Something funny, for a change (re door buzzer)

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JLT
Old School!
Location: Sacramento CA
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Something funny, for a change (re door buzzer)

Post by JLT » Tue Jun 30, 2020 3:00 pm

I wasted a perfectly good morning trying to track down a certain part I found in my spare parts kit. I didn't buy it, and had no idea what it was.

Here's the part number: 111-951-307 A

It didn't show up on any of the web sites for parts suppliers. I finally gave up and phoned my friends at Kombi Haus in Sacramento. Justin Campbell, the owner himself, answered the phone. He knew right away what it was. It's the relay that activates that buzzer that sounds when you open the driver's side door without removing the key from the ignition.

And the light dawned on me. My 70 bus (and my first bay window bus) had that buzzer. It drove me crazy, and I pulled out the wire that goes to the buzzer. Problem solved. My first 71 bus, on which a lot of the electric parts were missing, didn't even have the buzzer, which was fine with me. Neither did my present 71 bus. I must have found that part after I bought the bus and cleaned out the glove compartment. I guess that the guy I bought the bus from also didn't like the buzzer, so he removed the relay and tossed it into the glove box.

And that, of course, is why I couldn't find that part number on any of the web sites. The reason is that there is no demand for it. When the part goes bad, nobody ... but NOBODY ... replaces it. They have discovered the joy of silence when the door is opened, and wouldn't go back to stock for love or money.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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asiab3
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Location: San Diego, CA
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Re: Something funny, for a change (re door buzzer)

Post by asiab3 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:35 am

Colin has an excellent write-up somewhere on here where he repurposed the buzzer to trigger with the oil light, only when the engine is running. Enjoy your silence AND save your engine from a meltdown :)
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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JLT
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Location: Sacramento CA
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Re: Something funny, for a change (re door buzzer)

Post by JLT » Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:59 am

asiab3 wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:35 am
Colin has an excellent write-up somewhere on here where he repurposed the buzzer to trigger with the oil light, only when the engine is running. Enjoy your silence AND save your engine from a meltdown :)
Colin, could you point out where that is? It sounds intriguing. Of course, it would mean that it would buzz every time you turn on the engine, until it reaches proper pressure....
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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Amskeptic
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Re: Something funny, for a change (re door buzzer)

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:42 pm

JLT wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:59 am
asiab3 wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:35 am
Colin has an excellent write-up somewhere on here where he repurposed the buzzer to trigger with the oil light, only when the engine is running. Enjoy your silence AND save your engine from a meltdown :)
Colin, could you point out where that is? It sounds intriguing. Of course, it would mean that it would buzz every time you turn on the engine, until it reaches proper pressure....
Geeze, John, you *want* a little self-test, don't you? Sure, when you replace the oil filter on a late bus, it will buzz for two seconds until you reach pressure, but that is the time you do not want to rev the engine anyway!

This system prevents the buzzer from buzzing when you have only the ignition on by getting its power from the spinning generator or alternator.
Colin

https://itinerant-air-cooled.com/viewto ... 53#p164528
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Sylvester
Bad Old Puddy Tat.
Location: Sylvester, Georgia
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Re: Something funny, for a change (re door buzzer)

Post by Sylvester » Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:59 am

My door buzzer still works on my 71 Westy. Of all the things to stay on a vehicle for 49 years this is the weirdest one.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

71whitewesty
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Re: Something funny, for a change (re door buzzer)

Post by 71whitewesty » Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:32 am

My buzzer still works too and I actually love that it's still hooked up.

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