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Sat Apr 25, 2015 9:07 am

I'm about to install a PushButton mechanism in my 63 notch and I can't tell if the Headlight switch is working correctly. When I push in the Headlight switch it pushes in the Parking lights and turns them on. Then right after releasing the Headlight switch it pops back out. Should the headlight switch stay in? I took the yellow cover off and it looks like it should stay in.

Thanks for any help or a link to a different thread.

Sat Apr 25, 2015 11:30 am

First, wires come off the bottom of the pushbutton assembly, as installed, and the headlight switch is at the extreme right. Moving left, the next switch is the parking light switch. The headlight and parking light switches do interact with each other, so with all switches in the off (out) position:

- pushing in the headlight switch also pushes in the parking light switch to turn on both sets of lights

- pushing in the headlight switch again turns off the headlight switch, but leaves the parking light switch on--parking lights then need to be turned off manually

- with headlight and parking light switches in the on (in) position, pushing the parking light switch also turns off the headlights

- parking light switch operates independently of the headlight switch if the headlight switch is in the off (out) position.

Sat Apr 25, 2015 7:56 pm

Thanks Gregson1, Sounds like I need to figure out how to get headlight switch to stay in.

Sorry , one last question. Once I fix this, what are the button pushes to get the Brights to turn on?

Sat Apr 25, 2015 8:05 pm

Brights are activated using a finger switch mounted on the turn signal arm. Hitting it again should turn the brights off.

Sun Jun 21, 2015 7:50 am

I have a friend with a Feb/62 T34 and he has the exact same problem with the headlight button not wanting to stay depressed. Everything else works fine in the pushbutton assembly I am told. What specifically would he need to do to correct the problem. Thanks.

Sun Jun 21, 2015 8:49 am

BTW, I did fix mine. Something is holding the lights metal tab up causing the pin that slides up and down to release. Green arrows in image.

1. You first need to take the pushbutton unit total out of the car or you can try to do it in the car by removing the fuse block and then the pushbutton unit and let it dangle. There is a risk of breaking the wires off the pushbutton Unit like I did if you do it this way.

2.Remove the Yellow cover. Study the cover where it latches because I broke one of my catches. The springs that push the buttons out use catches so don't break it. Mine is ziptied back together with a screw in on of the holes to hold the spring now.

3. Remove the c-clip and spring from the lights metal tab. If rusted, lightly sand the backside of the metal tab flat and the top side of the metal thing that connects the parking lights to the lights. If it is not rusted you will need to bend the lights metal plate just a little so it engages with the pin but also releases when you push the parking lights.

I hope this helps

Before you do any of this study the issue with the cover off. You will see that the pin is releasing from the lights metal plate.

Sun Jun 21, 2015 11:25 am

My good friend Bob Norman rebuilt his

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=552951&highlight=

Sun Jun 21, 2015 2:11 pm

Thanks for the quick responses. We'll get at it.

Sun Jun 21, 2015 8:32 pm

That was an amazing job that Bob did. I don't think you will have to go this far but very good info to have. I wish I had this before I did mine. My unit for some reason is very fragile so be gentle with it. I ended up Hot glueing all the wires to the unit because things kept breaking/coming apart. good luck and be gentle with it they are kind of spendy to replace. Post some pics because I didn't take any.

Mon Jun 22, 2015 7:20 am

Dirtsniffer wrote: That was an amazing job that Bob did. My unit for some reason is very fragile so be gentle with it.
Post some pics because I didn't take any.

Um,,, because it's 50+ years old. I'm 50+ and kinda fragile myself. :lol:

For this reason, the PBD is the most intimidating thing I've ever had to mess with on a VW. And it's jammed into such a tight space where even seeing it is a PITA.
No wonder VW didn't do the PBD for long.

Fri Jun 26, 2015 6:05 pm

So we cleaned the contacts as directed. Low beams are sporadic and only if push puttons are held or forced upward. Seems we have a poor contact. Any other ideas? My friend did have a wiring diagram but that has been misplaced with a recent move. Thanks for your help.

Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:16 pm

Air-Cooled Head wrote: Dirtsniffer wrote: That was an amazing job that Bob did. My unit for some reason is very fragile so be gentle with it.
Post some pics because I didn't take any.

Um,,, because it's 50+ years old. I'm 50+ and kinda fragile myself. :lol:

For this reason, the PBD is the most intimidating thing I've ever had to mess with on a VW. And it's jammed into such a tight space where even seeing it is a PITA.
No wonder VW didn't do the PBD for long.

Try working on a t-34 in that area. It's really tight. I was intimidated working on mine, but I was careful, and delicate, and everything worked in the end (except the squirter part). Just don't get in a hurry with it, and test it out of the car to make sure it functions. I used a battery charger and a test light to make my testing easier.

Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:20 pm

pittwagen wrote: So we cleaned the contacts as directed. Low beams are sporadic and only if push puttons are held or forced upward. Seems we have a poor contact. Any other ideas? My friend did have a wiring diagram but that has been misplaced with a recent move. Thanks for your help.

I used sand paper to clean my contacts in mine, and used an ohm meter to verify that the switches were closed (completed circuit). Also, make sure your fuses and the fuse box fuse connector tabs are clean, as sometimes corrosion there will keep a light from coming on, or be intermittant. I don't know how many times just spinning the fuse brought something back to life. :shock: