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Subject:Re: Electrical question (non-starting)
From:David Beierl
Date:Fri, 22 May 2009 22:11:23 -0400

At 09:00 PM 5/22/2009, Robert Fisher wrote:
>Voltage at the red wire into the ignition switch is equal to the battery at
>around 12.2 (I know it's low, I've been messing with this for a few days now
>and I need to charge it); when I turn the switch, the outbound voltage is
>about 10.2 and it drops to about 8.4 at the neutral safety switch. I can't
>make much out of the diagrams in the Bentley but it seems to me that the
>line between the ignition switch and the safety switch is one wire.

According to 97.147 the wire from the ign sw 50 terminal goes to
terminal B8 in the panel, then comes out D24 and goes to the 50
terminal on the safety switch.  So you've got four wire-end terminals
to check, plus the contact where the two plugs mate with the panel.

Measure from point to point on the wire and you'll find where the
high-resistance joint(s) are -- that's where your missing voltage
will show up.  Use a pin or needle to pierce the insulation to test
where the terminals crimp onto the wires...

Incidentally -- 97.4-5 tells you how to read the diagrams.

  --
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'89 Po' White Star "Scamp"