TheSamba.com Forums
 
  View original topic: How did you wire your illuminated headlight/foglight switch Page: 1, 2, 3  Next
Classicvibe Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:23 pm

I am resolved to install these tonight, but I have not really considered the right way to do it.

I am guessing I want my new-to-me headlight switch to light up when the lights are on (either parking of full). The headlight switch has a big hole (circle) in the back and I am assuming this is the one people illuminate by inserting some bulb (which?) and wiring it (where, to what?).

My fog light switch looks like it has the bulb inside. I don't have fog lights yet because I am patiently waiting for a set of these:


so...I realize there is nothing to hook it to right now as far as lights go, but there are a bunch of prongs on that little sucker, so I imagine I can hook it up to some other mysterious wires right now while I scheme on those Zwos?!

Thanks you for your expertise!
Peace, Johnny

climberjohn Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:57 pm

heyo Johnny,

Perhaps this diagram will help. I recently filched it from somewhere off the interweb.

I just wired up my aux driving lights nearly this exact way, and it works great.

Comments:
I really did not understand your rather rambling post . . . but this is how I recently wired mine.

Bought an illuminated rocker switch at the FLAPS for about $5. This lights up when it has power.
Drilled a 1/2" hole in the dash.
Mounted the switch in the hole.
Ran a power wire from female hole marked #2 on the fuse panel to the left of the steering column.
The rest is pretty much as is from the diagram.

I hope you find this helpful.

xoxo,
CJ


vanaru Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:22 pm

the one wih the little amber indicator light?

you are correct there are i think six contacts and what feels like a three way action.

think it is supposed to be used to turn on both a fog taillight and foglights or only one of them based on the switch action...

Classicvibe Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:31 pm

vanaru wrote: the one wih the little amber indicator light?

you are correct there are i think six contacts and what feels like a three way action.

think it is supposed to be used to turn on both a fog taillight and foglights or only one of them based on the switch action...

Aha! Great info...thanks Vanaru! That explains a bit of the mystery!

syncrodoka Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:40 pm

position 1- fog lights
position 2- fog lights and rear fog light (we don't have a stock provision for that- the EU taillights do)

syncrodoka Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:45 pm

Headlight switch mod- http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2...p;start=80
You have to do some wiring and the light clips need to be sourced.

Timwhy Thu Nov 18, 2010 5:10 am

The fog light switches have a light inside the switch itself. You do have to get the correct one though, they don't all light up with the head lights turn on. You'll need a Porsche 944 switch from the same era.



insyncro Thu Nov 18, 2010 6:35 am

Timwhy wrote: The fog light switches have a light inside the switch itself. You do have to get the correct one though, they don't all light up with the head lights turn on. You'll need a Porsche 944 switch from the same era.




Nice job, thanks.

snuf Thu Nov 18, 2010 8:03 am

Another optional wiring diagram for OEM foglight switch.

http://www.haywood-sullivan.com/vanagon/foglight_wiring.gif

Classicvibe Thu Nov 18, 2010 9:06 am

SyncroDoka & Timwhy...awesome, as usual! Thank you!

climberjohn Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:58 am

Timwhy,

That's a great post!
Thanks for taking the time to add such instructive comments to the images.

(This seems to be the answer the OP was looking for, rather than mine . . .)

-CJ

Classicvibe Thu Nov 18, 2010 12:20 pm

SyncroDoka, your thread on the LED post is really great, and that mod does not look too bad, but I am wondering, how were these switches intended to light up? Is there some NLA light & holder? Is it something I can pull out of a Porsche or something? One way or another I will go through with it, just wondering if I can hunt down a part so I don't have to make another Johnny-Franken-mod...yours does look good though! Thanks.

vwlovr Thu Nov 18, 2010 12:30 pm

anyone figure out how to LED the rear defroster switch? it's the only one on my gauge pod left with a regular bulb.

Classicvibe Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:49 pm

Iopened it up and looked inside, and if I recall correctly, it is the same setup (inside) as the fog light switch. It uses something like, umm, crap, I forgot the name, but it is similar to the LED you use for the environmental lighting, a skinny tall thing. There are actually 2 light in the fog light switch, I can't remember if it is the same on defrost. In the end, I decided I would deal with it when the time came and the bulb(s) burned out. The bulb size, color and socket all made this ridiculously small mod a complete pain.

Dude I dunno, maybe I made it out to be harder than I should have. I am still at the point where I look for the easy wins on my Van. Everywhere I look I see something that needs an upgrade, so if I cannot justify my time on a mod, there are 50 more waiting for me.

Installed my new tires this morning (and rims), and installing my new OME tonight, and installing my big break tomorrow night. Big wins, and combined will probably take the same time as making that defrost light work (source light, source socket, take apart and install and test).

Maybe next week :lol:

syncrodoka Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:21 pm

Quote: but I am wondering, how were these switches intended to light up?
They aren't supposed to light up from the factory. There isn't any wiring or bulb holder provisions for a bulb in the factory harness in any NA spec vanagon that I have ever seen.
It could possibly be for the european spec vanagons or ?

Team WorldTour Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:33 pm

syncrodoka wrote: It could possibly be for the european spec vanagons or ?
Now that you mention it, I'm not sure if or what switches in Domo light up. When I drive home from work tomorrow, I will have a look for you.

syncrodoka Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:37 pm

The headlight switch is the only one in the US that doesn't light up- figure that one out :?

Team WorldTour Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:42 pm

I do know that when you hit the fog light switch, there is a tiny light that comes on, on the elevated part of the rocker switch. I had a small green light that came on, but it quit. It was just above the parking brake indicator.

Timwhy Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:45 pm

There can be atleast two different Fog Light switches. Both will light up on the
side of them when they are turned on. The Porsche switch also lights up the Icon.
Non illuminated switch

Illuminated switch

Kombi Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:16 pm

Timwhy wrote:


couldn't seem to phrase the search right, so thought I'd just ask you.

What bulbs did you use to illuminate your dash?



Thanks
Dave



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group