Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

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airkooledchris
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Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

Post by airkooledchris » Thu Jun 08, 2017 9:37 am

My lower speedometer cable broke. I have the OSX (EGR for others, same thing) box inbetween the lower and upper speedometer cable.
After ordering it and then being told, days later, that Busdepot didn't really have the lower cable in stock, I picked up one of those longer ones to make the full run without the OSX(EGR) box.

It's installed and works, but it's jumping and makes a lot of noise. From what I have read, since then, I need to uninstall the whole thing and pull it out of it's sheath to grease it and then install it again.

I needed the bus to get to work today. So I drove without the dash clips in place and with the speedo making some unnerving noises. I flipped on the wipers and headlights and about a mile down the road I hit a bump and smoke started rolling out from behind the dash. No Fire Extinguisher available (where did I put that thing?) - didn't even have a water bottle with me. doh. Turned it off quick and waited for the smoke to clear. It looks like one of the wires for the headlight switch grounded itself on the back of the instrument cluster. It's soldered itself to another of the wires off the headlight switch.

NO fuses were blown, which is concerning.

Tonight after work and errands i'll take another look at it and see what all needs to be replaced.
1979 California Transporter

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sped372
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Re: Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

Post by sped372 » Fri Jun 09, 2017 7:16 am

I'm speaking without complete certainty, but isn't one of the wires to the headlight and/or emergency flasher unfused? I could be completely wrong but I thought I remembered it being that way that for some reason.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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airkooledchris
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Re: Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

Post by airkooledchris » Fri Jun 09, 2017 11:37 am

Thanks for the note, that does make sense. The headlights don't come on without the key in, but the parking lights DO!

When I started digging back there, I ended up finding a handful of PO wiring things that I wish I hadn't noticed. ugh. It's going to take a bit of rewiring to get this thing back together correctly. The one issue im creating for myself and others down the road - is using the right wires to replace the bad ones. It's not like I have a stash of grey wires with white lines and 4G white wire with red lines down the sides. I'll replace things with the correct gauge but I hate changing the color away from stock.

Later tonight when I get a chance to dig into it again ill note which pin on the headlight switch that this wire that started the issues was connected to.

I also noticed that the push button start the PO installed - piggybacks this BIG power wire connected to fuse #9 in the fuse box (labeled for accessories in the manual.) The wire that melted from the headlight switch combines into the same blade on the #9 fuse as this other large solid red wire coming up from the main loom. Im guessing it's just there to provide accessory power for whatever ends up going here. The push button uses this wire (which come to think of it does have constant power as you can try to start the bus anytime) to connect to a different large gauge wire that appears to be red with a black stripe down the side.
1979 California Transporter

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sped372
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Re: Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

Post by sped372 » Fri Jun 09, 2017 12:17 pm

I mean, a wire can be always hot and also fused... just to be clear there. They are not mutually exclusive. I still believe there is an always hot and-also-unfused wire there someplace though.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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Amskeptic
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Re: Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:47 pm

sped372 wrote:
Fri Jun 09, 2017 12:17 pm
I mean, a wire can be always hot and also fused... just to be clear there. They are not mutually exclusive. I still believe there is an always hot and-also-unfused wire there someplace though.
#30 supply wires to the fuse box are NOT fused. Chris, you know that there is a divot bonked into the dashboard that is supposed to hold the light switch from rotating. When the light switch is correctly installed, the terminals are facing the left side of the car. Make sure the switch is firmly installed. Volkswagen was happy to punish people who got sloppy, with engine grenading, car fires, and other evidence that ve are to follow ze direktshuns. Get your gauge correct, make nice terminal ends, and clean up the dangling and stray wires especially near the heater and fresh air linkages and levers. Make sure the cigarette lighter is firmly seated and that the live wire is nowhere near groundable metal. Find the extinguisher yet? I always keep my negative battery terminal slightly loose, then I can just tear it off in an emergency with a quick twist. Even an extinguisher can't do anything with a short circuit.
Colin

(p.s if you have speedometer noise with a brand new cable, pull the cable end at the dust cap to make sure it is not pressing up into the speedometer head. If you are sure that the cable is not drilling into the speedometer head, you need to disassemble and lubricate that priceless fine machinery)

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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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airkooledchris
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Re: Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

Post by airkooledchris » Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:24 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:47 pm
Chris, you know that there is a divot bonked into the dashboard that is supposed to hold the light switch from rotating. When the light switch is correctly installed, the terminals are facing the left side of the car. Make sure the switch is firmly installed. Volkswagen was happy to punish people who got sloppy, with engine grenading, car fires, and other evidence that ve are to follow ze direktshuns.

That makes sense. I will work to find that divot and if it's gone, just be sure it's properly rotated to point to the left. I did clean up a lot of wires and get everything connected and happy again, but I need to get back in there to re-do the speedometer cable again anyway so i'll work on that headlight switch positioning when doing so.

The speedo never made noise before so im pretty well convinced it's the cable. I'm planning to lube it this week and get it installed. The cable doesn't seem to want to pull through on either end, is there a preferred end to work from when trying to pull it through the sheath to lube?
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Amskeptic
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Re: Speedometer Cable and Smoking Dash Scare

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:26 am

airkooledchris wrote:
Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:24 pm
Amskeptic wrote:
Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:47 pm
Chris, you know that there is a divot bonked into the dashboard that is supposed to hold the light switch from rotating. When the light switch is correctly installed, the terminals are facing the left side of the car. Make sure the switch is firmly installed. Volkswagen was happy to punish people who got sloppy, with engine grenading, car fires, and other evidence that ve are to follow ze direktshuns.

That makes sense. I will work to find that divot and if it's gone, just be sure it's properly rotated to point to the left. I did clean up a lot of wires and get everything connected and happy again, but I need to get back in there to re-do the speedometer cable again anyway so i'll work on that headlight switch positioning when doing so.

The speedo never made noise before so im pretty well convinced it's the cable. I'm planning to lube it this week and get it installed. The cable doesn't seem to want to pull through on either end, is there a preferred end to work from when trying to pull it through the sheath to lube?
You will see a "slot" in the light switch right where the switch contacts the dash. This slot / dash divot barely keeps the switch from moving, so make sure it is snug.

Cable is not allowed to leave the sheath. I am not sure what the retainer aspect is to the cable. Just feel for any slop and get it away from the speedometer head. Road Warrior had a good 1/4" movement at the speedo head, and I could pull it down at the other end. A brand new cable may not have such movement. As an experiment, you can drive the car with a slightly loosened knurled nut and pull down on the cable as you drive to see if it quiets down. Then you can lightly tighten the knurled nut and see if the noise returns.
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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