[tcb] Re: A very goofy gremlin
- From: julie.hey.ho.lets.go@xxxxxxxxx
- To: tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:20:27 -0600
My number 10 is loose! It is the only one that spins around very easily!
That will be awesome if such a quick fix! Thanks!
On Dec 19, 2011 6:39 AM, "chuck" <sukchew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> **
> I'm with Tracy on this.It sounds like the horn ground is good. when the
> horn button is depressed it creates a ground. the horn has power all of the
> time when the ignition is on.Check for loose terminals at the fuse panel
> connections. especially at the # 10 terminals.don't just wiggle them take
> them off and pinch the connector together a tiny bit so it/they will be
> tight.The wire that supplys power to the coil could also be loose at the
> ignition switch.
> Clean and tighten ,clean and tighten.
> oleblue
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Tracy <pepsifreek@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> *To:* tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> *Sent:* Sunday, December 18, 2011 8:50 AM
> *Subject:* [tcb] Re: A very goofy gremlin
>
> Hey Julie, your loss of power and stalling might be a coil problem, well
> not so much of a coil problem but a coil’s not working sometimes because
> it’s stops getting power problem.****
>
> ** **
>
> I just spent a minute looking at the 71 schematic…****
>
> ** **
>
> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiringt2.php****
>
> ** **
>
> Starting at the Coil on the positive side (“15” on the schematic) follow
> wire 1.5 BLK to terminal 10 on the fuse block which is provided 12v when
> the ignition switch is in the on position. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Terminals 10, 11 and 12 are connected together and supply (ignition on)
> 12v to the emergency flasher switch, the warning lights on the fuel gauge,
> the windshield wiper switch, the rear window defogger switch, the brake
> light/warning switch *and *the horn.****
>
> ** **
>
> The wire 1.0 BLK/YEL goes from the top side of terminal 10 to the horn
> which is grounded when you hit the horn.****
>
> ** **
>
> Like you said, it’s a bit “goofy” but that’s the only way the ignition
> system and the horn are connected. ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* tcb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tcb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On
> Behalf Of *julie.hey.ho.lets.go@xxxxxxxxx
> *Sent:* Sunday, December 18, 2011 7:04 AM
> *To:* tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> *Subject:* [tcb] Re: A very goofy gremlin****
>
> ** **
>
> Thanks Lee,****
>
> ** **
>
> At least you don't think I am crazy.****
>
> On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 6:39 AM, Lee <robilee1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:****
>
> Julie,****
>
> ** **
>
> I also have a 71 and every time I have one of those oddball electrical
> issues it turns out to be a cruddy or loose connection somewhere, so I
> think you are on the right track with that. It is most often a bad ground
> connection. The reason that the horn is probably fixing the problem is that
> cruddy and loose connections get resistive. Chances are that when you toot
> the horn the current flow from that is enough to temporarily break down
> that resistance so the circuit works again.
>
> I'm the world best mechanic, but I do know a bit about the electrical side
> of the world having spent quite a few years working in that field. Bad
> ,grounds
> sometime produce very very weird symptoms. We once had a customer whose
> computer crashed every time someone flushed the toilet and it turned out
> that a recent plumbing repair had resulted in a short section of his iron
> sewer line being replaced with PVC. Since his computer was grounded to that
> iron pipe that was no longer actually grounded (PVC doesn't conduct
> electricity) whenever a toilet was flushed the rushing water through the
> line would temporarily bridge that PVC gap and the change in grounding
> crashed his system. By comparison Donner's symptoms seem pretty straight
> forward! Also, you mentioned not getting spark. That would have noting to
> do with a fuel problem.****
>
> ** **
>
> I don't normally participate in these discussions, but thought maybe on
> this occasion I might be able to add something. Good luck. Finding a faulty
> ground can be extremely difficult.****
>
> ** **
>
> Regards,****
>
> Lee****
>
> Sent from my PDP-8****
>
>
> On Dec 18, 2011, at 6:05 AM, julie.hey.ho.lets.go@xxxxxxxxx wrote:****
>
> Twice when I couldn't start him I undid the fuel line from the carb and
> fuel flowed through when trying to start him. He does not have a fuel
> problem. ****
>
> ** **
>
> And just to explain how I came about knowing that the horn is capable of
> helping when I have starting problems, the first time that I couldn't start
> him I checked for loose wires and anything else that could be the culprit.
> I would fiddle around try to start him and he would turn over but not
> fire. I tried the lights and the wipers and the horn just to see if the
> battery was giving enough power or if they were wimpier than they should
> be. They were fine. Right after trying the horn I tried starting him and
> he fired right up. My mom was there with me and we laughed and laughed
> because it seemed as if the horn had something to do with it but at that
> time I did believe that it was a coincidence. When this gremlin appeared
> after that I would try all of the other things I could think of, like loose
> wires and checking the fuel flow... and then I said to myself, what the
> heck, try the horn and bingo! After tooting the horn he would start. I
> was still skeptical but I would thank my lucky stars and now that this has
> happened so many times I know for a fact that somehow the horn works like a
> defibrillator. ****
>
> On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 10:35 PM, J Duncan <whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:****
>
> Have you tried to override the horn's switch?
