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Fri Feb 20, 2004 6:12 am

I bought a new 'Universal Wiring Harness for Dune Buggies'. I've never installed a harness before and I'm kinda questioning weather I can do it. $600 is what the "offroad specialist" down the street will do it for.

The stock harness has twice the wires, fuses and it has relays. The buggie harness I want to install has no relays and half the fuses. Check out the harness I bought and tell me if I can replace my stock 74' bug wiring with it. ( http://store.cip1.com/Merchant2/merchant.php?Scree...e=19-06-04 )

I'd like to save myself some cash and install it myself but I'm affraid of connecting the wrong wires and burning something. Have any of you installed one of these 'Universal Buggie Harness' ?

I'd appretiate all the help I can get.

Fri Feb 20, 2004 7:38 am

I've installed 4 of them. The cheap, $40 'bag of wires' buggy harness. Some people like to spend more, but I've never had a problem with any of the buggies I've done. I think the connectors supplied with the kit suck, so you may want to invest in connectors. Also, soldering the connectors will make a big difference in the longevity of the harness.

It's really not a big deal. Lay the harness out next to the buggy and get it all sorted out. Use small breakable zip ties to keep the harness nice and neat. Pull an extra wire or 2 to the rear (for tach, gauges) and take your time. Use a loom. Neatness is the #1 priority here. Remember, every LIGHT that connects to fiberglass needs a ground, so a cheap 'grounding block' will help here, one in the front and one in the back.

If I can do it, so can you. And, talk about exciting! When you get everything hooked up and connect the battery for the first time, it's fun to see what works and what doesn't.

Send me your e-mail address and I'll send you the buggy schematic that I color coded and scanned. If you go by this schematic, I can help you with any problems you may have.

Good luck!

Fri Feb 20, 2004 10:54 am

Easy to do...

And just a hint, leave the wires a bit long. Take a pencil and wrap the extra wire around it like a coil. It will stay this way when you slide it off, looks cleaner, and you have extra wire when you need it, but it is out of the way.

Randy

Fri Feb 20, 2004 6:16 pm

Any good pics out there that show the install of a harness? I'd like to take a look before I get started.

Fri Feb 20, 2004 8:40 pm

I got the diagram, thanks unclebob! Couldnt I just use the existing stock fuse block? I noticed that it says "diagram for 3 wire type turn lever" will I not be able to hook up the stock one?

Fri Feb 20, 2004 8:51 pm

I have that harrness. I rushed threw it because I needed my Bug. The only problem I have with it is that some of the wires are too short. Im going to be redoing my harness this summer, and am going to change it around quite abit. Re route the wires down my passenger side, and use a differant fuse brick. Here is a pic of my bug when I was doiing the install. Its Really messy up front, Looks like noodles, I am to blame for this, I could have zip tied it all up but didnt.
Good luck
Andy

Sat Feb 21, 2004 12:19 am

Cool, I think it'll be much easier then I thought. Them noodles aint nothin compared to the spaghetti bowl of a harness I've got. So much "extra" wiring I'd like to get rid of.

I think I might have to wait a few days until I start installing my harness. Looks like rain. Damnit! I love the rain and I'd love it even more if my car was ready but for now... :cry:

Does the harness hook right up to the stock Turn Signal Switch? What about the stock Speedometer? What I mean is are they compatable?

How long did it take you guys to install the harness?

Sat Feb 21, 2004 7:29 am

Yes, the harness will work with stock turn signal stalk. I'm using a '67 unit in my buggy. It's also designed to work with stock speedo.

Time? I've pulled one in a weekend, complete electrical about 10 hours.
My current buggy I've spent about +- 20 hours on, trying to be a little neater. The time spent is directly proportional to how neat the harness will be. A neat harness is easier to troubleshoot also.

Sat Feb 21, 2004 6:40 pm

I went out today and got a Automotive style fuse block. Much easier to deal with, and completely sealed from the elements. I'm only running a 6 pole, buggys are pretty simple. I cut out alot of the harness, but used almost all the extra wire for whip light, cooler fan wiring, etc. For the whole $45 I've now got into it, done deal. I'll post pics when I'm done.

Sat Feb 21, 2004 7:11 pm

i've got that harness in my baja. go for it, it's easy to install and the diagram is easy to read. i never hooked up the blinkers because my car IS FOR DIRT ONLY!!!!!!

Tue Feb 24, 2004 4:30 pm

Scince it wasnt raining today I woke up early and decicde to attempt the install. :o I've been looking at the wiring diagram that comes with the harness and I've just about got it memorized. When I took the wiring cover out and starred at the mess in the trunk I just couldnt figure out what was what. I starred at the stock wiring for an hour and then decided not to rip anything out.

What discouraged me was the speedometer, alot more wires coming out the back then I imagined. The way its setup with stock has two to three times more wires than shown in the buggy diagram. More confusing then I thought!

The diagram also shows a couple wires attached to the master cylinder but when I checked there were six with the stock wiring....?! Am I going to rip out all my wiring and find out I shouldnt have pulled those?

The buggy diagram shows a wire from the speedo to a gas light? My speedo has gas, highbeam and oil lights built in so I see about 8-10 connectors in back of it.

I need some pictures to help me out.

Tue Feb 24, 2004 5:25 pm

Dan, dont panic. :lol:

One thing at a time. The buggy harness was designed for the bare necessities.

