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Dan2973
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2019
Posts: 484
Location: NJ
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 Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 1:23 pm Post subject: 58 dash light questions |
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I rewired my 58 and restored the speedo. I’m unsure if the red light on the left side of the speedo is charging light or oil pressure light. Maybe I have them backwards ? When I turn the key the red light lights up and when the engine starts it goes out. The light on the right side is not coming on at all. I checked and rechecked the bulb and it’s good. I’m not confident that I’m getting power to the oil pressure switch and if the oil pressure switch is any good?
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runamoc 
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 6028
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| Quote: |
| not confident that I’m getting power to the oil pressure switch |
The idiot light gets a ground from the pressure switch when there is low pressure. All three of the lights at the bottom of the speedometer have a + feed that goes to all 3 of the bulbs
_________________
Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 45 yrs - Plan B: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs- '80 Rabbit Diesel
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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panicman
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2011
Posts: 2599
Location: Canby, OR
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 5:55 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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Red light is generator and green is oil. Both should come on with the ignition clicked to on, and go out when the engine starts.
Is your green not coming on at all? |
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panicman
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2011
Posts: 2599
Location: Canby, OR
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 6:03 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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Like runamoc said, those bulbs both get power right off of the fuse block. But the oil sensor at the engine has a switch in it that behaves such that it opens when the engine is running and there is sufficient oil pressure/ case pressure. When the switch opens, the circuit loses its ground and the light goes off.
If you were driving and started to lose oil pressure, the ground would close and the light would come back on. |
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runamoc
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 6028
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 6:51 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| red light on the left side of the speedo is charging light or oil pressure light |
Turn the key switch to 'on'. Take the oil pressure switch wire off the oil pressure switch located on the left side of the engine near the distributor. The idiot light that goes out is the oil pressure idiot light. Don't do this test for very long, you could burn up components in the ignition circuit.
You can swap the two wires on the gen/oil pressure idiot light bulbs if need be.
_________________
Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 45 yrs - Plan B: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs- '80 Rabbit Diesel
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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Dan2973
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2019
Posts: 484
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 5:32 am Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| panicman wrote: |
Red light is generator and green is oil. Both should come on with the ignition clicked to on, and go out when the engine starts.
Is your green not coming on at all? |
Correct. The green on the passenger side is not coming on at all. |
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runamoc
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 6028
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 7:28 am Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| Quote: |
| green on the passenger side is not coming on at all. |
Could it be as simple as a 'burnt' out bulb?
another test...with the key switch 'on' take the wire off of the oil pressure switch and short it to ground, this will/should cause the light to come on.
_________________
Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 45 yrs - Plan B: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs- '80 Rabbit Diesel
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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Dan2973
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2019
Posts: 484
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 11:18 am Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| runamoc wrote: |
| Quote: |
| green on the passenger side is not coming on at all. |
Could it be as simple as a 'burnt' out bulb?
another test...with the key switch 'on' take the wire off of the oil pressure switch and short it to ground, this will/should cause the light to come on. |
Was fiddling around and tried to ground the wire to the case with the key on and nothing. Its getting power but just not lighting. I was fooling around with alligator clips acting as a ground to the socket body and it did light with the key on one time. And now of course no matter what I try I can’t get it lit again |
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panicman
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2011
Posts: 2599
Location: Canby, OR
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 11:35 am Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| Weird. I would say trace that line carefully and see if it is finding ground somewhere. |
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Dan2973
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2019
Posts: 484
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 2:06 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| panicman wrote: |
| Weird. I would say trace that line carefully and see if it is finding ground somewhere. |
How could I run a good isolated ground? How is it that the generator light and directional light and high beam light all work |
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panicman
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2011
Posts: 2599
Location: Canby, OR
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 2:11 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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Those lights are all on their own circuits, and those circuits are apparently fine, so they are all working as they should.
I'm suspicious of your switch, or the wire that runs from front to back. I'd be suspicious of the wires nearer the ends... if the insulation is damaged, the wire could be finding metal and creating a ground.
Neither the switch or a short in the oil wire would effect the other bulbs. |
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panicman
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2011
Posts: 2599
Location: Canby, OR
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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You could try running a spare wire outside the car from the bulb back to the oil sensor. Then try. If it still doesn't work d
I'd think it has to be the sensor or something with the wiring at the speedo. |
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Dan2973
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2019
Posts: 484
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 2:23 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| panicman wrote: |
Those lights are all on their own circuits, and those circuits are apparently fine, so they are all working as they should.
I'm suspicious of your switch, or the wire that runs from front to back. I'd be suspicious of the wires nearer the ends... if the insulation is damaged, the wire could be finding metal and creating a ground.
Neither the switch or a short in the oil wire would effect the other bulbs. |
Gotcha. If the oil wire insulation was cut and finding ground on metal then wouldn’t the light be on? it’s a brand new wiring harness. |
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runamoc
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 6028
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 2:24 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| Quote: |
| fooling around with alligator clips acting as a ground to the socket body |
the socket body should be +. the socket 'tab' should be where the ground goes.
_________________
Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 45 yrs - Plan B: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs- '80 Rabbit Diesel
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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Dan2973
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2019
Posts: 484
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| runamoc wrote: |
| Quote: |
| fooling around with alligator clips acting as a ground to the socket body |
the socket body should be +. the socket 'tab' should be where the ground goes. |
This is crazy. I started over and disconnected the oil wire from the sensor. Made sure I had a good ground. Turned the key and the light came. Does this mean the switch is bad? |
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runamoc
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 6028
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| Quote: |
| the light came. Does this mean the switch is bad? |
odds are it's not working right or it's been wrapped with Teflon tape. The threads of the sensor must make a good electrical connection with the case.
_________________
Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 45 yrs - Plan B: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs- '80 Rabbit Diesel
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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panicman
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2011
Posts: 2599
Location: Canby, OR
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2025 8:52 am Post subject: Re: 58 dash light questions |
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| Dan2973 wrote: |
| panicman wrote: |
Those lights are all on their own circuits, and those circuits are apparently fine, so they are all working as they should.
I'm suspicious of your switch, or the wire that runs from front to back. I'd be suspicious of the wires nearer the ends... if the insulation is damaged, the wire could be finding metal and creating a ground.
Neither the switch or a short in the oil wire would effect the other bulbs. |
Gotcha. If the oil wire insulation was cut and finding ground on metal then wouldn’t the light be on? it’s a brand new wiring harness. |
Yes... sorry. My brain was working backward apparently. |
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