All ground wires in the van do not run to that grounding point above the
headlights.
The headlights do, and dash area stuff does, perhaps even the forward
interior lights,
But there are other grounding points in the van for other things, like at
the rear, the engine, the fuel system, the tail lights.
  It would have cost them millions of miles of wire, and weight, to run all
ground wires to the front to that one grounding spot.  Chassis ground is
chassis ground, through out the whole vehicle, after all. 
   No big deal testing for grounds - you just temporarily add your own
ground with jumper wire, and if that makes it work, then you know you've
found the problem, then you find the poor grounding spot and fix it.
  Get those 'star washers' ...the ones with 10 points on them, and put one
of those between the wire eye terminal and the metal body you're screwing
the ground wire too. The points dig into bare metal. Works really good.
  And FORGET push one spade connectors for grounds. The can't work very well
eventually. Convert all you can to screw and eye ground connection,
especially the headlights.
Scott
www.turbovans.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
mordo
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 10:13 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: bemused by wiring

That has been my suspicion. Do you know if all lighting and accessory
grounds are home runs to the under-dash ground points or do they ground
elsewhere on the chassis?

I have been ignoring my electrical demons until this winter when I will pull
the dash and replace the blower motor. But, if there are other ground points
for these circuits, I need to start looking elsewhere.

cheers,

mordo

On Dec 4, 2007 10:34 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Definite bad chassis (gound?) connection. Look for the brown wires.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> mordo
> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 2:42 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: bemused by wiring
>
>  I'm no genius when it comes to wiring diagrams - I think it's somehow
> related to math aversion. I have an electrical gremlin that makes me
> chuckle
> a little that maybe someone can shed light on:
>
> When I use the right turn signal, the reverse lights flash along with the
> turn signal. This doesn't happen when I use the left turn signal.
> Likewise,
> when I put the van in reverse, the right turn signal lights up, solid, not
> flashing. This morning I noticed that when I move the auto trans selector
> from D to N, I can hear the turn signal flasher relay click. Or maybe it's
> not the signal relay? That seems the most likely.
>
> Do these lights share the same circuit? If so, what and where is the most
> likely fault?
>
> --
> mordo
> 1990 Carat
>
>

--
mordo
1990 Carat