Hi all.

Im far from home on a road trip, traveling with a friend who owns an 1985
westy. All of his dash lights were out. The S13 blade type fuse had failed.
A new fuse also failed. The following systems are present but
decommissioned: aux ba6 gas heater, Anti theft devices, possible fog light
relay, "factory" looking fog light switch at RH side of instrument cluster.

Though I thought we'd found the short, and though I "fixed" his dash
lights, I'm not certain the cause of fuse failure was really resolved. I
originally thought a damaged (exposed copper) piggybacked wire off the 30
wire to the gas heater relay was shorting to the frame causing fuse S13 to
blow, but that wire tested for battery voltage in spite of the fuse in
question being blown. And, looking at the wiring diagrams, I don't see S13
involved with the gas heater circuits. Does the gas heater use s13 in any
way?

 All told, I cleaned up the anti theft wiring, capped and,or repaired
various stock wires at cluster and dash, removed some non op wires,
installed a new dahs light, added shrink wrap and tape to non insulated
exposed terminals at what is likely the fog light relay.

It's possible the exposed terminals at the loose mystery relay,  remaining
dangling exterior fog light wire (end rested on frame, albeit a dirty
connection if any) could've been the source of the short but im concerned
only I "fixed" the problem by inadvertently moving a shorting out wire or
whatever away from frame metal and that the issue may happen again.

This is a separate issue, but does the 50 wire to the brake warning light
simply turn off the light when cranking engine? That wire has been removed
from the connector. It was likely used as part of a starter motor anti
theft device.

TIA a bunch,

Neil.

--
Neil n

Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>

1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>

1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>

Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>