Joel Walker writes:
> 
> well, i looked through the Bildkatalog ... the german parts ordering
> catalog for the 1980-85 buses ... and i cannot find anything that fits
> the description given for this gizmo. NOTHING looks like a cigarette lighter
> socket that is over by the steering wheel side of the radio-hole. nothing.
> 
> so: a conjecture: is it possible that all of these buses might have come
> from the same regional area of the continent? like maybe the vancouver area?
> and maybe one or more dealers in the area always installed these things as
> a 'option', so that you didn't have any choice? and that what they are is
> a plug in seat-heater or lap-heater? like a little electric blanket? some
> such dealer-installed not-necessarily-vw option?
> 
Joel: The van we have was originally a CA model, and when there we checked
virtually every Westfalia air-cooled vanagon that was parked on the street
(obsessive yes but then aren't we all) and they all had them..so maybe its a
California thang. BTW I disconnected ours and use the 12 volt source to
run other things like a fan switch and gauges etc... but until we know for
sure what it is, how can we sleep at night?

 i can't find anything in the books or the brochures that i have.
> 

 Its funny because the van (which is a 1982 "US" L model...solid head
restraints BTW-Eurobrown interior...) didn't come with a manual so we
ordered one from Volkswagen Canada and sure enough there it is in the
diagram of the dash in full silvery glory on page 18, with nary a word
describing its purpose...hmmmm.
 You would think that if it were some kind of power source for running an
add-on device that it would be  wired in with the ignition....I mean they
did this with the headlights so why  not other connectors as well...

DC 

-- 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
David Carment
School of International Affairs
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 5B6
voice - (613) 788-2600-6662
fax - (613) 788-9882
Email address: dcarment@ccs.carleton.ca
----------------------------------------------------------------------