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Sun Sep 15, 2002 3:45 pm

hello my name is ben. i am redoing the wiring behind the dash. what led me to this was when i pulled my instrumaent pnl out and seen the biggest rats nest (of wires) in my life. ppl hacked the hell out of the wiring . bad connection 3 wires splitting off of power wires grounds just hangin. chaffed wires. wires just hangin, so on and so on.i ve never done this before but im sure ican.but some questions i have are
1 where do i start? the fuse block? the intruments? the wires comin from the back?
2 is there wiring harnesses for what im tryin to do? would it be easier?
3wich diagram do i use? 69-70 or 70 -71
i have a rear defrost optionand a battery light that i couldnt find a home for.
currently i have my instrument pnl discoed, my dash pulled out and my fuse pnl pulled. ANY help will be greatly appreciated. thanks

Mon Sep 16, 2002 12:37 pm

Go to www.type2.com and look in the archives. You should be able to pull up a wiring diagram for your year Bus. That should help you.

Mon Sep 16, 2002 12:38 pm

P.S. Find out which month and year your car was made (look at the plaque behind the driver's seat) and find the diagram that goes with it.

Mon Sep 16, 2002 4:52 pm

Find someone with a bus your year and ask them if you can take a look see, that will help out alot... Go for the big easy stuff first... Big reds to fuse box, whites and yellows to the Headlights... Then smaller gauge wires... black and red stripe/dashes to brake lights, grey/black and grey/red to the running lights... Black/green & black and white to the turn signals ect ect... get the major stuff hooked up first and the smaller sub systems stuff will fall into place... Remember some small gauge BLACK wires are HOT +( example;... wire to coil) as well as red...on VW's and browns are - GROUND.... Multi colored are to lighting and engine/ idiot lights.... Take your time.... use a Test Light and or a VOM
Trickyest stuff is maybe the turn signal switch/ hazzard/ flasher relay, and the horn circuit can be a bitch... Good luck

Thu Sep 19, 2002 4:29 am

thanks for all the info. so far ive got my ignition done. my headlights are on . my wipermotor is working....wich never did before. i got my hazard switch all wired and my two front turn signals but they arnt working yet.m i suspect i havnt gotten the ground yet.

Thu Sep 19, 2002 6:23 pm

If it is as big a mess as you say and like I have tackled before then just be patient and keep a good supply of fuses handy while you figure it out! Can you find a bus, even in a boneyard or wherever, looking at the way the fuse box and wiring is can help out a lot when going from scratch...

Thu Sep 19, 2002 11:16 pm

hey im almost done. but i do have two bugs im tryin to figure out
1 when i turn on my high beams my light swich starts smokin AHHHHHHH!!!!!
2 cant get my brakes to work

Thu Sep 19, 2002 11:17 pm

brake lights i mean

Sat Sep 21, 2002 9:30 am

Sorry I did not get on much in last few days. Which switch the main headlight switch or the turn signal part that you use to flash? smoke usually means one thing... direct short....??? that is a good one... re check all the connections is the only thing I can tell you.... make sure the brown ground on the silver flasher relay is on the right terminal.
Jumper the wires together off the brakelight switch(es) to see if it is the swtiches that are bad or the wires to the rear or no power from the feed to the switches.... later.... K