Lost all power to front of the bus - Help!?

NinetyEight · Samba Member Joined: February 12, 2008 Posts: 420

The rain kept me from working last night, I'll be back at it today.

I'm going to follow Colin's advice and check for shorts in the headlight switch.
I'll report in once I find something out.
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Otto Bus - 1978 Daily Driver

Rico - 1975 Bay

http://www.FromTheEyesofABus.Blogspot.com

SGKent · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:36 pm Post subject:

Put a volt meter on the battery and turn on the headlights with the key on. See what the voltage is and report back. If you lack a volt meter, turn on the dome light and see what it does when the head lights are turned on with the key on. Report back.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

Emeritusx · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:23 pm Post subject:

Had the same kinda problem in my thing, although the wiring is a little different I found the crimp on lug on the big red wire with white stripe to the headlight switch was corroded and filled with blue corrosion where it attached to the wire. The female spade lug crumbled in my fingers.
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82 Westy ☢, 66 Splitty ☮, 73 Type 181 ✠

Amskeptic · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:35 pm Post subject:

Amskeptic · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:37 pm Post subject:

SGKent · Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject:

NinetyEight · Samba Member Joined: February 12, 2008 Posts: 420

Hey Guys...
Strangest thing. I finally figured it out yesterday.

It was the battery that had gone bad. I suspect the -14 (w/ windchill anyhow) weather was to blame.

I went out that morning to check power and there was no power to ANYTHING. I checked the battery and it was at 0% charge. With no draw on it. I had charged it before all of this and it said 100% but when it went dead this time it would only charge up to 66%. That was my indication that there was something wrong with the battery.

I switched the battery from my other car in and it worked flawlessy, started right up.

What was really weird is that it would power the dome light, power the cb radio but it didn't have enough juice to light up the idiot lights...Strange.

Anyhow, I got it running and went for a gas run (after finishing up a couple other projects - Sorting wiring mess under dash/making kick panels/new floormat) and I can hear that I need to adjust the valves.

Try to get that done after work this week and I can finally drive the thing!
I was so happy to take it on that short run last night, though.

Thanks for all of the help, folks!

(For those that are thinking "Too Long Didn't Read" - It was the battery, though it held a charge at the beginning it exposed itself at the end.)
_________________
Otto Bus - 1978 Daily Driver

Rico - 1975 Bay

http://www.FromTheEyesofABus.Blogspot.com

dwill49965 · Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:23 am Post subject:

And the winner is: SGKent!

Nica · Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:44 pm Post subject:

foil

Man I just read through this, having the same issue. Was hoping to find a solution. I had my battery tested and it was 74%. Ran then died. Grabbed under the dash and it worked. Died later, I messed with some wires and it came back. Then reinstalled and no power again. Friday gonna start tracing wires, and try to figure it out.

bsairhead

Grabbed under the dash and it worked. That's what she said. I do give you kudos on your trouble shooting technique.

foil

Friday I started by tracking power from battery, starter, and back to the front. Inspecting the lumen underneath to the front of the bus. All looked good. Moved inside, removed dash cluster and started to trace and test each line. I found that my power feed at the fuse box, which by looking at the wire diagram should of been the feed to the ignition. No volts there. Wiggled a bit and some voltage. Tried the ignition and had power to the front again and all my dash lights. So removed the wire and cleaned it well and reattached. Tried again, still good. Replaced the dash cluster, still good. Reattached the steering wheel, tried again still good. Started it up and fired right up. We'll see how it goes today and the next few days.

mikedjames

Those $25 battery testers on eBay/Amazon do a fine job of estimating the CCA of a battery. Sulphated battery can have good voltage, charger will say 100% but in reality it has a limited cell capacity.
They do it by measuring the drop when drawing about 5 amps, so they work for 12 volt computer UPS and burglar alarm batteries all the way up to big leisure batteries.

So you put the tester on the battery, test it, and if the CCA estimate is less than 50% of the label value, new battery time.

If you leave a battery flat it will sulphate up. AGM batteries last maybe 2 or 3 days if left flat because of sulphation. Wet cells , desulphation by chargers blasts the sulphate off the plates and it falls to the bottom. AGM the sulphation blocks the cells because it can not "drop to the bottom" in the fiberglass mat holding the acid.
_________________
Ancient vehicles and vessels

1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.

1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy


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