Stereo Installation Help 1971 Beetle

[halte_ginger]

I have a 1971 beetle, the guy I bought it from left it with a newer stereo installed, but the power is not connected. It seems to have the appropriate wiring harness with it, but i am puzzled at where to connect the power cable from the new stereo to the beetle.

[hobbybob517]

the constant + (memory) goes to the top of the no.8 fuse (12 fuses fuseblock)

the switched 12V goes to the top of no 2 or 3 , your choise.
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THE BUILD http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php

[Joel]

fuse 2 or 3 will be perfect if the radio only needs to when the lights are on

You need 11 or 12 for ignition power for the ACC wire (usually red).
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle

[Cadaver]

if you can read a road map (schematic) sorry no GPS for that.....

click the top right tab, tech,+ wiring. bingo.

ok all this depends on your needs and your radio.
unsaid.
the radio needs power and ground.
each radio is different.
some have need for memory (newer use FLASH and dont need this wire)
and power antenna wire, (nhah)
ground goes to a body terminal. (find one, add one)
power can go to , the IGnition wire (switched power)

or to, hot all the time, like my stock car has. (radio fuse #10 on right)
there are 2 schematics (at least on that TAB above type 1)
one shows a radio on fuse 10 (right) like mine. Hot full time.
the other drawing has 12 fuses. not 10... so tell me is yours 10 or 12.
both cars have no accessory key position.
so you get 2 choices still hot all time, or Ignition on.
location 12 is ignition, on that second model.
but if you like listening with key off, that wont work.

btw,they sell fues lug expanders, if you run out of plug in points. in the fuse box.
also digikey.com sells the vw type lugs, if you need them,(ask for link)

happy trails.

[hobbybob517]

[Cadaver]

the schematic is clear, the fuse number don't care.

only the wire colors
and where what wires go to which fuse.

its best to look at them all and see if the PO, mixed them all up
in a drunken stupor. (or the like)

my of these cars are wired wrong. so many...
look for wrong amp fuses too.
over fusing is way bad.

[halte_ginger]

It seems the radio/stereo is not on the wiring diagrams

[Cusser]

[Cadaver]

radios , heaters and sometimes, even back seats are optional i n 60s. and before.
some drawings show it , others dont. Code 'R" (see 1968 ,it has it)
but it dont matter,, it's just 2 wires, to play.
1 wire is power
1 wire is ground, (tie the to the body or at the other code 31 point )

so that leaves 1 wire (speakers are unique to the radio, and antenna is obvious ,right?)
that one wire, is power, usually red.

that begs the question, do i want the radio on , key off, or key on.?
if you want the radio power with key off ,wire it like the 1968 schematic shows
to hot full time fuse. (8 and 9)
if not, wire it to the Ignition line. 10,11,12 (use an inline fuse 2amps to RAD)

bingo the radio plays.
but you then discover the radio forgets station settings.
not to worry that goes to fuse 8 (hot all time)
then you wonder why the radio dial lamp is dead?
so you wire that to fuse 1 , parking lamps. bingo dial gloes , first click of HL.

now my other secret, how to connect up to full fuse box.
easy, login to digikey.com buy P/N A27891-ND Female to 2 males.
lighting fast shipping,

left is fuse 1, in my comments.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/bus_8_70_usa.jpg
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for sale now.
in Samba classifieds....1968 T1.

[mcbump]

[Cadaver]

what radio
what actions do you wish to do , to prevent battery discharge.
see fuse 10 1968
see fuse 7 , 1971 , radio. (they dont show the radio ICON just the empty fuse, other documents cover this detail, at VW.
under dealer installed options.
cars very by year, and options. how to do yours, depends on lots of things
even the early 1971 did not have the door key buzzer feature. as posted.
and supers are wired different that standards, so you forgot to say that.

so state how you want it to work?
key in , key out, keyon, key off.
4 choices, pick one.

http://ac-vw-remove.com/stereo.html
_________________
for sale now.
in Samba classifieds....1968 T1.

[mondshine]

If you're willing to take a little extra time, here's a nice way to power your radio:

My Retrosound radio requires constant power to maintain station memory and to operate the clock.
The switched power (to operate the radio) is from a standard Bosch relay. The relay receives constant power to terminal 86, and is energized when terminal 85 is grounded through terminal SU on the ignition switch. Terminal SU normally provides ground to the buzzer which sounds when the driver's door is opened and the key is in the ignition switch. The diode is a "1N4005" from Radio Shack; about $1.

Wired this way, the radio will operate with the ignition switched on or off until the key is removed.

Good luck, Mondshine

[Cadaver]

there is no need at all for any relay
on low powered systems
a relay only has 2 purposes.
for logic, (not needed here)
or for power buffering. also not needed.

the leaving key in ignition for the radio may not make him happy, nor the buzzer actions.

he never said what he wants.?
radio on only with doors closed,
open doors
open doors, key in stalled
or only doors closed ops. only.

it's his choice.
_________________
for sale now.
in Samba classifieds....1968 T1.

[mondshine]

As clearly stated in the previous post, the relay is used to operate the radio with the ignition switched off without the risk of draining the battery from inadvertently leaving the radio on. The radio will shut off when the key is removed from the ignition switch.

[TJs73Vert]

[mondshine]

Here are a couple ideas.
If your car really is a '71, Terminal SU of the ignition switch is connected to ground when the key is inserted. In later models (I mention this because your name is TJs73Vert), Terminal SU provides +12V when the key is inserted.
So check this on your car with your VOM.
The result of this test will determine how you wire the relay.

On my '74 Thing, Terminal SU provides +12V with the key inserted.
Check this link:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=596821

I used the diode (on my '71 Beetle) because I was afraid the relay would be energized when the driver's door was opened, or that current passing through the relay coil would continue through the dome light filament. The diode might have been unnecessary, but I used it anyway. Any car alarm or radio installation shop will sell you a similar diode for $1.

It's not a good idea to keep the ignition switched on without the engine running. Burning up the points or coil is the major concern.
Re: electronic ignition, I don't know if any damage will occur, but why risk it?
If your radio is powered by Terminal SU (through a relay) there will be no need to switch on the ignition just to listen to the radio. When you remove the key, the radio will switch off.

Good luck, Mondshine

[TJs73Vert]

[mondshine]

From what I can tell (guess) looking at my wiring diagrams, if the SU wire at the ignition switch plug is gray, it will be connected to ground when the key is inserted.
If the SU wire is gray/black, it will read +12V when the key is inserted.

Check yours.

If you read +12v at the SU wire (with the key inserted), there is no need for a diode. Just wire it like i illustrated.

The "standard Bosch" relay you buy at any auto parts store will have 4 or 5 terminals. In this case, a 4 terminal (SPST) relay is preferred.
Connect your +12V SU wire to relay 86.
Connect a ground wire to relay 85.
Connect an "always hot" 12V source to relay 30.
Connect your radio's switched power feed to relay 87.

That's all there is to it.
Good luck, Mondshine

[hotsam]

[TJs73Vert]