TheSamba.com :: View topic - THANKS FOR THE HELP

Sun Oct 19, 2003 1:40 pm

I got some great help from this forum when I could not keep by brake lights working. Turns out that whoever owned the car previously had taken the horn off and left the wires dangling near the brake light switches in the master cylinder. The wires were laying down on the metal skid plate that protects the master cylinder. As soon as I taped up these wires my brake light problem went away. Thanks to whoever it was that gave me a complete run down on where the wires ran for the brake lights. You save my day.

Now the next challenge. My turn signals do not work, nor do my emergency flashers. Where do I start on this problem. All fuses in the box are good.

I also noted that the backup lights are absent from the car, but the single wire on each side is still there, but not grounding. Do the backup lights run off just one wire each? If so all I need to do is buy new backup lights and wire them in.

Oh yeah, the important info, 68 Squareback.

Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:56 pm

Seems I have to really step hard on the brakes before the brake lights come on. Is there an adjustment for the sensitivity?

Mon Oct 20, 2003 7:09 am

For the turn signals, try the turn signal relay first. You need to find out if it is one of those rare 9 terminal types though. VW liked to use that expensive relay, and replacements are getting harder to find. I think BFY has them if you need one.
Now there is no adjustment for sensitivity on the brake lights. If it requires a lot of pedal pressure, then one or both switches need replacing. I hope this helps.

Mon Oct 20, 2003 7:19 am

[quote="Bobnotch"]For the turn signals, try the turn signal relay first. quote]

Is that relay inside the steering column? [-o< I hope not...but suspect that it is.

When replacing the brake relay switches do you have to bleed the brake system afterward, since they are attached to the master cylinder?

Thanks for your help.

Mon Oct 20, 2003 8:09 am

I just went through this exercise on a '69. I think they are the same.

The relay isn't in the column, but it's mounted somewhere nearby, or just dangling like ours was. On domestic cars we call it a turn signal flasher. It will probably be either round and metallic or square and black depending on how recently it was replaced.

The Bentley book gives some good simple tests to sort out whether it's your relay, the emergency flasher switch, or the turn signal switch on the column. I ended up having to replace all three on a car that's been parked since '82.

I know Bughaus.com carries all three parts, and they're not cheap.

Mon Oct 20, 2003 1:44 pm

My turn signals suddenly stopped working once. I found the relay, (silver box) under the dash, just right of the clock. It was fine.
Turns out my flasher switch had fallen apart. Put it back together and signals worked again, (but flashers don't! :oops: )