burnt wiring smell

justgimmecoffee · Post by **justgimmecoffee** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:56 pm

Went to drive the bus to the store yesterday. Got a block down the road and suddenly I smell burning wiring. Pull over, check for smoke, look under the dash.. nothing found. Took it back and parked it.
Today, I can still smell a definite hint of burnt wiring smell in the dash area beneath the steering wheel. I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Nothing melted or rubbing away.

Nothing was changed from one day to the next... it just happened and isn't reproducible. Short of being ready to jump out and disconnect the battery, got any suggestions?

79 VW Bus with stock FI & auto trans. no radio, BA6 heater disconnected, no extra anything.

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:25 am

Does everything still work? Turn signals, horn, ignition switch, wipers, etc.? Since you mentioned steering column, have a look up underneath where the plastic cowling stops and you'll see a couple or three black crescent-shaped connectors. These plug onto the contacts of the turn signal, wiper and ignition switches. Look to see if any of the wiring is discolored (burnt) and while you're down there, make sure they're pushed onto the connectors good and snug.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:25 am

I had that happen once...the hot wire under the dash was warm.
The fuse holder for the backup lites had popped it's holder and was grounding out.
Poke around and see if anything looks loose.

airkooledchris · Post by **airkooledchris** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 3:09 pm

hambone wrote: Poke around and see if anything looks loose.

thank you for putting it that way. made me spit out my coke a little....

=D>

justgimmecoffee · Post by **justgimmecoffee** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 10:45 pm

I looked around. I liked the "frayed wiring underneath the steering wheel" theory, but it looks fine and the smell is somewhere under the dash, near the fusebox.

I figured it was a temporary glitch and we drove it a couple miles last night. No problems, no bad smell. Ran fine.

Today, I went to take the young 'un to go see a movie. Took a lot of cranking and she started, wouldn't idle. Wouldn't stay running so we had to take the Mazda.
Three hours later when the temps were around 70, she started and idled roughly, which smoothed out a tad after a couple minutes.

I love this bus, but I don't trust it to take me across the street.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:22 pm

justgimmecoffee wrote: I love this bus, but I don't trust it to take me across the street.

We shaaaaaaall restore its trust in you . . . . .
. . . . . . and yours in it.
Colin

justgimmecoffee · Post by **justgimmecoffee** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:29 pm

Today it got 3 blocks from the house and quit. Thought it was out of gas, so I got a can & put 5 gallons in the bus.

It started up. When I put it in gear and try to move forward, the engine dies.
Made her back to the house by throwing her in gear, lunging forward & coasting. Start, lunge, coast. cursing all the way.
Parked it. No fuel pump sound when the wiper is pushed.
I jiggled the wires that connect to the double relay and got intermittent connection (the relay would "thunk") but no fuel pump sound.
New German-built Bosch pump installed 4 months ago. Maybe its bad.

I wouldn't mind if it did this sort of crap occasionally, but it seems constant. I"m angry & tired of spending money and on it and crawling around trying to fix it and get nothing in return.

midatlanticys · Post by **midatlanticys** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:45 pm

justgimmecoffee wrote:I love this bus. . . . .

Coffee - hold that thought and make a bee line for the Lucky Lab tonight - it'll do ya good!!

justgimmecoffee · Post by **justgimmecoffee** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:37 pm

oh, man... I wish I could. I need it. its been one of those days.

Went out and connected the FI connector to the side of the housing. Runs much better now. @#$% !!

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:48 pm

Hang in there. Patience. I should talk. scrape scrape scrape scrape still unresolved. Weather permitting, I'm gonna end up with all four wheels off this coming weekend. And hey, if it's suddenly obvious, I'll celebrate and go camping.

neal

Post by **Amskeptic** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:18 pm

justgimmecoffee wrote:oh, man... I wish I could. I need it. its been one of those days.

Went out and connected the FI connector to the side of the housing. Runs much better now. @#$% !!

What do you mean by "the FI connector to the side of the housing"?

Do you mean
"Uh, I musta forgot but I plugged the AFM connector back in and now it runs"
?

Cuz, if that was the problem, you march out there and apologize to your poor loyal VW.
Colin

justgimmecoffee · Post by **justgimmecoffee** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:00 pm

Yes, I did...

and yes, then I did that.

Last Sunday, new plugs and adjusted the hydraulic valves per directions. she sounds much more volkswagen-y again.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

burnt wiring smell

burnt wiring smell