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71 transporter brake and turn signal wiring problems
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Father_Son_71
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 5:12 pm    Post subject: 71 transporter brake and turn signal wiring problems Reply with quote

The engine is running after a 10 year off-and-on overhaul. Yay! Now having problems figuring out specific wiring.

Headlights are working fine, however turn signal switch doesn't seem to effect their brightness. Are the supposed to get brighter when turn signal is pulled up?

Looking for tips and guidence on brakes and turn signals:

When I press on the brakes I don't get any current to wires in the back of the car (black & yellow wire and black & red wire seem to be the original L and R brake wiring).

My hazards work in the front, however I have found that the turn signal switch has no effect on either front light or either back light.

Following wires to make sure they are correct has kept me busy. But as far as I can tell they are fairly correct.

I have been floating between two wiring diagrams of E 1.2 and VWoa-2934 which are both (from August 1970). I don't have a E9 (switch for fan motors) but I do have E15 (rear window defrost).

Recently I found out that my horn is broken, my ignition key warning is broken and there are signs of general water leakage from the past near my fusebox.

Please help!
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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:15 pm    Post subject: Re: 71 transporter brake and turn signal wiring problems Reply with quote

Welcome.
Father_Son_71 wrote:
...........there are signs of general water leakage from the past near my fusebox.

That's likely the cause of the high beam issue, remove the relay and give it a shake, if it makes noise it's probably toast. Also remove each fuse and shine up each end as well as the tabs they go into in the fuse box, "looks OK" usually doesn't conduct electricity very well.
Once the fuses are clean if the brake lights still don't work check for power on the black wire at the switches on the master cylinder (key on), if there's power there and the brakes are bled properly yet no poser goes to the black/red wires when a helper steps on the brakes the switches may need cleaning or replacement, try cleaning the sediment out first as new switches are terrible quality.
The Aug 70 diagram is the correct one for a 71 bus.
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Father_Son_71
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:06 pm    Post subject: Re: 71 transporter brake and turn signal wiring problems Reply with quote

Thank you! I've been following other threads and finally decided it was time.

busdaddy wrote:
Also remove each fuse and shine up each end as well as the tabs they go into in the fuse box, "looks OK" usually doesn't conduct electricity very well. ... The Aug 70 diagram is the correct one for a 71 bus.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


So I cleaned all the tabs and I had bought new fuses. Do you know why my fuses box would be like this? The wiring diagram has fuses mapped out like this:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Your thoughts on what is best?
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Desertbusman
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Four red fuses and 2 blues?. Pull those suckers immediatly or else quickly go buy a couple more fire extinguishers. Shocked

There is nothing anywhere that warrents a blue fuse, which might be a 25 amp. And actually, there is no circuit on a '71 that uses enough juice to require a 16 amp red fuse.

I got rid of any reds years ago and only use 8 amp whites in all my bus and bug circuits. Never have even had a white fuse blow from any circuit using more than 8 amps. But the smaller fuse blows quicker if you accidently short something or if a component is not functioning well.

I'd so much rather have a small rated fuse blow than chance having a wiring, connector, or component having some issue that might develop into some larger problem.
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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:11 pm    Post subject: Re: 71 transporter brake and turn signal wiring problems Reply with quote

Father_Son_71 wrote:
Do you know why my fuses box would be like this?

Silly PO, not the first time it's happened either, usually the result of running out of the correct fuses and shoving the leftovers in an assortment pack in "just for a minute".
As DBM says put them in as the diagram shows and definitely ditch the blue ones. Myself I try not to go any smaller than specified for a circuit as they can heat up in use and melt the fuse box, it depends on what that fuse is driving as well, something that only gets used a little now and then like brake lights or a horn may be OK with a weaker fuse but things like lights that are on for hours on end need the correct size fuse for sure.
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Desertbusman
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another different important topic.


The 16 amp fuse in fuse #11 location in your diagram is in question for your bus. Not all '71 wiring diagrams are the same.

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Your diagram has one moderately small black wire going from the fuse to the wiper switch. A wire that small, a little #1.0 gauge, is not intended to transmit all the juice that a 16 amp fuse could provide. An 8 amp fuse is clearly ample. In the event of a wiper circuit failure the 16 amps feeding it is apt to cause damage before the fuse goes. If your bus only has that one little black wire feeding the wipers then get that red fuse out of there.

Check the other '71 diagrams in the Technical section. You will see that the #11 fuse also protects the rear window defroster which is a large power drain and does deserve a red 16 amp fuse. I think all U.S. delivery '71 did have the rear window defroster. Check yours to see the situation for that #11 fuse. Chances are that your defroster grid is shot and you won't/can't use that circuit. So the red fuse will never be needed providing you were to disconnect feed to the defroster switch. But if you keep the red fuse you are putting your wiper circuit in somewhat jeopardy.

