Searching for electrical short and need some help (Solved)

[randsand]

I have a 1972 super beetle convertible and my emergency flasher and left signal is shorting out my #12 fuse. Also, the E-flasher is blowing the #8 fuse as well. The right signals work (go figure).

I have searched far and wide without any luck for this short. Ignorance is playing a big part in my success and so I have a question:

When checking for ground continuity for terminal #15 on the E-flasher and fuse #12 I’m reading Ohm’s. Have I found something or is this likely?

Thanks,
Randy

[fred69vert]

First thing to do is remove the bulbs. An incandescent light bulb reads almost zero ohms, which is a short. Then check the wires using your ohmmeter for shorts to chassis ground. Disconnect wires and check. By the color code used in the VW's, red is hot (+12 VDC always), black is switched hot (+12 VDC when ignition switch is on), and brown is ground.

Your hazard switch may have spun in the dash and is shorting a wire to the body. It doesn't hurt to install a little heat shrink tubing on the spade terminal lugs on the ends of the wires. I had to do this on my brake light switches as they were shorting to each other.
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I'm not losing my hair, it's just retired and relocating further south.

1969 VW convertible, "Heidi"

[ashman40]

[randsand]

Mr. Ashman, The typo is me not knowing what I'm talking about. Your right, I did read Ohms and that connection would be fine.

I did disconnect my left signal connection from the E-flasher and it still blew the fuse. I'm suspecting my switch and anything in between to the E-flasher.

thanks for the help.

[randsand]

Would you believe it was the rear signal bulb? I will not say how long I looked for this short. What's odd to me is the bulb looks brand new.

Of course I found it by disconnecting the wiring all the way to the rear until it was obvious. Unbeliveable.

Thanks again for the help, randy

[Cadaver]

the bulb is glued to the brass socket

if someone twists too hard, it shorts the 2 internal wires in base. (breaking the glue bond) i see china bulbs that do that so easy. cheap glue.
or was defective day 1, ready to short, bad quality control. ditto source.

yes they can short. take one apart and see inside.
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for sale now.
in Samba classifieds....1968 T1.

[Tcash]

Sometimes the filament wire inside breaks but stays lined up and looks fine. If you hold the bulb by the brass socket in your fingers and flick the bulb with a finger you can see the filament oscillate, depicting a broken filament. Would not cause a short, but would cause the light to intermitenly not work. Best Wishes