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On 19 Jan 2005 at 21:42, Russ Wolfe wrote: > On Wed, 2005-01-19 at 21:30, Jim Adney wrote: > > On 20 Jan 2005 at 12:05, Petri O. Calderon Larjanko wrote: > > > Find the wire that runs from the relay to the steering column. Disconnect that > > wire from the relay. Short that relay terminal to ground. If the relay still > > does not click then it's a relay problem. You MAY be able to take the relay > > apart and fix it. Sometimes there is an obvious problem inside. > > > > If the relay clicks when you short that terminal to ground then the problem is > > in the switch on the TS stalk or the wire to that switch. Touch the column wire > > back to its terminal. If the relay clicks when you do this, then that wire is > > pinched somewhere, and permanently shorted to ground. > > > > Otherwise, either the wire is broken somewhere along its length, or the switch > > is not making contact. > > The other side of the dimmer switch on the column is grounded to a clip > that is part of the fuse box mounting. If the fuse box does not have > that screw in it, or is not bolted down, you may not have a complete > circuit. If that connection is there, I certainly never noticed it. OTOH, I had always assumed that the switch got its ground at the TS switch mounting, but an inspection of a half dozen switches in my basement shows that both sides of the switch connect to wires that run back out of the column. I would have SWORN that it was otherwise.... Russ, how sure are you about that connection beneath the fuse box screw? I've never noticed it, and I sure think I would have if it was there on cars that I worked on. Is it possible that this was how it was done in early cars? On the later cars, '69-, there would have been the cluster of ground lugs up under the dash which would have been more natural, and the latest wiring diagram in the bentley shows this ground going to the back of the speedo. I don't think it was there on my '68, either, but earlier than that and I really don't have an opinion. What year are we discussing, anyway? In answer to the original question, the switch just connects the relay to ground momentarily, which energizes the relay coil and makes the relay change states. So BOTH wires have to be intact, the switch needs to make decent contact, and the "other side" of the switch needs to be connected, somewhere, to a good ground. -- ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA ******************************* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~