As you can tell, local listees are not very much help . . . !

Jeff

----- Original Message -----
From: Marshall Ruskin <mjruskin@home.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2001 10:22 PM
Subject: Re: dead lighter

> > In my ongoing quest to keep my 85 westfalia from turning into a beater,
I
> > would like to get my lighter going just in case i want to take my laptop
> or
> > cell phone along on a trip this summer.  When I got the van I was told
> that
> > the stereo had been wired straight to the lighter and the lighter
> > disconnected.
> >
> > Upon inspection I found that the lighter was still connected at the
socket
> > but neither the lighter nor the light is working.  I thought that taking
> the
> > lighter out would be helpful, but it seems difficult and one post in the
> > archives says that it will cause permanent damage!  The wire is hot,
> because
> > I blew a fuse in the process of trying to take the socket out.
> >
> > What is the likelihood that both my lighter and the light are both
toast?
>
> Toast? What you mean, "toast"? You mean "cooked", right?  Very unlikely
lamp
> and lighter are "cooked'. Nobody cooks lamp and lighter. Most likely, they
> just not work.
>
> > Is it a good idea to take the lighter socket out?
>
> You mean, "out" like "outside"? Outside does not need lamp or lighter yet.
> Nobody uses lamps or lighter outside!
>
>
> And how does
> > that bulb work in the back to illuminate the green lense?
>
> Voltage in lamp filament accelerate electrons to high quantum level. When
> electrons fall down level, they emit photon. Intensity of light is
> proportional to photon flux.
>
> Flux impinges upon "green ring". Green ring absorbs all energy levels of
> photons, except for levels that eyes see as "green". Therefore, lamp
> illuminates ring - looks green!
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Marshall Ruskin
> 84 Westy
> >
> > Thanks again for all your help.
> > Jeff
> > 85 Westy
> > Winnipeg