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Anthal2
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2025
Posts: 15
Location: PA
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 Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2025 3:19 pm Post subject: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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My 56 has a few "wire blocks" or "junction blocks" or "barrier strip" (depending on your term preference). Are these stock? They are quite brittle and cracking. So I'm going to remove them and solder/heatshrink the wires, or if stock I will replace them. This 56 is new to me, my other big was a 69 and did not have anything like it.
Also in the picture is a 2 fuse mounted fuse block, I think that is supposed to be there but would like a confirmation on it.
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tasb
The Distributor Distributor
Joined: April 27, 2002
Posts: 6876
Location: Pentwater, Michigan
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| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 1:18 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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If you go to the top of this page you will see a technical tab. Click on it and choose wiring. Then select type.1 Beetle. Go to your year and select diagram. It will show you the two fuse block beside the gas tank and the block coming off the turn signal switch that are stock. A further search will show you that there is another one hiding behind the tar board in the engine compartment. Replacements are available at VW parts houses or you can search the classifieds here on the site.
_________________
Roads Scholar
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018
1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc
1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse
Member# 2059 |
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Anthal2
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2025
Posts: 15
Location: PA
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| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 5:26 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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| tasb wrote: |
| If you go to the top of this page you will see a technical tab. Click on it and choose wiring. Then select type.1 Beetle. Go to your year and select diagram. It will show you the two fuse block beside the gas tank and the block coming off the turn signal switch that are stock. A further search will show you that there is another one hiding behind the tar board in the engine compartment. Replacements are available at VW parts houses or you can search the classifieds here on the site. |
Thank you! I’m relatively new to the samba, this is great. But looks like all the little junction box things (the ones without fuses) are indeed stock. Terrifying as they are so brittle, so I will be replacing. I wonder how many cars we’ve lost to these causing fires.
Enjoy your day.
jd |
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tasb
The Distributor Distributor
Joined: April 27, 2002
Posts: 6876
Location: Pentwater, Michigan
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| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 6:31 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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Welcome to TheSamba! VW continued to use them up until 1961.
_________________
Roads Scholar
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018
1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc
1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse
Member# 2059 |
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EverettB 
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 72010
Location: Phoenix 602
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| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 9:14 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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| Anthal2 wrote: |
| But looks like all the little junction box things (the ones without fuses) are indeed stock. Terrifying as they are so brittle, so I will be replacing. I wonder how many cars we’ve lost to these causing fires. |
This is an age and environment thing.
I've had some VWs where they were perfect and some where they were brittle.
Here's some NOS ones in the classifieds, there are other ads too for used ones:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2322694
They are probably available new online too but I'd be concerned about modern reproductions being crappy plastic instead of bakelite
(I'm assuming the ones advertised above are real and correct)
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splitjunkie
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2006
Posts: 4228
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2025 9:50 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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Here is the diagram, the key and the fuse boxes. The barrier strip connectors are all designated with a T.
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Chris
You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld |
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Anthal2
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2025
Posts: 15
Location: PA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2025 5:35 pm Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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| splitjunkie wrote: |
Here is the diagram, the key and the fuse boxes. The barrier strip connectors are all designated with a T.
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Thank you. As a relatively new user to the samba I didn't know these wiring diagrams were here. Thank you again! |
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my3bugs
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003
Posts: 971
Location: Moreno Valley
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2025 6:46 pm Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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| just my opinion here , these were used back in the day if you had to had to cut n splice a wire , not exactly factory work , these were used a replace or repair something . there not in the wiring diagram are they ? , when you buy a new wiring loom they dont use em ....these were for repairs or adding components , like you could stuff 2 wires in one end or just connect 2 cut wires ..... i have quite a few of these , 1ns 2s 3s , they came in longer blocks and you broke off how many connections you wanted for the splice job at hand ??? |
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EverettB
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 72010
Location: Phoenix 602
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tasb
The Distributor Distributor
Joined: April 27, 2002
Posts: 6876
Location: Pentwater, Michigan
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| Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2025 8:50 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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They were utilized at the factory to anticipate component replacement that wouldn’t require a technician to create a splice or replace the whole loom. After the connector the wire and components became “sub assemblies”.
