74 beetle dash light location?

[Baggsy]

Hello all, first post... so be gentle.

New owner of '74 std beetle... too cool for words. A few small things to work thru, and my manuals are 'lacking' something, or I missed it.

On the back of the dash, I have found the high/low beam indicator lights...they work. The ATF is vacant...not atf. The gen/battery lights and turn signals work.

Now I have a black dash at night...where the devil are the dashboard instrument lights located back there?

Thanks in advance...

Baggsy

[Stray Catalyst]

The dash lights on the 74 Beetle (and most other years, as far as I know) are mounted inside the speedo. If you open the hood (in front, of course) you can see the back of it - there are lights arranged radially. The lights that aren't idiot lights are what you're seeking. If they're all out, then you probably don't just have a burnt out bulb - it may be that your headlight switch is dead, or at least the rheostat that controls dashboard light dimness is. Try spinning the headlight knob in both directions while the headlights are on, and see if you get dashboard lights - if so, you can either leave it at that setting (assuming it's not so dim you can't use them) or replace the switch, they're not terribly expensive. If spinning it doesn't give you lights - time to buy or download a wiring diagram and start troubleshooting. It's a 35 year old car, so some electrical problems are pretty much inevitable. If you don't want to poke into your wiring harness, there's at least one vendor on this site who sells specialized flashlights you can clamp to your steering column - not as elegant, perhaps, but it'll work.

Stray Catalyst

P.S. Welcome to the forum.

[Baggsy]

That's kinda what I figured. Thanks stray. I have all lights except the dash illumination, so I will see where this leads me tonight. I have to say, this is a heckuva web site...and I hope to contribute soon as well as ask the inevitable 'WHERE"S THE DASH LIGHT" questions...

[glutamodo]

Very basic/simple question - have you tried turning the healight knob to brighten up your speedo night-lights?

Your speedometer ought to be similar to this illustration below I have of a 1968 speedometer head, some of the "not used" sockets may not be present though.

By the way, where in Wyoming? Don't see many people from theSamba from WY.

[Baggsy]

Thanks for the reply... I live in Cheyenne, but was raised in Sundance, up in the black hills. Still quite a few VW's around here, the rust isn't such an issue. I've got an '85 vanagon that is westied out, and is a total hoot. The Bug is the newest acquisition...and I am loving it. The memories of the past, the sounds, even the smells. My last project was a 6 volt '48 Case tractor, so this is right along my lines. I have good bulbs, I'll test the switch and see what I get tonight...

THanks again, for any and all the replies...