Itinerant Air-Cooled

It looks like I'll be replacing the headlight dimmer relay on George. I can hear the relay click, so I know the switch is good, but the high beams don't go on. All the fuses are good and are getting power.

But when I went online, there was a huge price difference in what people were selling. The lowest price was from Jbugs at $16, and the highest was from airhead parts at $67, with a wide variety of prices in between. To make things even more interesting, none of them had the original VW part number on them, although most of the information did reference it as either 111-941-583 or 111-941-583 OE (and I don't know what the difference between those two numbers means).

FWIW, the part number on the relay on my bus is D 00127, and it's made by VDO. I can't find a specific reference to that part anywhere, not even on the VDO web site.

I guess that my question is: what am I getting for my money when I pay a specific price for that relay? Are some of them really better than the others? Does anybody have any favorites regarding sources?

The sources I've investigated so far are airhead parts, aircooled.net, Wolfsburg West, Jbugs, Summit Racing, EMPI, and Pierside Parts. (Bus Depot doesn't carry them, and MidAmerica doesn't have them in stock.)

Is your current relay original?

I feel like you could take it apart, inspect/lube the various “ramp” mechanisms, and clean off the electrical contacts in a couple of minutes. I’ve had about 50% success doing this. (Most were corroded inside from a leaky windshield gasket.)

I can’t answer your question about price, but if it’s a 4-pin relay, my Wolfsburg West relay lasted a hundred thousand miles before I found an original to replace it with. As a musician, I prefer the tone of the originals.....

asiab3 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:37 am

Is your current relay original?

I don't know. The only number on it is the VDO part number, which appears to refer to a discontinued part. There's no VW part number on it. Did VDO make the originals? And where would I find an original to replace it?

I feel like you could take it apart, inspect/lube the various “ramp” mechanisms, and clean off the electrical contacts in a couple of minutes. I’ve had about 50% success doing this. (Most were corroded inside from a leaky windshield gasket.)

I suppose I could do that. But I'd rather have a new one, and keep the rehabilitated one as a spare.

I can’t answer your question about price, but if it’s a 4-pin relay, my Wolfsburg West relay lasted a hundred thousand miles before I found an original to replace it with. As a musician, I prefer the tone of the originals.....

Mine is the five-pin one.

JLT wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:05 am

asiab3 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:37 am

Is your current relay original?

I don't know. The only number on it is the VDO part number, which appears to refer to a discontinued part. There's no VW part number on it. Did VDO make the originals? And where would I find an original to replace it?

I feel like you could take it apart, inspect/lube the various “ramp” mechanisms, and clean off the electrical contacts in a couple of minutes. I’ve had about 50% success doing this. (Most were corroded inside from a leaky windshield gasket.)

I suppose I could do that. But I'd rather have a new one, and keep the rehabilitated one as a spare.

I can’t answer your question about price, but if it’s a 4-pin relay, my Wolfsburg West relay lasted a hundred thousand miles before I found an original to replace it with. As a musician, I prefer the tone of the originals.....

Mine is the five-pin one.

Use the rehabilitated one that has fealty and familiarity with *your car*. Let the new piece of chinese plastic and potmetal metal be the spare ....
Colin

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:31 pm

Use the rehabilitated one that has fealty and familiarity with *your car*. Let the new piece of chinese plastic and potmetal metal be the spare ....
Colin

If I had any confidence that the present one has any fealty to my car, that's what I would do. But for all I know, it could be one of those cheap pieces of Chinese plastic and pot metal. I've only had the bus for twelve years...

That's why I was hoping that somebody could clue me in to which of those Chinese ones was the most reliable, or if there were any sources that were better.

I would look for a good used one. If I remember correctly, some of the new ones need a little modifying to work properly. I think Colin helped with the modification on one of mine but I think I ultimately bought a few good used ones that work fine as-is.

71whitewesty wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:02 am

I would look for a good used one. If I remember correctly, some of the new ones need a little modifying to work properly. I think Colin helped with the modification on one of mine but I think I ultimately bought a few good used ones that work fine as-is.

I notice that airhead VW parts has a used relay for $18.00 with a part # of 411-941-583 C U

I don't know what the part number of the relay used in the original 71 bus is, and don't know of a source for looking it up. But that part number looks like it was for a type 4, and I have no idea whether it was also used, or useable, on the '71 bus.

JLT wrote: I don't know what the part number of the relay used in the original 71 bus is

For US/Canada models, the '71 dimmer relay was 411-941-583C, relay without headlamp flasher. Lots of different relays used, depending on destination market and model year. VW #111-941-583 seems to be relay with headlamp flasher for
bus thru chassis #219 300 000.

JLT wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:29 pm

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:31 pm

Use the rehabilitated one that has fealty and familiarity with *your car*. Let the new piece of chinese plastic and potmetal metal be the spare ....
Colin

If I had any confidence that the present one has any fealty to my car, that's what I would do. But for all I know, it could be one of those cheap pieces of Chinese plastic and pot metal. I've only had the bus for twelve years...

That's why I was hoping that somebody could clue me in to which of those Chinese ones was the most reliable, or if there were any sources that were better.

I would pursue sourcing a used one, de-crimp the aluminum box from the phenolic, clean up the contacts, re-crimp, and using it far into the future.
Colin

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 03, 2020 12:28 pm

I would pursue sourcing a used one, de-crimp the aluminum box from the phenolic, clean up the contacts, re-crimp, and using it far into the future.
Colin

That's what I'll do. I've ordered two new ones, from different sources, figuring that at least one of them will work for a little while. But I'll try rebuilding the old one, and look for used ones at the next few swap meets I go to. That way, I can eyeball them and see whether they've had loving homes or not.

Should I assume that the ones that came with the buses and bugs actually had the VW stock number stamped on them? Otherwise, is there a way to tell if they're original?

JLT wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 03, 2020 1:41 pm

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 03, 2020 12:28 pm

I would pursue sourcing a used one, de-crimp the aluminum box from the phenolic, clean up the contacts, re-crimp, and using it far into the future.
Colin

That's what I'll do. I've ordered two new ones, from different sources, figuring that at least one of them will work for a little while. But I'll try rebuilding the old one, and look for used ones at the next few swap meets I go to. That way, I can eyeball them and see whether they've had loving homes or not.

Should I assume that the ones that came with the buses and bugs actually had the VW stock number stamped on them? Otherwise, is there a way to tell if they're original?

Original equipment has VW part numbers cast/stamped/embossed - every time.

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:28 am

Original equipment has VW part numbers cast/stamped/embossed - every time.

Then my present one is definitely a replacement part ... it only has the VDO number on it.

Would that part # be VW #111-941-583 for my bus? (US, 1971)

JLT wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:40 am

Amskeptic wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:28 am

Original equipment has VW part numbers cast/stamped/embossed - every time.

Then my present one is definitely a replacement part ... it only has the VDO number on it.

Would that part # be VW #111-941-583 for my bus? (US, 1971)

Google it. Look for VW Audi Hella Bosch headlamp relays.
Colin