I tried the the electrical portion o the key switch already ( and it
was replaced less then a year ago anyways )
i will get me tester out tomorrow ( just started pouring here in
vancouver )

thanks
J
On 14-Jun-10, at 7:11 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:

> Hi jay,
> re
> " when I turn my head lights on my tack drops , the coolant light
>>>>>> flash's, temp drops etc"
>
> since you say 'tach drops' it sounds like the engine is already
> running...
> so there's voltage to igntion anyway in that case.
>
> does it 'do weirdness' with engine off ?
> also ...
> always consider the igntion switch, the electrica part.
> it's not hard to remove the connector from the back of the ignition
> lock assembly, and plug on another ignition switch, and turn it with
> a screw driver instead of the key.
>
> they're kinda underbuilt, and can cause many weird problems.
>
> 'just visual' on the ground connections is good for an initial test/
> inspection, but it's not definitive, not like continuity checking,
> or measuring voltage drops across the ground connections there.
>
> it's not where those crown things screw to the body, it's where the
> wires plug onto the crown thing, that I've seen weakness.
>
> a few more thoughts to play with.
> Scott
> turbovans
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jay lefstein" <jleftbrane@GMAIL.COM
> >
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 7:02 PM
> Subject: Re: HELP ;)
>
>
>> well I did put a whole different cluster in the van and that didn't
>> help... so i don't think in this case it is that stabilizer .
>>
>> i just went out and took the ground spiders of and they are perfect,
>> not a spot of corrosion screwed them back on nice and tight.. still
>> no
>> good tho
>>
>> it seems as if it is sending power to my ignition somehow???
>>
>> On 14-Jun-10, at 6:38 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>
>>> hey good suggestion.
>>> didn't think of that one myself this time, but ....'anytime there is
>>> gauge
>>> weirdness' you think about that voltage stabilizer there. Easy to
>>> change as
>>> you say, and not expensive.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "pickle vanagon" <greenvanagon@GMAIL.COM>
>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 6:21 PM
>>> Subject: Re: HELP ;)
>>>
>>>
>>>> If stuffs going all the way on and off I agree with others that the
>>>> grounds
>>>> are a likely culprit.
>>>>
>>>> Another trouble part is the little voltage stabilizer on the
>>>> circuit board
>>>> on the back of the dash.  It's easy to replace and not too
>>>> expensive.  It
>>>> sends a constant 5volts to the instruments, and when it goes bad
>>>> the
>>>> voltage
>>>> gets all out of whack.  Don't see how you could test it without
>>>> replacing
>>>> though.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 8:01 PM, Jay lefstein
>>>> <jleftbrane@gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Sorry guys
>>>>> It's a 1984 full westy ,with 65,000 kms on a  bostig coversion
>>>>> Jay brown headlight relays
>>>>> Cluster is from californian 1991 ..
>>>>> I am out picking up the GF, but Snagged a visual of the ground
>>>>> spiders
>>>>> up under the dash and no corrosion to be seen, when i get back
>>>>> i'll
>>>>> take them off anyways and check them more hands on
>>>>> Thank you,
>>>>> Jay Lefstein.
>>>>> Sent from my mobile device.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jun 14, 2010, at 4:47 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> At 07:33 PM 6/14/2010, Jay lefstein wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> when i turn my head lights on my tack drops , the coolant light
>>>>>>> flash's, temp drops etc
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And you're driving a what exactly please?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yrs,
>>>>>> David
>>>>>>
>