TheSamba.com :: View topic - Engine bay wire identification (1969 Westy)

Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:38 pm

So I'm taking out some PO hacked in wire harness (looks like it was used to hook up a trailer light) in the engine bay and once I have it completely removed I have a leftover wire that I can't find where it goes to for the life of me. It comes out of the grommet in the back of the firewall with the rest of the wires for the brake lights. It's pretty thick and brown in color. I've tried looking in the color wiring diagram and I don't see anything that resembles it. Brake lights come on but I'm not sure if they get brighter when I step on the peddle. Also, with the lights on there's no current coming to it according to my voltage meter (again no idea if it has a current when brakes are applied). Here's a pic I snapped with my cell phone, sorry for quality:

Any ideas?

Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:41 pm

Where is each end connected?

Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:52 pm

busdaddy wrote: Where is each end connected?
The wire isn't connected to anywhere. It was spliced into the harness that I took out, and those wires we're spliced into the brake lights.

Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:51 pm

All the brake lights work, turn signals, etc. Well, except for the reverse lights but those have not worked since I've had the bus. Hmm. :-k

Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:17 pm

It's probably a speaker wire, POs put speaker wires everywhere. :wink: :bay_red:

Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:31 pm

well brown is ground in vw wiring. the bus brake light wire is black with red and black with yellow those are also the turns. The runing lights are gray with a red and gray with a black. The rev came out on the other side of the engine bay and thay are black and thay are there own harness. man I have fixed so many wiring harness in bus's Iam statering to see them in my sleep. :? That is if I can get to sleep these days. As far as I can tell that wire is out of place.

Back in the 70's I had a 71 sportmobile and it had a engine fire before I got it so I striped it out had it sandblasted and I was just going to fix the wiring harness at the starter. when I got in to it there was a hole bunch of little white wires in it that were numbered. Thay looked like fuel injection wire's in the main harness. Now this was a 71 with the 1600 not a late one that mite have a 1700 and even then thay were carb not FI. I have never to this day seen another.

Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:42 pm

Very early diagnostic harnesses have all white wires, only found on a few 71's.

Letsgocamping, the backup lights are a black wire laying on the left side of the engine and are connected to #15 on the coil, I think you'll be safe to ditch that mystery wire.

Start at the front with the brake lights, is there power to the switches on the MC when the key is on?

Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:57 pm

I was kind-a thinking that now but back then I was new to vw's and didn't know and was trying hard to make the harness right. I have never seen FI wire's in a harness. I wounder where thay put the plug? there were no mounting points where the later ones were mounted.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:19 am

A '69 wouldn't have diagnostic wires and I think the only seperate wire and brown wire coming thru the firewall in that location is the fuel sender wire which you can see in your photo. Download the wiring diagram from the technical section and you can see all the wires in the engine compartment going from front to back. Also trace that wire on the other side of the firewall and see where it goes.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:28 am

Desertbusman wrote: A '69 wouldn't have diagnostic wires and I think the only seperate wire and brown wire coming thru the firewall in that location is the fuel sender wire which you can see in your photo. Download the wiring diagram from the technical section and you can see all the wires in the engine compartment going from front to back. Also trace that wire on the other side of the firewall and see where it goes.

That's the diagram I've been using, along with the Bentley. I thought it might be the fuel sender wire as well but my fuel gauge works properly. I think you may be able to see the fuel sender wire in the pic, the thinner one going to the left into the fuse holder.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:34 am

I see your fuel sender wire in the photo and it looks to be hooked up. No 69 dosn't have a diagnostic wire my 71 was just odd I think.