Itinerant Air-Cooled

I'm running into a windshield wiper issue:

The motor is working, in both speeds, but the output shaft is not turning. I took the motor out, and the drive shaft stayed in the car...The bottom of the shaft is knurled. Any ideas as to how to get it back into its hole and keep it there?

Also, the wiper wiring is supposed to have a four wire flat connector...I assume it is up inside the dash somewhere. Anyone know where I should begin looking?

Here are some progress pics (uploaded through Google, so maybe not...)





Also, has anyone used the plastic dash cover from Mid-America? I've been told that the Empi version is complete junk. My dash looks really, really bad with my totally new interior...

cegammel wrote: windshield wiper motor is working, in both speeds,
output shaft is not turning.
bottom of the shaft is knurled.
wiper wiring is supposed to have a four wire flat connector...I assume it is up inside the dash somewhere. Anyone know where I should begin looking?


Also, has anyone used the plastic dash cover from Mid-America? I've been told that the Empi version is complete junk. My dash looks really, really bad with my totally new interior...

Wiper gearbox has a plastic gear that may have disassociated from output shaft.

Get in there and look. Consult your Bentley. Follow the wiper switch on up.

Don't know what to say about dash cover. My Squareback one is a floppy fish spongy moulding, poorly dimensioned and a real joke at the radio speaker grill.
Colin

Disassociation is where the wipers and I really hit it off.

Holy Hell.

Car has:

Rebuilt engine
Completely refreshed front end
New brakes, from master to wheel cylinders, and all the pipes and hoses in between
New interior...even the damned dome light works...which was last night's project.

Car started and drove Monday, about 10 miles.
Car started yesterday, just for giggles, let it run in the shop.

Now, the damned thing won't start.

It has gas; I added an extra gallon just to be sure.
I disconnected the dome light, just to be sure.

The engine will fire and cough, then shut out.

The carb is full, and the float does not seem to be sticking.

The coil is firing. The points are adjusted.

I am fairly certain that I am chasing an electrical demon.

In the ignition system, the switch was cracked when I got it, so the switch is new. I have had a recurring electrical disconnect between the switch and the starter. I thought I had it licked with replacing the connectors under the rear seat.

When I turn the key to "start," there is a delay before the starter turns. When the starter turns, the engine will catch and fire immediately, then it shuts out.

When the ignition delays, the lights on the dash will go out, as if the power is intermittent. When I test for voltage at the coil, I get consistent readings.

I'm starting to lose my frickin' mind here...

The only ray of happiness was discovering the "Voltage Vibrator" in the Bentley...I don't know what it is, but I'm glad I found it.

I think your ignition switch is a reasonable place to look.

Can you run a nice size wire from the battery + to the coil + (terminal #15)? Then start the car with the key and see if it stays running. If you remove the wire from the battery side does the engine die? This would suggest your ignition switch is falling apart. Careful too, because it has full battery potential with no fuse!

This would be my diagnostic path because it's free, easy, AND you say your starter has a delay, which could also happen in a bum switch.

Robbie

Thanks...and this is also my conclusion. Car runs great when I use the remote starter, and hold the key in exactly the right "on" position. This is the second switch I have put on the car...both from O'reilley's.

Yet another new switch is on order.

In the meantime...Turn Signals. I had the lights off of the car for repainting. When I reinstalled everything, the left side turn signals did not work. A quick twist of the bulbs, and now front and rear work...BUT, the speedometer dash light also flashes, and the right side flashes when the turn signal switch is pressed down (as in, turning on the left side blinkers).

I would assume I have some sort of bleed over in the switch, except for the flashing dash light. That part is weird...

Also, on both of my cars, the right signal flashes fast, the left one slow. Why does that happen? Is it supposed to?

Thanks for your help!

…You DID order the good switch from EIS Parts this time, right??

Robbie

Of course not...I ordered the switch switch from Jbugs...

I have been studying my wiring diagrams...Am I correct that the turn signals run through the headlight switch, and so that is the most likely place for my flashing issue?

Well...this is embarrassing...when installing front turn signal housings, one should be careful not to squish the wires together...it causes the parking lights and dash lights to activate with the turn signal...

Ok, back to my danged light issues. I had forgotten about a mass of tangled, twisted, homespun wire repairs in the front trunk leading to the left headlight and turn signal assemblies... My left side lights were very, very dim, and the headlights cut out occasionally. So, I reconnected all of those wires with butt connectors, cleaning up the mess a bit. The dim issue seems to be solved. My ground connector there was also no longer extant.

With headlights off, turn signals work great. The left side is a fast flash, even though both bulbs are flashing, but at least all four work. However...with the headlights on, the turn signals have issues. The left side doesn't work at all; the right side rear stays on, the front does nothing.

If I touch the dimmer wheel, the headlights go out; they come back on when on high beam. The signals work on neither high nor low beam.

Very strange things are afoot in headlight land.

Also, gas sloshes out through the fill cap (I hope) when I make a left hand turn...

Do we know of a product that will safely remove the corrosion from the turn signal bulb housings? I also need to see if I can tighten the grounding prongs...

You know those touching wire connectors? They can happen on both sides of the car...now just the dimmer switch problem...

Biscuit eating ignition switch is dead again... from perusing the samba, some claim that the starter solenoid could be the issue. The car starts immediately when roll started or with an external push button. So, what could be eating up my switches so fast? I just did a complete wire scrubbing, which worked for a week...

Also, fuel gauge in the Vanagon crapped out...on the way to a car show...

cegammel wrote:So, what could be eating up my switches so fast?

We cannot discount crap switches. Sheer skinny little pieces of copper that melt and twist if asked to transmit an amp or two.
Colin

cegammel wrote:Biscuit eating ignition switch is dead again... from perusing the samba, some claim that the starter solenoid could be the issue. The car starts immediately when roll started or with an external push button. So, what could be eating up my switches so fast? I just did a complete wire scrubbing, which worked for a week...

Also, fuel gauge in the Vanagon crapped out...on the way to a car show...

Put an amp draw gauge on the thick red wire to the starter. See how many amps it's pulling. I had a fresh "rebuilt" starter once that was pulling an insane amount of amps. I'd rule that out first.