Seeking Turn Signal Switch

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hambone
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by hambone » Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:53 pm

It is all working correctly, EXCEPT the left turn signal won't stay engaged unless you turn the wheel clockwise 30 deg. You can hear the switch click, then it stays in place and you can slowly return the steering wheel to straight. It must have something to do with the cancelling ring, any suggestions? 2mm gap on the switch to steering wheel, thereabouts anyway.
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Amskeptic
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Apr 15, 2016 7:10 pm

hambone wrote:It is all working correctly, EXCEPT the left turn signal won't stay engaged unless you turn the wheel clockwise 30 deg. You can hear the switch click, then it stays in place and you can slowly return the steering wheel to straight. It must have something to do with the cancelling ring, any suggestions? 2mm gap on the switch to steering wheel, thereabouts anyway.

Reposition the steering wheel exactly 180* and see if the self-canceller tab stays out of the way?
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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asiab3
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by asiab3 » Sat Apr 16, 2016 7:13 am

I have encountered this a few times; typically the tab on aftermarket steering wheels is too close to the cancelling teeth. A new marriage of old parts could also be a few hairs off. For the teeth to get in position to lock and await cancelling, then have to over-extend by a tiny amount. If the cancelling tab is splayed outwards from the column, the teeth can't extend enough. Before popping the wheel off, try bending the cancelling tab a mm in and feeling for a difference. For a while, mine was set so if the wheel was straight the signal had to be held down manually, but when the wheel was turned either direction, the signal would hold fine; the 1mm nudge of the tab was a working fix.

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Apr 16, 2016 7:11 pm

asiab3 wrote:I have encountered this a few times; typically the tab on aftermarket steering wheels is too close to the cancelling teeth. A new marriage of old parts could also be a few hairs off. For the teeth to get in position to lock and await cancelling, then have to over-extend by a tiny amount. If the cancelling tab is splayed outwards from the column, the teeth can't extend enough. Before popping the wheel off, try bending the cancelling tab a mm in and feeling for a difference. For a while, mine was set so if the wheel was straight the signal had to be held down manually, but when the wheel was turned either direction, the signal would hold fine; the 1mm nudge of the tab was a working fix.

Robbie
Thanks for that tip. Chloe might be thanking you, too.
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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asiab3
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by asiab3 » Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:45 pm

Hambone's inclusion of multiple lever lengths lead me to question my assembly. That, or I felt like taking something important apart… I learned more today. In trying to narrow down a "new car" sense of turn signaling like BB, Buddy was protesting with every other right turn just self-catcalling all willy-nilly whenever I released the lever. But it didn't happen every time, and it was not related to wheel position. I have to add another pointer here:

Some levers are incompatible with some housings. I do not remember if my current housing is of Volkswagen pedigree, or if it came with one of several aftermarket switches. I do know my electronics are genuine VW. See the little scrape way back there? A few thousandths of clearance for the mechanism, and I have the most positive feedback I've ever felt from an early bay signal lever! (Sorry for the over-exposure, I couldn't get the detail otherwise!)

Image
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

kreemoweet
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by kreemoweet » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:30 pm

Yes, exactly! My understanding is that these switches were provided to VW by a number of different manufacturers (SWF for one), and they were
provided as a switch-and-housing assembly and were not necessarily compatible with switch parts from a different source, even though they
had identical VW part No.'s cast into them. I've had to use different-length mounting screws, use extra screw standoffs, etc, when I played
mix-n-match with my various T/S switches, all ostensibly the "same" part. Henry Ford spins in his Grave!

Aftermarket switches are an additional complication, with an even greater variety of screw lengths, threading, sizes, etc.

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asiab3
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by asiab3 » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:23 pm

kreemoweet wrote: Aftermarket switches are an additional complication, with an even greater variety of screw lengths, threading, sizes, etc.
I'm speculating, that due to the poor paint coverage/spray pattern inside my housing, that it is not original VW work. Either way, signaling has been a breeze lately.
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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hambone
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by hambone » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:39 pm

Guess what? I now have a '69 Bus in my garage....guy wants me to replace his turn signal switch. Heh.
A Ventura part, looks stock quality. Not sure how they achieved that, maybe reworked old switches? It is new though. Even got the wires right.
I will surely let you know.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

kreemoweet
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by kreemoweet » Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:23 pm

asiab3 wrote:I'm speculating, that due to the poor paint coverage/spray pattern inside my housing, that it is not original VW work. Either way, signaling has been a breeze lately.
All my OEM switches have the VW part # & logo and (at least in the case of SWF) manufacturer logo cast on the inside of the housing. Aftermarket
part makers rarely do so. My OEM parts have no better paint job in there than the one you show.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:53 am

hambone wrote:Guess what? I now have a '69 Bus in my garage....guy wants me to replace his turn signal switch. Heh.
A Ventura part, looks stock quality. Not sure how they achieved that, maybe reworked old switches? It is new though. Even got the wires right.
I will surely let you know.
Photos!
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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hambone
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Location: Portland, Ore.
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by hambone » Sun Apr 24, 2016 1:51 pm

Man the wiring is all hacked, go figure.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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hambone
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Location: Portland, Ore.
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by hambone » Sun Apr 24, 2016 5:48 pm

That new switch is garbage. High beam switch points barely contact, etc. Must be Taiwan, and I'm out a repair.
It was so flimsy and made without love...discouraging for $80.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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dingo
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by dingo » Wed Apr 27, 2016 8:00 pm

So i pulled my turn signal switch apart...the two wires with melted insulation both lead to difficult to access solder points underneath the hi-beam contact apparatus..i.e. both these solder joints were hanging on by a thread and i assume thusly heating and melting. How does one get good access to resolder ?? i did not see an obvious way to dissassemble so i assume some drilling is involved ?
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

" Fill what's empty, empty what's full, and scratch where it itches."

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Amskeptic
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:23 pm

dingo wrote:So i pulled my turn signal switch apart...the two wires with melted insulation both lead to difficult to access solder points underneath the hi-beam contact apparatus..i.e. both these solder joints were hanging on by a thread and i assume thusly heating and melting. How does one get good access to resolder ?? i did not see an obvious way to dissassemble so i assume some drilling is involved ?
I had an eleven year-old girl with good eyes do my soldering last summer. A little soldering iron with a small straight tip properly tinned, worked perfect and the switch works perfectly.

If you need access to the plastic board wire terminals sandwiched in there, you may need to disassemble the "cage" and release the board, but best to be careful.
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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dingo
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Re: Seeking Turn Signal Switch

Post by dingo » Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:25 pm

Thx...ill wait for a zen moment in my life to address those remotely positioned solder joints

im curious...why did VW send in 5 turn signal wires to the switch..? why not join the two left side(front and rear) at a tee and send in a sngle wire into that switch ? same with right side ? i am missing something, ja ?
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

" Fill what's empty, empty what's full, and scratch where it itches."

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