With the introduction of spade terminals the connectors were a type of rubberized semi-transparent plastic glove that contain male connectors. These connectors do a much better job of withstanding the tests of time and grime. It’s hard to clean the insides of these connectors, however.
_________________
Roads Scholar
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018
1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc
1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse
Member# 2059
Last edited by tasb on Wed Dec 24, 2025 2:00 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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splitjunkie
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2006
Posts: 4228
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| Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2025 10:15 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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| my3bugs wrote: |
| just my opinion here , these were used back in the day if you had to had to cut n splice a wire , not exactly factory work , these were used a replace or repair something . there not in the wiring diagram are they ? , when you buy a new wiring loom they dont use em ....these were for repairs or adding components , like you could stuff 2 wires in one end or just connect 2 cut wires ..... i have quite a few of these , 1ns 2s 3s , they came in longer blocks and you broke off how many connections you wanted for the splice job at hand ??? |
Well, your opinion is wrong...
They are what was used to make wiring connections back then. All of the terminations on a VW were some sort of screw terminal up to the 1961 model year. When they needed to connect two wires, they used a screw terminal barrier strip. In some places they were a single. Some had two or more if the wires to be connected were close together.
After they moved to slip on blade terminals in '61, they had a different ways to make a splice. Each end of the wires to be connected had a female blade connector. They were connected with a plastic insulated double ended male blade connector. There were some that had several separate terminals and some with one terminal on one end and two on the other. All totally factory.
Current replacements for these terminal blocks
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111937079
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111937077
In the case of these particular barrier strips, they were used to connect the main harness loom to the front harness loom.
If you look at the wiring diagram I posted above, You will see six of these connectors which are labeled T1 - T6.
If you look at the '61 diagram below, you will see that the T connectors are different. These are the blade connector blocks.
Here a couple of examples of the screw barrier strips on unmolested cars.
Here is one as used in the engine compartment.
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Chris
You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld |
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EVfun
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 6402
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2025 8:10 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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| Anthal2 wrote: |
| tasb wrote: |
| If you go to the top of this page you will see a technical tab. Click on it and choose wiring. Then select type.1 Beetle. Go to your year and select diagram. It will show you the two fuse block beside the gas tank and the block coming off the turn signal switch that are stock. A further search will show you that there is another one hiding behind the tar board in the engine compartment. Replacements are available at VW parts houses or you can search the classifieds here on the site. |
Thank you! I’m relatively new to the samba, this is great. But looks like all the little junction box things (the ones without fuses) are indeed stock. Terrifying as they are so brittle, so I will be replacing. I wonder how many cars we’ve lost to these causing fires.
Enjoy your day.
jd |
There are other things far more concerning about the early Bug wiring harness. VW did not fuse the ignition circuit or the low beam headlight circuit. For US spec cars they also did not fuse the front parking light circuit. That seems to be the source of most of the burned wires I've run across.
Happy Holidays!
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| Wildthings wrote: |
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Snort
Samba Member
Joined: April 02, 2005
Posts: 1977
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2026 10:05 am Post subject: Re: 56 Stock wiring blocks? |
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| EVfun wrote: |
There are other things far more concerning about the early Bug wiring harness. VW did not fuse the ignition circuit or the low beam headlight circuit. For US spec cars they also did not fuse the front parking light circuit. That seems to be the source of most of the burned wires I've run across.
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I can attest to this fact. I toasted my front wire harness with a shorted parking light wire a long time ago. Just recently I replaced it with the Wolfsburg West harness, the only issue was the one connection mentioned in this post, the headlight wire junction terminal. The WW harness has the ends of these wires tinned with solder so there is no way to easily get them into that terminal, not enough space. For now I have them connected with a Wago lever nut. |
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