TheSamba.com :: View topic - Looking for photos of wiring under the back seat on 74 Super

Sat Nov 08, 2025 1:36 pm

Hello! I am looking for some photos of how the original wiring area under the left rear seat area on a 1974 Super Beetle is supposed to look like from the factory. The car now has an internally regulated alternator now, and I would like to add a hard start relay. It does still have the relay and fuse holder for the rear defogger. I may also want to add some fuse protection in the wiring going up to the fuse box, as there isn't any from the factory. But I need to know how it was originally set up first. If you could help me with some photos of this area that would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Sat Nov 08, 2025 3:03 pm

There are a number of photos in the gallery that may be helpful (particularly on p.2 of this link):

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php...t_dir=DESC

I used a circuit breaker rather than a fuse to protect wire going to the fuse box via the light switch.

The hard start relay is to the left of the circuit breaker.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 7:15 am

Awesome! Thanks or the link to the gallery photos; and for your suggestion to use a circuit breaker in line to the power going to the front. Do you have a link from where you bought that circuit breaker? How did you decide what amp rating to use? Thanks again!

Mon Nov 10, 2025 8:49 am

Junkyardjockey wrote: Awesome! Thanks or the link to the gallery photos; and for your suggestion to use a circuit breaker in line to the power going to the front. Do you have a link from where you bought that circuit breaker? How did you decide what amp rating to use? Thanks again!

It kinda depends on what you're protecting. In a house, for example, the breaker is to protect the wire. In an industrial system, it's to protect the equipment... motor etc

Mon Nov 10, 2025 9:09 am

Junkyardjockey wrote: Hello! I am looking for some photos of how the original wiring area under the left rear seat area on a 1974 Super Beetle is supposed to look like from the factory. The car now has an internally regulated alternator now, and I would like to add a hard start relay. It does still have the relay and fuse holder for the rear defogger. I may also want to add some fuse protection in the wiring going up to the fuse box, as there isn't any from the factory. But I need to know how it was originally set up first. If you could help me with some photos of this area that would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Not my pictures, but they're from the Samba gallery. I have one as well in my '74 Super (and '73 Super) but have to find the picture. I'll post when I find it.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 9:16 am

This is from my '74 Super:

Mon Nov 10, 2025 9:34 am

Junkyardjockey wrote: Awesome! Thanks or the link to the gallery photos; and for your suggestion to use a circuit breaker in line to the power going to the front. Do you have a link from where you bought that circuit breaker? How did you decide what amp rating to use? Thanks again!

Here's the link for the circuit breaker:

https://www.amazon.com/Xipupoo-Waterproof-Resettab...Y&th=1

The wire that runs from the circuit breaker to the light switch (and then on to the fuse box) can handle about 35 amps. If there is a short and it fries, it is a pain to replace it and any other wires near it that are damaged. Note that this circuit breaker won't protect any wires downstream of the fuse box since they are a smaller gauge and have a lower amp rating. Wires on the output side are protected by the fuse box fuses, but anything connected to the input (unfused) side would need it's own inline fuse (like the wire going to the coil).

Mon Nov 10, 2025 3:09 pm

OldSchoolVW's wrote: There are a number of photos in the gallery that may be helpful (particularly on p.2 of this link):

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php...t_dir=DESC
This pic from that link is probably the best for showing the stock wiring... it is messy.

I would draw your attention to four (4) items:
1) The alternator VR mounted to the left side of the car (right side of pic)
2) The large white rectangular junction in the middle of the pic. This is where the thick red wires from the alternator B+, the battery positive terminal and the B+ (30) wire that runs to the front of the car come together. A 4th wire from this junction normally runs to the defroster relay to power the rear window defroster.
3) The mess of wires coming out of the rubber grommet just above the VR in the pic. This is the wiring harness coming from the engine compartment. The thick red wire coming thru the grommet is the B+ wire coming from the alternator.
4) You cannot really see it but below the wrapped heating duct is a harness of wires that comes from the front of the car. You can just see the red/white wire that connects to the bottom right of the white junction is coming from this harness. This is the B+(30) wire that runs to the front of the car and powers everything at the dash.

The cicuit breaker on the wire coming off the battery terminal is a very good idea. Especially if you get one like the one in the pic with a TEST function that will open the circuit. This works great as a battery cutoff switch if you are gonna be parked for any length of time. When you come back you reset the breaker and your battery isn't dead. :lol:

As for the size/rating of the circuit breaker... because OldSchoolVW's is running a HSR, the load that normally passes thru the ignition switch to energize the starter solenoid (~20A) does NOT pass thru the circuit breaker, it can have a lower 30A rating.
But if you have the stock ignition switch which must directly power the starter solenoid (no HSR)... the circuit breaker may need a higher rating. I have used 60A breakers. This really only protects you from direct shorts to ground. But this has saved me a few times. But as stated above you can get the function of a battery cutoff switch.