The speedo. I guess you have a late speedo, with an integrated gas gauge. Early speedos didn't have the integrated gauge, and used a seperate cable-operated gas gauge. The extra wires were for that light. If you're keeping your speedo, don't worry about the 'gas gauge' light, it will allready be taken care of with the 'speedo' backlight. The high beam indicator light (blue light) gets the 16GA white wire coming from the dimmer switch. The oil-pressure light gets the 16GA green wire coming from the oil-pressure switch. The light opposite that on the speedo, gets the 16GA blue 'charging' wire, connected to your Voltage regulator, or your Alternator, depending.

Your master cylinder is a 'dual circuit' type, with 2 switches. The 6 wires were needed, in case one 'circuit' fails, you still have brakes and a brake light. The buggy harness was designed for a 'single circuit' (early bus) master cylinder, with one switch. You can just pick a switch on yours, and plug it up.

Don't think that this harness will replace the stock harness wire for wire, it wont. But it will get you the street legal basics.

Tue Feb 24, 2004 8:05 pm

Good advice from UncleBob.
Remeber to take things ONE CIRCUIT AT A TIME!!!!
All circuits work about like a flashlight does. Current has to travel from the Positive post along a wire to the load, a light for example, and then on more wire back to the Negative post. This makes a complete loop or CIRCUIT. Any time this circuit is broken (open circuit) the current can no longer go around the loop and the light or whatever turns off.
If you keep in mind that it's just that simple, you can't go wrong. Also, a digital voltmeter is VERY good tool to have.
I was at Harbor Frieght Tools the other day and they had them for $1.99. For that price, when the battery goes bad just throw it away and buy a new one!!

Thu Feb 26, 2004 11:05 pm

Thanks, a couple other questions I'd like to ask.

1. The buggy diagram shows a green wire from the speedo to the "oil switch". Do they mean the fuel tank sender?

2. There are 5 wires to the generator hooked up now but on the diagram they show two wires coming from the regulator labeled Gen. & DF. I know Gen. is generator and I'm guessing DF is defroster although I dont have one. Can anyone explain these five wires to me and how this will work?

....the five wires split into a group of three and a group of two which connect to one seperate terminal each..... I'm not sure how the one wire in the diagram will replace all five connected to two terminals. :?

Fri Feb 27, 2004 6:41 am

DanGreen wrote: Thanks, a couple other questions I'd like to ask.

1. The buggy diagram shows a green wire from the speedo to the "oil switch". Do they mean the fuel tank sender?

2. There are 5 wires to the generator hooked up now but on the diagram they show two wires coming from the regulator labeled Gen. & DF. I know Gen. is generator and I'm guessing DF is defroster although I dont have one. Can anyone explain these five wires to me and how this will work?

....the five wires split into a group of three and a group of two which connect to one seperate terminal each..... I'm not sure how the one wire in the diagram will replace all five connected to two terminals. :?

#1. The green 'oil switch' wire connects to the oil pressure switch just below your distributor.

#2. Can you take a picture of your 'Generator'? I think you have an Alternator, not a generator. DF is a Generator Terminal.

Dan, if you're uncomfortable with this, you may want to get help.

Fri Feb 27, 2004 7:19 pm

Dan, Do you have a volt-ohm meter? If not, at the very least you MUST have a test light to do this kind of work.

With the right tools, and some help it really isn't hard.

Sat Feb 28, 2004 12:48 am

I dont know anyone that can help me with my bug. Out of all the people I know I'm the only person that has a vw and knows anything about it, not much but more than they do. If I cant do it myself I have to pay a mechanic. Not something I want to do.

I do have a test light but thats about it. I'd like to show you guys some pics of what I'm talking about but I dont have a camera, yet. I guess once I have the mess of wires out it wont look as complicated. I think I can do it but I know I'll get stuck and that's why I'll want the camera.

The generator problem is still questionable with five wires attached to it now and the one wire thats suppose to replace them. :? If I'm lucky I'll have the camera by two weeks.[/img]

Sun Feb 29, 2004 5:16 pm

Email me a copy of that wiring schematic Uncle Bob sent you and perhaps I can help you over the phone. I do a LOT tech support and over the phone trouble shooting in the DC power systems business. Plus I'm pretty familiar with VW wiring "styles" from model to model. I even once rewired a friend's 67 bus from bumper to bumper with with pieces of it's original harness (which was in a 5 gallon bucket when he bought the bus) and parts we had lying around. Everything, and I mean everything worked like factory.

I was pretty impressed to be honest. :lol:

I sent my number to you on a private message.

Sat Mar 13, 2004 3:42 pm

The harness I baught is NOT universal!! Dont know why they advertise it as one.....EERRR!

I had a mechanic down the street look at my car and he called it a "spaghetti mess" or somethin like that. I did find an older style diagram and it makes complete scence to me, I can definitly see how the buggy harness hooks up with the older style beetles.

I figured out the solution! I need to buy an older style speedo, generator/voltage regulator and everything else I'll need from an older style bug to complete the setup. So I guess what I need to know is, will I be able to replace all the electrical parts out of my 74' with the older style parts? The most important question I guess would be , will I be able to swap the generator I have now with an older style one?

Ok, I found out that I have an alternator not a generator. So, can I replace it with a generator?

Sun Mar 14, 2004 7:42 am

you don't have that thing wired yet???? the harness will hook up to an alternator, dont install a generator, alternator are superior. how do i know? my 65 baja has the universal wiring kit AND an alternator. i'll try to post a picture today if it will help.