........ actually, now I recall hearing a buzzing sound like a cell
phone buzz ring while I was re-installing the fuse panel. That may be
a clue. It didn't sound like a wire arcing (shorting) but it may have
been.

On 12/15/16, Neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
> heh. "Sadly", no magic smoke released; our fellow campers ended up
> with a lack lustre afternoon.  LOL.
>
> I see earlier BA6 diagrams in my Bentley but the are quite similar (to
> my untrained eye) to the later style. I may peruse the Diesel Vanagon
> BA6 diagrams.
>
> The dash lights did work then after the owner took it for a drive,
> they failed. I checked light operation while fuse panel was lowered
> but did not check them after re-attaching the fuse panel. I'm
> suspecting a rogue wire or other part above fuse panel is causing the
> short. Maybe a wire from the load side of the fuse slipped off when
> panel was lowered for the headlight relay install (by someone else).
> It's that or something to do with the decomissioned fog lights; that
> circuit may still be live though I found no power at wire that was
> connected to lights at bumper area.
>
> The 50 wire must've connected to the brake light module at one point.
> The shrink wrap that covered the now removed terminal does not look
> OEM at all.
>
> Neil.
>
> On 12/15/16, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:
>> Too bad it's an '85.  '84 and earlier would have smoked the harness and
>> let
>> you know right away where the short was. ;-)
>>
>> BA6 diagram in Bentley is only for 2.1l with the new fuse block, so no
>> help
>> with the specifics of how that one was put in.
>>
>> I've got no clue why they ran 50 to the brake/seat belt light module.  I
>> can't even see them in daylight, so I drilled a hole in the brake one to
>> let the light out, and I ignore the other one.  Perhaps it's a trigger to
>> start a timeout for the belt one after you start the engine?
>>
>> Yrs,
>> d
>>
>> On Wed, Dec 14, 2016 at 8:32 PM, Neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> 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>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> 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>
>

--
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>