I'll just stick to lug nut part.  I've used grease on the lugs in all of my
cars, except the Westy's owner manual warns against this otherwise sensible
practice.

----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Bosch <arbosch@ra.rockwell.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2000 8:54 PM
Subject: Of spare tires and broken wires...

> For those who have not do so yet, or in a while, you may want to consider
> dropping the spare tire on your van every once in a while.  It seems the
> bolt that secures the spare tire pan can get cruddy and rusty and may not
> break loose when you need it most.  While trying to get to the bottom of a
> tight accelerator cable over the weekend, I needed to drop the spare to
get
> to the linkage that connects to the gas peddle.  Drove the van up the
ramp,
> walked underneath with my trusty 19mm socket, the lug wrench, and, just in
> case, a smallish breaker bar.  Following the Bulley rusted bolt removal
> process - generous amounts of spray lubricant and copious amounts of
> tapping - it would not budge.  Rusted solid.  Turing neither here nor
> there.  This way or that.  Sooooo, this morning I brought ole Phred to a
> local service station that does more than sell pop and allow you to pump
> your own gas (darn few true service stations around these days, btw).  The
> mechanic on duty pulls his trusty impact wrench, fits a 19mm socket on the
> end, and blasts the bolt loose and sends me on my way.  (I really tried to
> give this guy a fiver for his time and good humor, but he'd have nothing
of
> it.)  When I returned home, I undid the bolt and dropped the pan.  After
> tinkering for an hour or two, I slathered the bolt with some grease on
both
> the threads and the washer and reinstalled.  I do this for the lug bolts
> too, each time I rotate the tires, or whenever I have the tires off.
Seems
> to prevent them from seizing.  Have never had a problem with a stuck lug
> bolt.
>
> So there I am, standing under my , staring at a little black box, with
what
> can only be described as a deer-in-the-headlights look.  This little box
> appears to be where the cable from the transmission junctions to the
> speedometer - I think.  But there's a fitting with three wires on it that
> also seems to go up the past the radiator fan and into the dashboard.  The
> connector on the fitting has three wires - red, blue, and green.  The
green
> wire is cut - and appears to have been do so intentionally.  That is to
> say, it's not frayed of chaffed, merely cut thru.  My question is:  What
is
> that connector for?  And is it a big deal that the green wire's cut in
two?
> It bugging me...
>
> Alan Bosch
> & Phred ('88 Wolfsburg)
> Rochester, NY