I have a 75 bus, when i put on the left or right indicator there is no problem, if i push down the brake pedal the left hand side only had a problem, it becomes weak and the brake light flashes. BUT, when I indicate left, brake and have the head lights or park lights on the indicator does not work but both left and right brake lights and both reverse lights flash. Brake then reverse, brake then reverse!!! What the!!!!

Water has got into both relays over the years before I got the wagon and fixed the leak. I have cleaned them both up and they seem okay.

Who can help???

Thanks for any sugestions

Philip Muir

You should get a book by a bloke with the same surname.
John Muir's "How to keep your VW alive".

Seriously it sounds like you have a bad earth, check all the wiring at the lights and check the earths.

Cheers
Dave

I have cleaned up all I could, sanded all the earths and actives it helped some problems but not this. Any other ideas?

Sounds like you have a short in your brake light wiring.
check the taillight cluster. It may not be there, but it's a good place to look. There's a lot of chances for shorting.
Also, try this:
Turn your car off. Have no lights on. Grab a multimeter or battery powered test lamp.
If you have a multimeter, set it to resistence mode. Doesn't matter which setting. If everything's fine you shouldn't get a current.
Earth one end of the multimeter/probe, and test the +ves of each light socket. If you get a current, you have a short to earth

edit: Oops! take all the globes out first.
If you want to check the taillights (ones that come on when the headlights do) you'll need to yank the parkers and headlights.

[Edited on 17/6/2005 by General_Failure]

It sounds like the earth on that side is not working properly.

Cheers
Dave

Awsome advice, if I find a short then what. Do I just run a new wire and bypass the old? and would this explain why the head lights cause a problem? Are the relays involved in your experience or if the fail do they just normaly not work at all, some times the left side indicater comes on the just stays on, the just starts to indicate again

Had the same problem on a trailer once. Very annoying. Ended up being a wire in which the water had got into and corroded the core.

like your thinking as the relay terminals are all rusty, I have cleaned tem up but water may have traked into the wire itself and coroded the core. May be okay under certain conditions but has a higer resistance there for not allowing the full current to flow and it is bleeding back into the system. I did noice dim flashing in the brake etc. also indicator is a bit duller when working on its own. HMMMMM................