>
> Still be it's fuel, or lack thereof.****
>
> ** **
>
> On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 9:41 PM, <julie.hey.ho.lets.go@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:**
> **
>
> Donner embodies the Christmas spirit (even though he was not named after a
> reindeer but after the folks that resorted to cannibalism). He doesn't
> have any Christmas lights. ****
>
> ** **
>
> On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 9:27 PM, atxan <atx_bus@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:****
>
> Is this happening with or with out your Christmas lights being plugged in?
> ****
>
>
> Jeff****
>
> ** **
>
> Sent via iPhone****
>
>
> On Dec 17, 2011, at 8:58 PM, julie.hey.ho.lets.go@xxxxxxxxx wrote:****
>
> The horn is NOT a coincidence! And the fuel filter has been changed
> recently, the problem was before and after that. I have checked the fuel
> pump in the past too. ****
>
> On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 8:54 PM, Duncan <whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:**
> **
>
> My bet is tyhe horn is a coincidence.
>
> Replace the fuel filter.****
> ------------------------------
>
> *From: *julie.hey.ho.lets.go@xxxxxxxxx ****
>
> *Sender: *tcb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ****
>
> *Date: *Sat, 17 Dec 2011 20:20:21 -0600****
>
> *To: *<tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>****
>
> *ReplyTo: *tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ****
>
> *Subject: *[tcb] A very goofy gremlin****
>
> ** **
>
> I enjoy gremlins. They challenge me. But I have one that I can't beat in
> my '71. And I thought I had. He is chuckling loudly right now.****
>
> ** **
>
> I have electronic ignition and this one has been in this Bus for 95,000
> miles. And the horn is no longer the button in the steering wheel, it is a
> button off to the side and it has been this way for years. Otherwise this
> is a stock Bus, 1600 dual port, nothing unusual. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Sometimes he won't start. But I discovered that if I toot his horn then
> he will start right up, or he will stall and not start until the horn is
> tooted. This has been happening very intermittently since June. It always
> happens on the way home, never first drive of the day, always after 5
> o'clock (this may or may not be a clue). He never does this when there is
> a mechanic or a VW friend that has knowledge greater than mine is around.
> I did bring him to my mechanic a couple of months ago and he cleaned up
> all of the corroded wiring that was hiding behind the dash. It was really
> green and crumbly and nasty back there. We thought that would have done
> away with the gremlin. ****
>
> ** **
>
> I was just a my mechanic's Tuesday morning and we were addressing another
> problem. Donner drove the 70 miles there perfectly. On the way to work
> after the mechanic at one point on the highway it was like we were cruising
> along at a sprint and then suddenly there was a significant lose of power,
> I drifted into the gas station because I needed gas anyways so once he was
> filled up, he started up and made it to work like nothing happened. After
> work he drove 40 miles with no problems. And then at midnight when I was
> heading home he stalled in the first 1/4 mile. Started only after tooting
> the horn. On the highway there were times when I would have sudden
> stepping down loses of power, like I was an Olympic sprinter, then a high
> school middle distance runner, then an out of shape jogger and then stall.
> I have never run out of gas but I assume you would just feel a vehicle slow
> smoothly as the gas runs out? It wasn't like that. And then honk the horn
> and I would be able to start up again. One time as I was going through
> these sudden loses of power I honked the horn and it was like a rocket
> booster, he went back to normal for a little while. So today I was just
> going down the road a bit so I thought I would see how Donner behaves. I
> figured if worse came to worse I can just keep doing my honking trick and
> make it home, this trick has consistently worked. But no. When I was
> going to head home, he wouldn't start. I honked and honked and honked.
> Nothing. My mechanic had me put the key in the on position and un-connect
> the solenoid on the carb and it clicked so I was getting power there. And
> then he had me un-plug the wire that goes to the middle of the distributor
> cap and my mom would have the engine turn over while I held the wire near
> metal and no spark, none at all. So I could not do the pop the clutch
> trick to get started. My mechanic figured it must be the electronic
> ignition. So I called AAA. While waiting the hour for the tow truck I
> fiddled more and more and tooted the horn and tried and tried to get him
> started. Towed him home. As soon as the tow truck left the driveway I
> turned Donner's key, wouldn't start, wouldn't start, wouldn't start. Toot
> the horn and he starts right up.****
>
> ** **
>
> My mechanic says that electronic ignition problems aren't intermittent.
> It either works or it doesn't. ****
>
> ** **
>
> I will try to make the 70 mile journey to my mechanic next week but I was
> wondering if you guys have any ideas on how to slay this gremlin or at
> least chase him a few states away. The electronic ignition? The ignition
> switch (this one is about 2 years old)? Constantly beep the horn until
> someone shoots me? Any other ideas? ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
>
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