Help! low beams suddenly stopped working on trip! 89 Vanagon

[ourv12]

89 Vanagon. The lights (low and high beam) were all working fine until we stopped for short break. Now only the parking lights come on when I turn on the headlights switch all the way to the second position. If I pull back on the turn signal stalk the high and low beams come on but only if I hold the stalk back will the low/highs stay on. If I let go of the stalk they all go off. What went bad? Anyone had this similar issue? Is it the turn signal stalk thats bad now or the headlight dash switch? Thanks !

[danfromsyr]

is the blue highbeam indicator illuminated dimly?

this is a fairly common issue and is in general a bad ground.
you can try to work the ground tree up behind the fusebox.
but some of us add a clean surface ground behind the upper grill at the headlight bucket. this requires cutting/splicing the headlight ground wire and adding a new ring terminal to a screw into the clean body metal, then topped with paint or dielectric grease.


other items that can be at fault would be the headlight switch melted internally
or contacts inside Ignition switch out of place but those should be good if the lights work when pulling on the stalk.. though I could have that backwards it's been a while since I was in there.
I do carry a new/replacement Ign switch in my spare parts under the drivers seat.

best luck on your trip and report back
this is all part of the 'charm' in a vintage car...
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[Steve M.]

What has been suggested is the easiest thing to do if you have the spare ignition switch.
You just disconnect the plug from the one on the steering column and plug it into the spare switch.
If this is not the problem then:

First I would DISCONNECT THE BATTERY, then remove the fuse/relay panel to clean the star grounds.
You really have to eliminate dirty grounds from the start it is the basic thing to go wrong and you need to know they are not the problem.

If you look at the picture here you will see that lines # 100 & # 110 are the only two grounds for the headlights.
Every thing else in the headlight system is depending on these two wires to be clean to work. They are usually dirty and not making a clean connection
So start there.
BUT if your headlights come on when you use the "Flash switch" on the stalk then your grounds are working.

So that brings you back to the first picture and you see the light switch there is the "Light Switch" and the letter "X" with a wire going to #9.
"9" is the Ignition Switch which is the first suggestion to try.

Some other things to try is just pull the plug for the Light Switch and put it on again. There may just be tarnish on the connector which might get cleaned by taking the switch off and putting it back on???

It could be the same tarnish/ corrosion on any of the the wire connections and if the first 2 suggestions do not work then it is going to be tracking them down.
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[onslowb]

If you have a headlight relay kit installed it could be a bad relay. Also, I had a switch that would do what you describe when I turned on the headlights but if I wiggled the switch slightly in the on position the lights would eventually come on. It was a combo of weak spring inside the switch and dirty contacts.
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1987 Weekender 2.4GW manual
1970 Vw Bug SP 1600

[SyncroHead]

Many years ago I had this EXACT same scenario. Mine turned out to be the ignition switch - as others have suggested.

Jim Davis
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[DuncanS]

I'm betting the stalk. There have been posts that tell how to repair the stalk switch.

[Steve M.]

So what happened with your lights?
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