due to the bushings being dried out due to age.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Is that to the right of the main fuse box? I had a yellow 20 amp blade fuse blow and melt and haven't figured what it was for. Once I pick up the van, I'll be able to diagnose it more accurately.
I did hear that my marker, lights, parking lights on the right side AND the license plate light are all not working. So I'm thinking it could be fuse #2.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

The 2 blade fuses you see in my picture are for the Air Conditioning. Regarding those lights it could be bulbs or corrosion of the actual sockets. I had to replace some sockets. Use a multimeter to test your bulbs (continuity test) and test for voltage at the sockets. Also inspect the bulb sockets.
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Hank Montura
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 3:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

If I have to replace the sockets, are they hard to come by? I know I can pick up bulbs and the assembly can be tricky to find. I am planning on giving the assembly a thorough steel wool going over.
I need to get a multimeter as well. I still need to check out the sink pump (mentioned in previous threads)
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

I replaced my sockets 4 years ago. I believe the parts are still available. Check Van-Cafe, GoWesty and Busdepot. They are not hard to change. I used dialectric grease on the new ones to prevent corrosion. I also replaced the lenses. They make the van look much better. I use a small brass brush instead of steel wool. I would think if you leave any steel wool fibers behind they will rust but, since I haven't used it others may want to comment on this.
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Hank Montura
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:45 am    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Dialectric grease...the biomed guy here at work suggested that too. I have obtained the multimeter and checking the bulbs and fuses are pretty easy. I need help checking the voltages to rule out the assembly and to check out my sink pump. Any suggestions?
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Hank Montura
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 2:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

A little diagnosing and a lot of help here. Fuse #2 was blown. 137 bucks to diagnose that??
Thanks a lot guys! You help is invaluable.
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 4:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Just wanted to add since this is about the tail lights and being that some of the problems with the tail lights comes from people just butchering the wire harness by adding the trailer connections.
Usually people (U-haul folks) using the those blue push-on clips that cut into the insulation of the wire allowing moisture into the wire so they start to corrode.
You do not need destroy the wire harness by cutting open the loom to splice into the wires.
The connections can be made inside the junction box in the forward left corner of the engine compartment where they would be protected from the elements leaving the wire harness intact.
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Westified wrote:
You are welcome. If you have air cinditioning fuse #18 for the A/C blower is hidden under the lower steering column cover. You need to remove the cover to access it. I had that fuse holder melt because my blower motor was creating to much resistance due to the bushings being dried out due to age.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Not good. Can you lube the bushings on the blower?
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Tail Light Assembly Reply with quote

Steve M. wrote:
Just wanted to add since this is about the tail lights and being that some of the problems with the tail lights comes from people just butchering the wire harness by adding the trailer connections.
Usually people (U-haul folks) using the those blue push-on clips that cut into the insulation of the wire allowing moisture into the wire so they start to corrode.
You do not need destroy the wire harness by cutting open the loom to splice into the wires.
The connections can be made inside the junction box in the forward left corner of the engine compartment where they would be protected from the elements leaving the wire harness intact.


Yep. This was the case on my van. I did not have any issues but I just a week or so ago for rid of that mess. Not only did they do exactly what you said they had previously hacked the wires in the black box.
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