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wiring harness question for 66 converted to 12 volt
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lstyles
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:04 pm    Post subject: wiring harness question for 66 converted to 12 volt Reply with quote

I have a 66 bug which was converted by PO to 12 volt. As the car was never running and we took it completely apart I have no idea what changes the PO made with regards to 12volt change (except that flywheel is larger size obviously!). Anyway, I found a brand new wiring harness in the back seat and I want to install it. It says it is universal so I am assuming it would be something appropriate for a 67 or later 12 volt bug. I have looked at both the wiring diagrams for the 66 and the 67 and there are differences between the two (the most obviously visible is the different number of fuses). I am not sure how to re-wire it. Should I use the wiring diagram from the 66 or the 67? One side of me says use the 67 since its been converted to a 12 volt but the other side says that the fuse box is for a 66 and so I should wire it up the way it was originally.
Any thoughts/ideas?
thanks,
Lori
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teuton
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Which fusebox does the new harness match most closely? Which year wiring diagram does the new harness match most closely? Will the 67 fusebox fit into the fusebox hole of a 66 beetle - same size or longer?

Personally, I'd go with the 12 volt diagram since the car is 12 volts and will be using a new universal wiring harness.

Take it slow, one system or circuit at a time. You can do it.
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PSScoots
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unless you have a specific reason to replace the wiring harness (fire, off-body "deep" restoration, completely hacked up wires etc.) it's a good idea to let it be.

An existing 6v wire harness can handle the jump to 12 volts easily, and will never be a cause of trouble (per se) in the future. Replacing and hooking up a new harness will take forever, and in the end nothing changes.

If you really want to rewire, go to a specialty shop that sells reproduction VW 66 harnesses. First, the wire color codes will match. Unless they do, nobody here on Samba can help because the advice comes down to "take the Red wire and plug it into terminal 56". If the colors are different, you are dead in the water.

Second, the harness must match the number and arrangement of terminals in your car, so a 66 car should have a 66 harness (regardless of voltage). Once you move to a year adjacent (65 or 67) you have to be prepared to deal with minor changes in configuration, which is easier said than done. "Universal" harnesses make me nervous. Most of the bugs on the road are late model cars, and the 66 is at the end of the simple wire layout era. After 1970, the wiring gets very complicated to accommodate market demands and government regulations. The Universal harness may wind up being too late to be of practical value to a 1966.

If the car is relatively new to you, you may want to examine the electrical parts to confirm they are 12v. Battery, Generator, Regulator, Distributor Capacitor, ThemoChoke, Fuel Cut Off, Hi/LO headlight relay, and Lights need to be 12 volts from the get-go. A 6v starter should be changed over to 12v ASAP. Changing the horn is desirable, but it will work on 12v.

The real challenge is keeping the blinkers, emergency lights, and windshield wipers. All these components have 12v updates specifically for VWs at Wolfburgwest.com. In the case of the wipers, it requires a new armature, but the old 6v will work under 12v, but should be replaced as soon as you can.

If you should still have the 6v radio in the car, leave it in for looks, but be sure it's disconnected and wrap tape over the terminals. 12v on a 6v radio is almost instantly fatal.

If you're not sure these components are 12v, copy the serial number down and post a question on Samba.
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lstyles
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the responses. It is too late, the wiring harness is already gone. It was a mess with lots of changes by PO which didn't look so good. I know I have a 12 volt starter and regulator but I need to pull out the other parts you mention and see what is 6V and what is 12 V. I dont have the old harness to compare the new one to (I knew I shouldn't have thrown it away) but I am not sure how much help it would have been. I would like to try and use the universal harness to avoid spending another couple of hundred dollars on a 66 specific. I am electrically challenged but I am learning. Just finishing off a replacement of all the wiring in a 71 ghia which has been a real education! I am gonna take a look again at the differences between 66 and 67 and see what is up. The car was apparently working (before engine developed a rod problem) with 8 fuse block so I will likely go with original fuse block and if I have to add a couple of things I will. I will look at my relays etc tonight and get back to this post with update.
thanks,
Lori
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bill may
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

by universal wiring kit, do you mean it can be used on a jeep or crosley or fiat or any vw or any car in the world?????
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lstyles
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

By universal I mean that it isn't specific for a particular year but it is for a bug.
I have looked at differences between 66 and 67 and they dont seem so bad. I am pretty sure I can make this work.
Lori
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