Date:         Tue, 29 May 2007 23:08:26 -0400
Reply-To:     Billy <zbillman@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Billy <zbillman@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Ignition question
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Bob Donalds suggested that I send this on to you all for some help.

I have an 84 automatic Westy that has had some erratic ignition problems
the past few weeks.  A little history: Recently I have added a Sure
Power battery separator/isolator and hooked up my radio and interior
lighting to the Aux battery.  Everything has gone off without a hitch
but suddenly the van wouldn't start.  Crank but no fire.  After checking
I found only 5.88 volts to the coil.  I gave the coil direct power from
the battery and everything was fine except the ignition wouldn't shut it
off.  No problem, remove power from the coil an viola.  Under the dash I
replaced the Hella relay this gave me back my proper starting voltage
and it had since been running fine.  Yesterday, I went out to install my
headlight upgrade relays and after installing them nothing would work.
Absolutely nothing happened when I turned the ignition switch.  I put
everything back the way it was and again nothing.  I turned the key and
at the relay under the dash I again had 5.88 volts and the same at the
coil.  The battery was at 12.86 volts.  Aux was dead.(another issue from
the power wire on the radio)  So I touched a hot lead from the battery
to the pink wire on pin 30 of the under dash relay and it started right
up.  I removed the wire and it died most of the time.  It was almost
like I was charging a capacitor that would lose its charge and sometimes
keep it.  I swapped the ignition switch tonight with a brand new one and
the results are the same only with some different gremlins.

First off is the ignition is in the run position as soon as the key is
inserted into the ignition.  Also, now when I turn on my bright lights
the dome lights flash with the switch.  Lastly the ignition switch when
turned to the off position does not shut the van off until I pull the
key out of the cylinder.  I put the old switch back in and it did the
same thing.  Could the switch be in the wrong position.  I have checked
the wiring and everything seems right.  The grounds(all of them) have
been cleaned, new connectors reconnected and coated with dielectric
grease.  Any wiring connections are soldered and shirk tubed.  At his
point I am simply stumped.

Billy Hirt