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Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:47 pm

It's good to be among Thingophiles again.

The last time I regularly participated on an Internet Thing-related forum was on something I think was called "Martha's list" or some such, around 1996-7, while I was restoring my second Thing. At the time I had two Things, the first which I bought & restored in 1992. I ended up having to sell both cars a few years later (then-wife's idea), but then I bought the 73 back in 2003 from the guy I had sold it to in 1999 (thanks largely to an understanding new wife). So I was Thing-less for four years. I knew I was a hopeless Thing addict as during that Thingless period I would actually dream about driving around in my Thing. It was so much better of a car than the Jeep Wrangler I had bought to replace it, and, well, I just missed the Thing because it had such a . . . a . . . (what's German for "je ne sais quoi?")

OK enough about my stinkin' personal story. I've been wanting to ask the following question to fellow Thingers for some time now. I can't seem to get my hi-lo beam switch to work. It USED to work when I had the car before, and when it didn't work when I got it back after 4 years I figured I just needed a new relay. I tried two different "modern" plastic ones from Things Unlimited and they did not do the trick, so I ordered two different old but good ones to try. They SEEMED to work at first, that is, when I pulled the lever forward the headlights would click to high, but after a few minutes they'd start going haywire, clicking high and lo randomly, sometimes very rapidly. Only then did I realize that the relay would be HOT. I tried putting the wires on different tabs but nothing seems to work. I think the wires were on the correct tabs when I would get the heat issue. I can't figure out anything from a wiring diagram, and to be safe I partially disconnected it and just leave it on low beam all the time.

Does anyone have any insight as to what I might try? Some kind of troubleshooting sequence that can identify which wire is hot that should be ground, or vice versa? Can the new plastic modern types be made to work?

Thanks,

Ted in Tallahassee

Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:11 am

welcome to the samba.

you have come across the best vw site around in my opinion

sorry i have no advice for your headlight troubles.
im sure you will find help soon

Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:34 am

Try the search. This was addressed awhile back, perhaps over a year ago, either here or at the Beetle forum I believe. It may be the switch itself; years of dust, old grease, and grime get into the switch contacts. You can try removing the steering wheel, and clean up the brass contacts. Go to Radio Shack and buy some contact cleaner (used to be called tuner cleaner for the old TV sets; showing my age).

Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:44 am

Welcome home! ;)

The new-fangled switches probably should have worked. I've never had the original switch in mine, and I've only had mounting problems.

It's got to be bad wiring of some kind. If no one else chimes in by tonight, I'll see if I can post the wire terminals for the new switch I've got in there.

Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:24 pm

Take the steering wheel off and look at the contacts while you operate the switch. You might be able to see something strange with the contacts.

Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:08 pm

Ian Epperson wrote: Welcome home! ;)

The new-fangled switches probably should have worked. I've never had the original switch in mine, and I've only had mounting problems.

It's got to be bad wiring of some kind. If no one else chimes in by tonight, I'll see if I can post the wire terminals for the new switch I've got in there.

:oops: I was thinking of the flasher relay. Just got a pic and everything. Sorry. My HIGH BEAM relay is original.

Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:37 am

So, I'm a dork again...

Here's the picture I posted, notice anything wrong?

Well, I thought I had replaced my flasher relay, and was pretty excited that the flashers still worked. Yeah. That's not the flasher relay I replaced. My headlights weren't working, but in a weird way - they'd only flash on once every second or so when I held down my high-beam switch. :lol: Notice how the stock relay on the right has the same numbers as the new relay?

Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:56 pm

Every relay, well almost every relay used on any car uses those numbers
31= B+ In, 87 B+ out Those are on the switch part of the relay. I think Its 86 and 30 are the coil or control side of the relay. with your relay problems remember how a relay works. Your manual switch, the one you use to switch to high beams is just sending a little amperage to a small coil in a relay that magnetically closes a switch in the relay that can handle high amperage.

Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:22 am

The headlight relay is different - it actually does toggle and doesn't draw power when it's not changing. The leads are in the 50's (53 I think).

Anyway, I'm GOING to fix the damn thing :lol: I HATE it just floating behind my dash - waiting to ground out the system. I'll post the results of the work.

Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:22 pm

Ian Epperson wrote: The headlight relay is different - it actually does toggle and doesn't draw power when it's not changing. The leads are in the 50's (53 I think).

Anyway, I'm GOING to fix the damn thing :lol: I HATE it just floating behind my dash - waiting to ground out the system. I'll post the results of the work.

What did you use for a flasher relay?

Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:27 am

crofty wrote: What did you use for a flasher relay?

I've got the original in there. It works properly. :oops:

(edit) just read you other thread, and you probably want to know where I found a decent replacement. I bought it at Bugformance in San Jose. They don't have an online store and don't respond to e-mail, but may ship if you call them. If not, PM me and I'll sell you my new spare for a few bucks.

Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:15 am

Ian Epperson wrote: crofty wrote: What did you use for a flasher relay?

I've got the original in there. It works properly. :oops:

(edit) just read you other thread, and you probably want to know where I found a decent replacement. I bought it at Bugformance in San Jose. They don't have an online store and don't respond to e-mail, but may ship if you call them. If not, PM me and I'll sell you my new spare for a few bucks.

how many prongs? do you have a model number?

Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:39 pm

It's the one in the picture:

Top Relay TRP 412.400

4 prongs. ...but DON'T wire it as I have unless you want to flash your headlights. :lol: