HELP ! Lights not working.

[w30bob]

Jerry,

Glad to help. I'm curious about Vintage's reply regarding the cracked insulators. Many folks on here have bought or are considering buying new harnesses from Vintage, but if there's issues with longevity...........we'd all like to know. I know that more than a few MV collectors send/give their old Douglas connectors to Vintage, who replate them and install them on their new harnesses. But I never thought about the insulators.............I wonder if they are making new insulators or using old NOS ones. If they're using old NOS ones I'm a bit concerned. Thanks for the heads-up!

regards,
bob

[m37paul]

You've bypassed the brake switch with 24 volts, but no power to brake lights? Possible open circuit to brake lights, maybe at right rear? All other light and T/S working, not sure what's left to be wrong.

[F18hornetm]

Glad your making progress towards repairing it. I striped all the wire out of mine as most of the insulation was gone. I did switch over to Packard connectors. I know not original but the douglas connectors were so rusty when I cut it all out I didn't want to put them back. You could also just switch some that look like they are failing or getting rusty.
Good luck with it

[ashyers]

Jerry,
The truck we just finished working on had a harness from Vintage Wiring that is around 5 years old. We noticed it also had a fair # of grommets that were in pretty sad shape. We informed the owner and I hope he deals with them.

I share your concerns about having an unintentional BBQ! The thought of replacing all those things is unpleasant at best. The harness in our truck is 1 year old and also from VW. Some of the grommets already have split, NOT GOOD! Seems like someone made a bad material choice when they made new grommets. I have some NOS ones that appear to have held up better.

Andy

[m37jarhead]

Jerry,
The truck we just finished working on had a harness from Vintage Wiring that is around 5 years old. We noticed it also had a fair # of grommets that were in pretty sad shape. We informed the owner and I hope he deals with them.

I share your concerns about having an unintentional BBQ! The thought of replacing all those things is unpleasant at best. The harness in our truck is 1 year old and also from VW. Some of the grommets already have split, NOT GOOD! Seems like someone made a bad material choice when they made new grommets. I have some NOS ones that appear to have held up better.

Andy

Andy:
Thanks to you, w30bob and others for your input on the failing grommets from Vintage Wiring. As of this morning I've not heard anything from VW on my email to them. Hoping Joe has heard about the grommet failures from other
customers and will come up with a fix.

It's "somewhat" of a releif to hear that I am not the only one experiencing the rubber grommet failure problem. I still have
the 64 year old harness. Most of the grommets on the old harness are hard as a rock but still intact and probably would
still protect the wires from a dead short problem like mine.

Vintage Wiring produces very high quality harnesses. I was very pleased with the harness I bought from VW years ago
for my GPW. But I sold the Jeep 2 years after I installed the new VW harness and do not know how the grommets on
that harness are performing.

While discussing the wiring problem with my great grandson, he suggested making "smores" if there's a fire.
Thanks Hunter.... I'll keep that in mind.

Jerry

[just me]

My VWM harness has the same issue. It isn't Joe's fault. It is Newstar. The India and China rubber is crap and dryrots in a year or two. (And not just the wiring grommets. Every rubber item I've gotten from Newstar has rotted off in less than 18 months.)
My cure is putting a short piece of heat shrink over each grommet and shrinking it down. It holds the shape of the grommet and keeps the metal retainer in position and insulated.

[m37jarhead]

My VWM harness has the same issue. It isn't Joe's fault. It is Newstar. The India and China rubber is crap and dryrots in a year or two. (And not just the wiring grommets. Every rubber item I've gotten from Newstar has rotted off in less than 18 months.)
My cure is putting a short piece of heat shrink over each grommet and shrinking it down. It holds the shape of the grommet and keeps the metal retainer in position and insulated.

Just Me:

I finally got All the lights working!!

Agree. No fault of Joe. I'm sure he realizes the massive problem too. Hope he can come up with another
grommet supplier other than Newstar. VW of M is a class act. Still waiting on his reply.

In the mean time all of us are stuck with jury-rigging the failed grommets. Shrink tube seems to be the temporary
answer. Installing shrink tube on every Douglas connector is no small job. But better that than continued electrical
failures and possible devastating fires. Thanks Just Me and Rick Hoffman for the shrink tube advise.

Hoping all who have bought harnesses from VW of M that have Douglas grommet problems will advise Joe and
he will get a new supplier for grommets to fix the problem. If you are one of us that has that problem, please
call or email Joe. Squeaking wheel gets the oil.

Thanks for all the help gentlemen, it is very much appreciated.

Jerry Bubolz
Gilbert, AZ. USA

[just me]

I have a company quoting a price to mold me new grommets from oil, ozone and UV resistant rubber. Depending on quantity breaks, will order 1000 to 5000 of them. There are several hundreds on my harness alone and I have the M38 to do, also.

[Elwood]

I have a company quoting a price to mold me new grommets from oil, ozone and UV resistant rubber. Depending on quantity breaks, will order 1000 to 5000 of them. There are several hundreds on my harness alone and I have the M38 to do, also.

Group buy?

[w30bob]

I'd be "in" for a group buy............I've got two trucks to do and only want to do the wiring once.

regards,
bob

[w30bob]

I'll be talking to the Vintage Wiring guys at Aberdeen in May...........I'll make sure to bring this subject up. You guys that dumped a grand on a new harness from Vintage are taking this problem much better than I would be. They advertise that they make the "finest wiring harnesses using new and NOS parts"........and the price reflects that. Had I bought one and had it degrade that quickly I'd be a bit "upset". But I'm not saying the Vintage Wiring guys are thieves..........I bet they don't even know about the problem. I'll find out in a few weeks.

regards,
bob

[ashyers]

I have a company quoting a price to mold me new grommets from oil, ozone and UV resistant rubber. Depending on quantity breaks, will order 1000 to 5000 of them. There are several hundreds on my harness alone and I have the M38 to do, also.

If you are getting them quoted, there are some dimensional differences between the new ones and the NOS. The NOS items fit the terminals better due to a step molded into the ID. It is not included in the new ones. I don't have one at the moment or I'd measure it up for you.

Andy

[w30bob]

Hi Guys,

I'll be running into Vintage Wiring at either the MTA show in NJ in April or at Aberdeen in early May. Can someone please post or send me a pic of the problem "grommets/insulators/isolators" so I can show VW exactly what I'm talking about? Me just showing up at their booth and giving them hell for their products without being a customer is one thing, but if I SHOW them what I'm talking about........they just might listen. My email is w30bob@verizon.net or just post them here, whichever is easier. I can also post them here when I get them to show others what they should be looking for.

thanks,
bob

[just me]

I've got a series of pics of failure on 14 month old harness. Will send them to youfrom work Monday.

[ashyers]

Bob,
I'll try and get some photos to you early April, out of town now.

Andy