[Vwdiesel] Beeper

[Dave Cook]

The rain finally went away last night and I got to watch a great fireworks show, so I was happy with the 4th of July after all.  Today is my day off of work and it is raining again, so more email-catching-up...

I saw a couple mentions of the ignition having an "accessory" spot.

They never did, at least in the A2 era.

However, on several of my VWs, I have wired my aftermarket radio's "on" signal (the one that would normally be attached to the accessory spot on any other car) to the signal wire from the ignition switch that turns on the beeper when the key is in the slot.  I think this is typically a small gauge black and yellow wire.  (Check your bentley on that.)  On some cars, I use one of those side by side connectors to make the connection, and on one I clipped a spade connector to the signal wire, and pushed it into the appropriate socket where the beeper relay used to be, since I hate the beeper.

This is only a signal wire for the radio, so it isn't pulling lots of current out of the switch when the radio is on.  

So it isn't a true accessory position like many cars in that everything works except the engine running, but it does allow you to listen to the radio without energizing everything.  There has been more than one time that I've arrived at my destination and wanted to listen to the last few sentences of whatever the host was saying, and I can do it and not miss anything and still have the engine off.

I would bet that Sandy either has an aftermarket radio, or someone has rewired the factory radio.  As I recall, for many years they had to be turned on and off manually and could be done independent of the ignition switch.

Dave Cook


--- On Mon, 6/14/10, Sandy Cameron <scameron at storm.ca> wrote:

> From: Sandy Cameron <scameron at storm.ca>
> Subject: [Vwdiesel] Beeper
> To: doyt at buckeye-express.com, vwdiesel at audifans.com
> Date: Monday, June 14, 2010, 2:05 AM
> Guess what? today it's noticing when
> the key is left in the car.
> 
> It does not beep when the lights are on and the door is
> open, but does beep
> if the key is in the ignition
> 
> It does NOT beep when the lights are off, the key is out,
> and the door open.
> 
> So I had a dicky ignition switch that was latching it on
> under those
> circummstances.
> 
> I tried poking the key in and out a lot of times, and every
> time, it would
> start beeping (with the door open) as soon as the tip of
> the key entered
> between the 2 metal "gates" that guard the entrance to the
> lock.
> 
> I poked a little more, and I could hear a switch-like sound
> from the lock as
> i poked it in.
> 
> I suspect it was stuck "on" yesterday when I tried it.
> 
> I suggest a shot of WD40 or light oil in the lock, and then
> "exercise" it
> with several key insertions might loosen it up so it
> performs as designed.
> 
> More later, I intend to take the shrouds off the switch
> assemblies and
> examine where this "aux" switch is, I dont think it's part
> of the actual
> ignition switch, but is above it, in the tumbler barrel
> assembly of the lock.
> 
> Another hint for these 20 year old cars.
> 
> The switches, turn signals, wipers, headlights,
> ignition/start, etc were all
> factory lubed with some kind of pasty chicken fat that has
> hardened over the
> years so it causes the switches to go intemittent prompting
> expensive,
> unecessary replacement. 
> 
> Removing the protective shroud, (upper and lower shells)
> around the steering
> wheel hub gives access to all of them.
> 
> I have found that WD40 works wonders cleaning them up, and
> softening the
> congealed chicken fat.
> 
> You might want to finish up with a slight spray of a light
> oil, white molly,
> white lithium,  or something like that, as WD40 tends
> to evaporate, leaving
> the switch dry, and prone to wear.
> 
> More later, as I do more research.
> 
> Sandy
> VE3AAC
> 
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