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leohtbaere
Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2025
Posts: 5
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 Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 10:45 am Post subject: Oil Pressure Switch |
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I'm rebuilding/restoring a 73 Super Beetle. I'm new to beetles but it my understanding that my transmission has two sensors on it: the reverse light switch and the oil pressure switch. I have to replace what I think is the oil pressure switch. It's located on the left hand side of the front of the transmission, as shown here.
I bought a replacement switch (https://www.jbugs.com/product/021919081B.html) but when it arrived I found that the threaded section was much smaller that the threads on the transmission. Is there some specific sensor I need to buy that fits here? |
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 2090
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 11:34 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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Assuming you have an autostick Beetle/transmission, that hole might be for a neutral safety switch, or oil temperature switch — ref. parts catalog page links below:
http://oacdp.org/type1part/9057.png
http://oacdp.org/type1part/9063.png
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt... |
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vamram 
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2012
Posts: 8056
Location: NOVA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 11:41 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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From another thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=785183&highlight=neutral+switch
| sb001 wrote: |
The switch you are seeing on the nose cone is indeed the neutral safety switch for an autostick transmission. Yes the thicker red/ black starter wire went to it first to prevent the autostick from being started in gear.
The other wire you are seeing under the rear seat was for the ATF temperature switch warning light in the dash. On the earlier autosticks there were two temperature sensors- one for Drive 1 gear and one for Drive 2. These sensors were located on the back side of the transmission bell housing, and then the wires coming off both of those went to a temperature switch selector mounted on the passenger side of the autostick transmission housing. If one of the temp sensors sensed the ATF getting too hot, it would send a signal to that selector switch which then sent a signal up through that wire to the ATF warning light mounted in the speedometer. Later autosticks did away with the temp sensor for Drive 1 and the selector switch and just used a single temp sensor for Drive 2 gear and sent the signal directly from the sensor to the ATF warning light.
Here are the wiring diagrams for both the early and later versions of the autsotick:
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leohtbaere
Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2025
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 11:52 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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Thanks for the suggestions, but it's a manual trans. According to this post here
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
it's a "Bug IRS-Late" type, the one on the right specifically. Notice the two switches towards the front. The one that faces forward is, I think, the backup light switch. The on facing towards what would be the driver's side is the switch I'm missing. It should only have one blade connector as the wire that connects to it has just the one spade connector. |
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 2090
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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Transmission switch for safety belt warning system, maybe? (per 1973 factory wiring diagram).
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt...
Last edited by baldessariclan on Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Cusser
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Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 33154
Location: Hot Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:45 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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| leohtbaere wrote: |
Thanks for the suggestions, but it's a manual trans. According to this post here
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
it's a "Bug IRS-Late" type, the one on the right specifically. Notice the two switches towards the front. The one that faces forward is, I think, the backup light switch. The on facing towards what would be the driver's side is the switch I'm missing. It should only have one blade connector as the wire that connects to it has just the one spade connector. |
I believe that other switch location was for the ridiculous federally-mandated seat belt thing from 1972-1974.
The switch https://www.jbugs.com/product/021919081B.html is the ENGINE oil pressure sending unit. These manual gearboxes do NOT have a gear oil pressure sender.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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leohtbaere
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Joined: June 04, 2025
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:56 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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| The wiring diagram idea was helpful. That switch is part of wiring track 32 component F15. It is a "Transmission switch for safety belt warning system (man. transmission)" so, yeah, it's part of the seat belt warning mechanism. I can't seem to find a replacement. I'm guessing they're sort of rare. In the meantime I'll have to find a way to plug it. Anyone happen to know the thread type? |
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 2090
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2025 4:14 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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If you’re wanting that seat belt warning switch, Bug City has used original ones for sale (albeit fairly pricey): https://www.bugcity.com/shop/shop.lasso?pquery=Seat+belt+interlock+switch
Otherwise, you could use a short bolt plus gasket to plug the hole. Not sure of the threading size, but my initial guess would be that it’s probably the same or similar to the threads used for the backup light switch — maybe try swapping it over to check?
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt... |
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bugger-off
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Joined: March 29, 2025
Posts: 68
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2025 4:49 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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I don't know why someone would spend that kind of money on a USED part that was an annoying "feature" back then and even more so now! We had a '73 super when I was a kid and I can still hear that godawful noise! |
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Bruce
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Joined: May 16, 2003
Posts: 17606
Location: Left coast, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2025 3:49 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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| bugger-off wrote: |
| I don't know why someone would spend that kind of money on a USED part that was an annoying "feature" back then |
It is a great anti-theft feature. A crook isn't going to put the seatbelt on before trying to hotwire your car.
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bugger-off
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Joined: March 29, 2025
Posts: 68
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2025 6:26 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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| If they're gonna steal it, they're gonna steal it! I don't see this as any kind of deterrent at all. |
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2381Buggy
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Joined: June 18, 2021
Posts: 159
Location: Down South
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2025 10:01 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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Going to hijack this thread for some info. I remember the seat belt interlock system on my mother's 74 Plymouth. The idea was to interrupt current to the starter motor if the front belt(s) were not fastened.
I am confused as to why VW would have had a switch in the transmission for the seat belt system.
Can anyone shed some light on how this worked? Seems like on other makes-an electrical interuption would have stopped flow to the starter motor circuit. |
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redhot
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Joined: February 05, 2005
Posts: 526
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2025 11:55 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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| baldessariclan wrote: |
| Transmission switch for safety belt warning system, maybe? (per 1973 factory wiring diagram). |
The '73 user manual states "...as soon as a gear is engaged".
Wiring diagram for '73 shows this as F15, path #32.
For '74 it seems to have changed and no gear lever is mentioned.
Although wiring diagram is 74, it shows the "contact strip" in seat, "safety belt lock, left/righ contact", control relay and what I interpret (maybe not correctly) an interconnect to the driver side door switch. But not the gearbox sender...
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2381Buggy
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Joined: June 18, 2021
Posts: 159
Location: Down South
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2025 7:44 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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Thanks Redhot.
That makes sense. Now I remember that on an auto transmission like my mom's car had-the buzzer and light would come in in gear via the neutral safety switch.
Boy that Plymouth had a loud buzzer. I found the wire connector unhooked under the dash one day and connected it. The next time my mom went to start the car-the light came on and no starter.
It had been unhooked since the day it was purchased new in January 75. The federal mandate had been deleted by that time. The requirement only lasted one year in 74. |
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leohtbaere
Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2025
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2025 8:22 am Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure Switch |
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As a followup, the threads for that hole are M14x1.5. I bought these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982RT2C2
and they worked great |
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