I'd dissable the defroster switch wiring ( the bigger black wire) and go to a white fuse.
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Father_Son_71
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Desertbusman wrote:
Chances are that your defroster grid is shot and you won't/can't use that circuit...

I'd dissable the defroster switch wiring ( the bigger black wire) and go to a white fuse.


Nailed it on the head there DBM, the defroster grid was shot! I will disable that today and finish a thorough cleaning of all my bulbs/sockets as there was much corrosion. I am hopeful that the rest of my wiring will be slowly moving along now that I have a happy fuse box.

I will get to testing the brakes hopefully tomorrow morning and will reply back with my news.

Thanks guys!
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Father_Son_71
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Look how nice! The blue fuse is my empty slot, so don't have a heart attack.

Now every wire is correct according to diagram, except one that is connected to the second from the left, top position. It is wired to the back of the car with a cap. Don't know why its there, but if for some reason I need it later, there it is. Actually. I am going to unplug it in the front and label it. That's probably best.
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Father_Son_71
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:12 pm    Post subject: horn wiring Reply with quote

I'm switching gears for a second, as my dad is my helper and I want him on the voltmeter for testing continuity.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


This is where my horn wire should be running up to the horn button... But I don't see a wire there... Am I right? And if so, how do I wire this?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


And here is it from the top... which is confusing me. As far as I can tell this wire is stuck! I can't pull it out from the top and I don't know where the bottom is. I think the concept is that a wire coming from the tab on my first picture is supposed to run up and connect to the tab on that round floating disc, so when you press on the horn the disc touches ground and you create the circuit for the horn to honk.
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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

While you are changing that steering coupler you will notice the wire running down the hollow steering shaft connects to a spade terminal bolted under one of the coupler bolts on the steering box input flange (you are changing that scary looking coupler....right????), the top end of the wire should be about 2" longer and connect to the silver ring the horn button goes in.
The wire from the column to the horn is present in your picture of the bottom end, it's barely visible camoflaged by grime between the scary crack in the coupler and the underside of the captive nut for the floor plate hold down screw running along the bottom of the floor plate (that's the black upside down bowl on the floor the column goes into). It connects the base of the column tube to the horn, when you push the button that wire in the center of the shaft grounds the insulated outer column tube and completes the circuit since the horn already has constant positive power connected to the other terminal.
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Tcash
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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70Crew wrote:
There are 2 wires you need to connect on the steering column.

The first wire is the column tube ground. There is a short wire that comes off the main wiring harness and ends up right next to the steering gear box. This wire needs to be routed through the metal loop (A) on the underside of the cover plate and then attached to the tab that sticks out from the end of the column tube (B). These tabs break off easily; I have 3 column tubes and 2 of the ground tabs are missing (broken off). I attached this ground wire with the steering column, gear box and cover plate in place. It took a lot of cussing, a shop light and a pair of Harbor Freight extra-long needle nose pliers but it is definitely possible (see space G.... yep, that's pretty tight). The alternative is to remove the gear box which I didn’t want to hassle with.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


The second wire (also a ground wire?) is brown and runs from the top of the steering column (C) to just above the gear box. The steering column is hollow and this wire runs through the center of it. The bottom end of this wire has a large loop wire terminal that fits around one of the 4 hex head M8 bolts that connect the steering column to the coupling disk and top of the gear box. There is a small gap (D) between the coupling disk and top of the gearbox which allows you to feed that wire (E) from the column and around the corner to one of the hex head bolts (F). I attached it on the bottom, under a nut, so that the contact was metal to metal rather than nut to rubber. I’m not 100% sure that is how it was done from the factory but it makes sense to me (anyone out there know better?).

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Bentley says you are supposed to install the column tube first and then the steering column from underneath. That was not possible without a lift so I installed the entire assembly from the top. I did it alone and the only part that was remotely difficult was attaching the aforementioned column tube ground wire.

Good luck and holler if you have any questions.

Chris
(MiOdy81)
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Father_Son_71
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:40 pm    Post subject: Horn wiring Reply with quote

Horn wiring is on it's way. Somebody didn't wire the horn right and caused shorts in a couple of places... But now that I've ordered a new coupler and will replace it, I will be able to wire it correctly. Thank you all for the tips and for the advice. Once I get my parts I will hopefully have a successful day and get it street legal!

Turn signal switch is apparently shot. Probably due to overheating and getting banged on when they were trying to fix the steering wheel. Why is my steering wheel completely cracked? Who glued it back together? But now I have cleaned all of my bulbs and all of the light terminals. So, hopefully I will be up and running by the end of the week!
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