Independent direction-indicator warning light upgrade

[NASkeet]

DIRECTION-INDICATOR WARNING-LIGHT CIRCUIT MODIFICATION

The original draft of the following modification procedure, intended primarily for British & European specification, 1968~79 VW Type 2s and other air-cooled VWs, gained me a token prize of £10•00 (circa US$20) from Warner's Publishing Group and was originally published in the following magazines:

Nigel Skeet, "Top Tips", Reader's Letters, VW Motoring, January 1996, page 19; in conjunction with, Nigel Skeet, "Flasher Error", Reader's Letters, VW Motoring, May 1996, page 20.

Nigel Skeet, "Rewiring Indicator Warning Lamps", Transporter Talk, Issue 30, August 1997, pages 25~27.

Nigel Skeet, "Rewiring Indicator Warning Lamps", Technical Information Sheet - Topic 7, Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club, 1998.

Many air-cooled VWs (certainly Types 2, 3 & 4) have two direction-indicator (i.e. turn-signal or blinker) warning lights on the dashboard; both of which flash together, when either the left-hand or right-hand direction indicators are used. I thought it would be more sensible, if the warning lights showed which direction indicators were operating; the left-hand warning light flashing in conjunction with the left-hand direction indicators and similarly for the right-hand side. This may be achieved by modifying the existing bulb holder or substituting a slightly different type of bulb holder, for the indicator warning lights and modifying the electrical wiring circuit, as illustrated in Figures 1 & 2.

First disconnect the blue/red wire, between terminal 49a (supplementary terminal KBL, in the case of the USA specification, 1970 VW Type 2) of the flasher relay and the two direction-indicator warning-light bulb holders, shown in Figure 1. Remove the two original warning-light bulb holders (having a spring-loaded contact and a single 2•8 mm male blade terminal) and replace them with two similar bulb holders (e.g. VDO part No. 993 486 025 - having two 2•8 mm male blade terminals, as used in VDO "Cockpit" style gauges having plastic housings).

Alternatively, modify the two existing direction-indicator, warning-light bulb holders by removing the latched spring contacts, which in service touched the instrument housing's metal contact plate (connected to the ignition-controlled supply terminal-15). The latched spring contacts, may be removed by inserting a small screw-driver blade or scissor point into the bulb holder and depressing the metal tang on the spring contacts.

If one has two identical spare bulb holders which can be sacrificed, one can similarly remove their latched, 2•8 mm male blade terminals and substitute these in place of the now redundant latched spring contacts, which were earlier removed from the two existing direction-indicator, warning-light bulb holders.

In the absence of two sacrificial bulb holders, one should cut off the spring contact, solder a piece of light-duty, insulated wire (brown Earth/Ground wire is preferable) to the other end and re-insert the modified component, into one's bulb holder. I much prefer the "sacrificial bulb holder" method, which was the procedure I adopted for my own 1973 VW Type 2. Having perfected the technique, I prepared several more such modified bulb holders, for sale or barter, of which I still have a few left.

After installing one's new or modified bulb holders, make connections using black/white and black/green wires from one terminal of each bulb holder, to the existing left-hand and right-hand, direction-indicator circuits respectively, as illustrated in Figure 2. Convenient places to break into the direction-indicator circuit, are either the multi-way connector (behind/under the dashboard), from the steering-column mounted direction-indicator switch or at terminals L & R, of the dashboard mounted, hazard warning light (i.e. emergency flasher, in USA parlance) switch. Using brown insulated wire, connect the remaining buld-holder terminals, to the Earth/Ground terminal, on the metal instrument housing.

Some vehicles, adapted for towing, may be fitted with a heavy-duty flasher relay, having an additional terminal, labelled C2. For these vehicles, the modification procedure, is as already described. On older vehicles, with a flasher relay whose three terminals are labelled 31, + and S, instead of 31, 49 and 49a respectively, one should remove the wire (possibly blue/red) between terminal-S of the flasher relay and the two direction-indicator, bulb holders' 2•8 mm male-blade terminals. Again, completion of the modification procedure, is as previously described.

