The wiring and ground connections for the headlights is barely adequate
at best, when new. Probably a bean counter decision, not engineering.
Run the hi-beams for a few hours straight and this connection will heat
up. It happened to me many years ago. The headlight switch is also
poorly designed and having the current travel through the ignition
switch is also silly. One has to ask why they would ground the
headlights all the way back by the fuse box? Probably less labor to
install the harness. Beetles and old busses grounded the lights with
sheet metal screw directly behind them. 6" wire. Go figure why they
changed things.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of George Goff
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 2:17 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Headlights and Grounds

In a message dated 2/13/05 11:48:23 AM, Don_Dixon@BELLSOUTH.NET writes:

<< VW in their wisdom has the ground wires for all the headlights (in
the
late model that's four) going to a connector that has two wires attached
to it
(so four light grounds to two wires to one connector - ouch!). >>

I hear this recited so often on this List that I wonder if this fallacy
will
become truth.  To believe that the size of the headlight grounding
conductors
on a Vanagon was specified with inadequate ampacity is to believe that
German
engineers are also inadequate.  I've known a couple of German engineers
and
while they might be a hard-headed, pain-in-the-ass lot, they are
generally
pretty competent.

Sure, your grounding on a 20 year old van might be inadequate, from age
not
by design.  Age has its effects on all things.  The sheer act of
separating
then joining the electrical connection might be all that is necessary to
once
again establish a secure electrical contact and to boost the device
terminal
voltage.  Clean the connections, replace the corroded terminals which
are about to
fall off anyway and install a relay upgrade in order to preserve the
cheap
headlight switch, but ya doesn't haveta continue to relate the
misconception
that the wiring is too skimpy.

Considering the very short conductor runs and the amperage drawn by the
headlights, a clean headlight lens or a fresh lamp will produce a far
more palpable
effect on the amount of perceived light than the few hundredths of a
volt
provided by increased wire size.  That is, as long as the terminations
are solid
and secure.

George