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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41050 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:37 am Post subject: |
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Scared him off. And we hadn't even gotten to the rheostatically controlled electromagnetic fuel injection pulse damper recirculation solenoid transistor output stage amplifier diode plate ground check. |
Colin - probably so, that or he found the problem and doesn't need us anymore. How's life in the Bob D? (I think that is the name.) Are you still making the rounds? If so, next time you are on the West Coast stop by and Cathy and I will buy you dinner for all the help your posts have given us. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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NinetyEight Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2008 Posts: 420
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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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. _________________ Otto Bus - 1978 Daily Driver
Rico - 1975 Bay
http://www.FromTheEyesofABus.Blogspot.com |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41050 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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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. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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Emeritusx Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2008 Posts: 2775 Location: 12 inches behind the wheel
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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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. _________________ 82 Westy ☢, 66 Splitty ☮, 73 Type 181 ✠ |
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Amskeptic Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2002 Posts: 8568 Location: All Across The Country
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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NinetyEight wrote: |
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. |
Well hello.
Do not check for shorts in the headlamp switch.
Check for power to the headlamp switch. #30. Is it hot?
Check for power to the ignition switch. #30. Is it hot?
Both wires are "red". Both wires lead directly to the #8/#9 fuse buss.
You said you had power to those fuse terminals. I am so curious. You must follow the wires to the headlamp and ignition switches. There is NO reason you should not have idiot lights and parking lights. Do not get distracted or discouraged by the rat's nest of wires.
Colin _________________ www.itinerant-air-cooled.com |
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Amskeptic Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2002 Posts: 8568 Location: All Across The Country
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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SGKent wrote: |
Quote: |
Scared him off. And we hadn't even gotten to the rheostatically controlled electromagnetic fuel injection pulse damper recirculation solenoid transistor output stage amplifier diode plate ground check. |
Colin - Are you still making the rounds? If so, next time you are on the West Coast stop by and Cathy and I will buy you dinner for all the help your posts have given us. |
T'would be my pleasure. Either in the BobD if I have courage and adventure, or a nice Vanagon if I have half a mind to protect the BobD from the ravages of rapid miles.
Colin _________________ www.itinerant-air-cooled.com |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41050 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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T'would be my pleasure. Either in the BobD if I have courage and adventure, or a nice Vanagon if I have half a mind to protect the BobD from the ravages of rapid miles. |
no question about the ravages of miles. These buses are rarer and rarer all the time and parts from high mileage use get harder to find. I suspect he would be very hard to replace if he wore out. We looked for a clean low mileage bus for about 5 years and finally went the restoration path. I suspect finding a low mileage well maintained bus is like hitting the lottery. One just has to be in the right place at the right time. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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NinetyEight Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2008 Posts: 420
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:28 am Post subject: |
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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 |
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dwill49965 Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2005 Posts: 1396 Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:23 am Post subject: |
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And the winner is: SGKent!
SGKent wrote: |
watch this be a dead sulphated battery with just enough power to light a dome or CB radio. |
_________________ Darryl
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'78 Westy, Boston Bob built 2.0 L, FI, MSD 6A
Meyer wrote: |
Lastly, you just referred to US citizens as 'Americans'. Exactly what kind of Canadian are you? From what continent? |
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Nica Samba Member
Joined: November 11, 2005 Posts: 618 Location: Bogotá, Colombia
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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dwill49965 wrote: |
And the winner is: SGKent!
SGKent wrote: |
watch this be a dead sulphated battery with just enough power to light a dome or CB radio. |
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foil Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2016 Posts: 14 Location: Tampa
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Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2024 4:10 pm Post subject: Re: Lost all power to front of the bus - Help!? |
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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. |
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bsairhead Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2008 Posts: 3637 Location: viroqua wi.
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Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2024 5:12 pm Post subject: Re: Lost all power to front of the bus - Help!? |
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Grabbed under the dash and it worked. That's what she said. I do give you kudos on your trouble shooting technique. |
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foil Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2016 Posts: 14 Location: Tampa
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2024 11:53 am Post subject: Re: Lost all power to front of the bus - Help!? |
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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. |
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mikedjames Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2012 Posts: 2773 Location: Hamble, Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2024 12:53 am Post subject: Re: Lost all power to front of the bus - Help!? |
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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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