Clean the battery clamps and posts shiny clean. Shine a flashlight
down in the battery box to see if negative braided wire is connected
to frame. If all that is ok......

A red #8 wire from positive post of battery connects to the fuse
panel, ~ mid panel, forward half. If not connected to panel, nothing
will work AFAIK. Make sure it's properly connected to battery positive
post.

Soon after getting my '81, I dropped the fuse panel. IIRC, this #8
wire popped loose just as I lowered the panel. (good thing as I
noticed that the plastic bit was getting "burned" from years of use)

@ the OP; did you drop the fuse panel to wire in the stereo?

Maybe this #8 wire came loose?

To inspect the fuse panel, disconnect the negative lead from battery.
Make sure this lead stays safely away from the negative post while
working.

Neil.

On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 12:06 PM, John Meeks <vanagon@gmail.com> wrote:
> From: Michael Shapiro <seattleshapiro@comcast.net>
> Date: Mon, May 16, 2011 at 12:47 AM
> Subject: 82 vanagon
> To: vanagon@gmail.com
>
>
> hello all �i have a bit of a question
> i was driving �a 82 vanagon �and it shut down....i mean everything..lights
> ..motor �whole thing. �i ccoasted to the side and checked the battery
> connections ..seem fine
>
> where do i go from here?
>
> backround:
> i currently own a 59 split -69-74-78 bay - and now this 82 vanagon that i
> just bought yesterday. � seemed to have no issues �has a new battery
> �alyhough i did put in a new stereo today � could a stereo wire shut down a
> vanagon? �after i installed radio i drove for about 1 hour prior to having
> this problem.
> i also thought it could be a dead battery for whatever reason...so i tried
> jumping it with another car and even when i hooked up cables to battery
> ...nothing. �i am wondering if there is like a main fuse or something.
> mike
> seattleshapiro@comcast.net
>

-- 
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines