Author Topic: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare  (Read 6377 times)

Reply #15September 26, 2019, 11:00:14 am

BryanP

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2019, 11:00:14 am »
Hey again, thanks for the replies and the wealth of shared knowledge!

Libby- Just ordered those headlights, thanks for the tip! Seems like an upgrade while fixing some other minor demons at the same time, two stones with one bird!

ORCoaster- Yeah, I'm definitely catching this. Work has me swamped this week =/
I did see those exhaust manifolds you emailed (thank you!), mine's got the toiletbowl 2-1/4 outlet, I think maybe I mistyped or you misread. I don't think the manifold is the problem (minus the annyoing spring clips), it's the rest of the system (from there to the tailpipe exit) that is necked down to 1-1/4". I've got plenty of 2-1/2" tubing laying around on-site, most is galvanized but I may have some alumized or SS floating around too. For proof of concept I think I'll just disconnect the downpipe from the manifold and see how it feels. I know I know it'll be stinky and loud, but I'm 35 miles from the closest human, so I don't think anyone will mind.

I see the DIY spring-clip tool, that may be a better solution that switching manifolds/welding up a new setup. I think the manifold is cast anyway, so welding/brazing isn't so good. I've made tools for the Rabbit already... I can make some more.

I replaced the socket for the rear blinker (a GM part, it fits but not perfectly) and the bulbs all around. All four blinker blink, but the left side blinks twice as fast and throws the needle on my voltmeter around. Right side works flawlessly and the needle barely moves. Like you say, next step is cleaning contacts and chasing grounds.

Next real problem is a fickle cooling system. Radiator fan seems to come on whenever it WANTS to, not whenever its SUPPOSED to. Gonna dig around under the hood with a DMM and jumper wire and see if I can find anything busted. Could be the fan motor too, last time I parked it was way too hot to touch. Same thing happened with the wiper motor; swapped it out and they run smooth again. Saw a post somewhere about diagnostics for fan/switch/thermo, so I'll dig that back up and go to town on it.

Thanks again for all the input!

Reply #16September 26, 2019, 12:40:31 pm

BryanP

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2019, 12:40:31 pm »
Alrighty I've determined that the radiator fan switch or its contacts are bad. If I unplug the switch, I can jumper the female ends from the cord-end of the plug and it runs. Similarly, as soon as I turn on the vents in the cab, the radiator fan engages. Good to know; for now I can keep the engine cool by simply running the vents in the cab on low. Problem is it only blows hot air, I suspect the valve in the line (that moves when I move the selector from hot-> cold). There is motion in the mechanism externally, but no change in air temp. It does, however, cool down (to ambient) when I turn the AC on (so there's a problem, it only goes ambient, not cold). I didn't know it had AC, might delete or bypass that. Poor 1.6L engine bogs down when I kick it on. I thought something was odd when I saw different and more robust mounting brackets on the alternator. I assumed they had the same problem I did in the Rabbit where the alternator kept slowly slipping and loosening the belt.

Edit:
Engine bogs down when I turn the selector to AC or Max AC. BUT there's definitely not an AC unit under the hood. Any thoughts on what's causing the draw on the engine?
« Last Edit: September 26, 2019, 12:45:49 pm by BryanP »

Reply #17September 26, 2019, 08:03:04 pm

libbydiesel

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #17 on: September 26, 2019, 08:03:04 pm »
I mostly only play with Vanagons at this point aside from my '79 rabbit which has an entirely custom exhaust on it.  For stock exhausts I liked the toilet bowl primarily for the fact that if you know what you are doing, they are easy to remove and install.  They allow movement of the pipe while usually sealing well and yet don't have bolts that rust up and become impossible to remove.  To me the spring clips are not annoying.  They are comparably delightful to deal with but I put in the time 20 years ago to make a simple tool for spreading them.

Post some engine pics.  If turning the A/C on bogs down the engine and there is no compressor, that's really weird.  The only reason I can think of would be a MAJOR short circuit causing an increased load on the alt.  If that's the case, then you should sort that out immediately.


Reply #18September 26, 2019, 09:03:38 pm

BryanP

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #18 on: September 26, 2019, 09:03:38 pm »
General under the hood. I know I know I know it's filthy.


Blue circles work, red x does not. The arrows reference the rectangular running lights on the side near the front.


Pimped out glowplugs. I will be doing this to my rabbit too, it was stupid easy and incredibly effective:


Alternator side of the engine:


Wiring nightmare:
Passenger side, note that the yellow running lights are intentionally disconnected. Both bulbs are burned out, but either way I can't find a wire that's hot when my headlight knob is halfway pulled. Could be the headlight switch.


Driver's side same as passenger side, with regards to wiring nightmare. I know in the last image, both pins in the white connector at the end of my ring finger are directly connected to the frame as grounds.

Radiator fan turns on only when I have the air in the cab on. Doesn't matter heat/ac, just so long as that lever isn't "off" the radiator fan is on.
Boy I can't wait to get home to that bentley and haynes tomorrow. Gotta figure out these running lights... Days are getting shorter.

Reply #19September 26, 2019, 09:12:41 pm

BryanP

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #19 on: September 26, 2019, 09:12:41 pm »
More photos:



I have a working washer relay in there now, and the GP relay is disconnected and in the glove box.


PO put in the fuel shutoff and fog light, I put in the GP.

Reply #20September 27, 2019, 10:32:52 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #20 on: September 27, 2019, 10:32:52 pm »
BryanP,  Maybe not so much a nightmare with the wires, but for sure a bad dream. 

Looks like the grounds on that one up on the drivers side is a bit heated in the past.  At least it looks that way.  That screw needs to come out and get cleaned, it looks poor contact to me.

Looking at the dash shows signs of a past AC delete by the PO.  But most fans come on automatically when the AC or Max position is engaged.  Why the engine RPM's drop might be related to just having the fan come on?  Maybe just label that position Man Fan?

Thinking outloud here. 

Having a wiring diagram will help for sure so good luck sorting it out this weekend.  Stay dry. 



Reply #21October 09, 2019, 12:32:31 pm

BryanP

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #21 on: October 09, 2019, 12:32:31 pm »
An update!

So I took off every ground I could find (some stock, and some added), cleaned them and replaced the ones that were slightly shoddy. Traced wires via wiring-diagram in the Bentley and made sure everything was in order, had to replace 2 that were broken in the loom (a royal PITA, there was SO much electrical tape!). I now have nearly all electrical components in good working order. Running lights work again! All blinkers, flashers, and taillights work, though my reverse-light switch is shot. I've got a new one on order. I put in LED headlights (Thanks for the tip, Libby!); not the same ones you linked, but very similar. Took about 10 minutes total to swap out both. HUGE improvement in both voltage stability and night-vision! I'm still going to dig into the wiring harness section driving the front-end lights; I have no power going to the inner set of round lights (fog lights? I don't know what these are for), but I have some aftermarket fog lights mounted under the front bumper. I'm on nasty dirt roads all the time and these low-hanging lights are.... no longer in working condition. So I'll remove those fog lights, rewire the foglight switch to run the round ones, aim them, and replace/shorten wiring to the rest of the front end lights.

Now its on to the minutia; I'm having a strange problem with the radio that I haven't spent much time on yet. I'm imagining there's yet another grounding issue.

Problem is, radio works fine until I start charging something via USB in the lighter socket; I get nothing but static when something is charging. I replaced the lighter socket (Thanks, ORCoaster!!!), and the radio is aftermarket, so I'm not too sure what's going on. I also have a bluetooth receiver that I can plug in, one of those ones that outputs to a frequency I can pick up on the radio. I get a high-pitched whine that gets louder/higher as RPM increases; I'm imagining this is a signal interference from the alternator. I get the same whining with the same receiver in my 2003 Tahoe, but not the static issue.

I bought the truck with a busted taillight... Any ideas on how to replace both units without spending $300-400? ie, does another vehicle (old gm, old toyota, etc.) happen to have similar geometry I can modify? Or perhaps theres a source I can't find that's got just the red/yellow/clear "glass" replacements?

Side note- the truck is presently covered in snow, it's 14F outside, and it's idling smoothly =)

Reply #22October 09, 2019, 10:36:17 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #22 on: October 09, 2019, 10:36:17 pm »
BryanP, check your email for a picture.

I found a spare set on Craigslist for about 45 shipped from somebody up at the top of our fine state. 

Just search for VW parts and hit places from Bellingham, WA down to Medford and then over towards Boise.

I send folks a reply asking if they do PayPal for payment and would consider shipping them to me on the coast.  Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't want to be bothered with a box and a run to the Post Office.  Not sure why. 

There seem to be plenty of Caddy's for parts out there right now so hit those folks up and see what they have to offer. 

And no, I will not ship you mine.  Nice guy maybe but not that nice.  Later

Reply #23October 10, 2019, 07:41:52 pm

BryanP

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #23 on: October 10, 2019, 07:41:52 pm »
Great info, thanks. My searches today yield nothing, but I found some on ebay from Belgium for $110 shipped. Tape will have to do for now. I may bend some colored acrylic if I can't find something before too long. Bend the acrylic and adhere a clear diffuser to it, could work in a pinch while I save up / locate a different set. I've done it with ballistic polycarb at work before to protect some high-end lighting/filming equipment, same process could work here too.

I wouldn't expect you to ship those, seems like they're a rare commodity and worth their weight in gold. Thanks for all the other stuff though, I've used almost all of it; just gotta dig into the dash and replace the "unleaded fuel only" plate, but I'm going to do that when I get dash bulbs and swap dashes.

Reply #24October 12, 2019, 11:04:13 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #24 on: October 12, 2019, 11:04:13 pm »
Found a guy in ID with two pick ups and is parting them out.  I asked the necessary questions, have to see what he says. 

Check PM for CL link.

Reply #25November 01, 2019, 02:00:20 am

fatmobile

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #25 on: November 01, 2019, 02:00:20 am »
 Got the rad fan figured out?
 I like to use the MK2 radiator fan relay setup. All wiring stays in the engine bay.
 It mounts on the radiator fan shroud.
 Instead of running power through the firewall so it can go back through the firewall out to the switch, back through the firewall to the relay, then back through the firewall to the radiator fan.

 Then you can use the old radiator fan relay spot in the fusebox for the reverse light relay.
 So the reverse lights don't burn out your new reverse switch like they did the old one.
 The wires run right past the relay spot.
Tornado red, '91 Golf 4 door,
with a re-ringed, '84 quantum, turbo diesel, MD block

Reply #26November 16, 2019, 01:44:35 pm

BryanP

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Re: 81 Pickup 1.6D Electrical nightmare
« Reply #26 on: November 16, 2019, 01:44:35 pm »
Wow that sounds like it'll solve two problems at once!

Swapped out the busted rad fan switch and now it kicks on like it should. BUT... my reverse light switch is busted. Sounds like you may have perfectly described the history of this caddy... I'm going to look into that right away, I'm all about lessening the lengths of wire under the hood, and redirecting current away from the cab.

Thanks for the input!