Absence of a hazard warning light (i.e. emergency flasher) switch, does not change the circuit modification procedure. Older non-USA specification vehicles (I have no electrical circuit diagrams for older USA specification vehicles, so cannot be sure!) having 12V electrical systems, but lacking the hazard warning light facility, may be upgraded by retro-fitting a hazard warning-light switch (VW part No. 111 053 235F) and the later specification, 3-terminal flasher relay (VW part No. 111 953 227A, Hella part No. 4DB 003 750-07 1 or equivalent unit, such as the commonly available Lucas units).

USA specification, 1968~69 VW Type 2s, are equipped with a bizarre factory-stock, direction-indicator & emergency flasher system (having a 9-terminal flasher relay, with terminals labelled 15, 30, 54, 54St, 49a, Bl (or BL), S, VL and VR) and a brake-light circuit, which facilitates equally bizarre rear-light function, whereby the same bulb-filament, is used for both a brake light and a direction indicator; a crazier system I have yet to encounter!

The USA specification, 1970 & 1971 VW Type 2s aren't quite so bizarre, having adopted the more universal, with 4-terminal & 3-terminal flasher relays respectively, but still retaining the dual function for a single bulb filament. The British & European specification, 1968~71 VW Type 2s, are much more sensible in this respect, having separate bulb filaments for each function, in common with the British, European & USA specification, 1972~79 VW Type 2s.

However, that said, it is still practical to implement the independent indicator warning-light upgrade. First disconnect the blue wire, between terminal Bl (or BL), of the 9-terminal flasher relay and the two indicator warning-light bulb holders and modify or replace the bulb holders, as previously described. After installing one's new or modified bulb holders, in USA specification, 1968~69 VW Type 2s, the procedure differs somewhat from what is shown in Figure 2.

Instead, make connections using black/white and black/green wires from one terminal of each bulb holder (as shown in Figure 2), to the existing front left-hand and front right-hand, direction-indicator circuits respectively. Convenient places to break into the front direction-indicator circuit, are either a multi-way connector (if one exists, this is likely to be behind/under the dashboard), from the steering-column mounted direction-indicator switch or at terminals VL & VR (abbreviations for Vorn Links & Vorn Rechts, meaning front left & front right, in German), of the 9-terminal flasher relay.

Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

[Rocknrod]

Thanks Nigel.

Always enjoy your articles.
_________________
1971 Westfalia with a high top.
http://71vwbus.blogspot.com/ - Pictures and words... Oh My!

[Bookwus]

Hiya Nigel,

I've always wondered how one might go about doing just that job. Thanks for research and the write-up.

I did have one problem though....................I couldn't get any of your images to pop up for me. Is this just my crummy computer or .........what?
_________________
Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck

Have an AutoStick? Check out www.auto-stick.com

[agreendaya]

Wish I had the time to actually do this. Nigel is freakin' awesome, love the ideas/tips.

[Saiboogu]

Fixed the first image (I'm hosting these schematics for Nigel). Second one, he needs to remove the space in the file name. Here's the image:

As usual, excellent information Nigel. Ignore the ones who don't have the patience to read your articles.

[NASkeet]

Flasher relays for turn signal & emergency flasher

Flasher relay labelled RFL 3, is the type commonly used on air-cooled VWs, from early-1970s onward.

This should not be confused with the flasher relay labelled RFL 9, which has an identical terminal configuration, but whose terminal-label allocation, is a mirror image!

Flasher relay, labelled RFL 6, is identical in function to RFL 3, but has the additional facility, for trailer's turn-signal warning light and is what I have on my British specification, 1973 VW Type 2.

I would be interested to learn, whether the flasher relay, labelled RFL 5, is the same as the factory-stock, 4-terminal flasher relay, with one of the terminals labelled KBL, for the USA specification, 1970 VW Type 2?

Flasher relay, labelled RFL 7, is identical in function to RFL 5, but has the additional facility, for trailer's turn-signal warning light.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[captnbilly]

anyone got a flasher beeper so I know when mine is on like when you merge and don't trip the flasher off and 3 miles later realize you've been driving with the flasher on?

[chrisradioman]

That'll be a good mod, you can get these for tow hitches when you hook up a trailer so they must be around!
_________________
http://www.vintagevwweddings.co.uk/contact.html

[NASkeet]

[danfromsyr]

Get a flasher relay for motorcycles they have a nice audible bleep

or hook your 'door is open key in ign' aka 'dang door warning buzzer' to your turn signal circut..
both should be fairly easy even for electrical neophytes.

[NASkeet]