Steering column wiring

[dpetteng]

So, been too long since I took it apart so I have some questions:

On the ignition switch I have 4 wires - Red/Grey, Thick red, grey and black. Anyone know where they go?

Also, on the column there is a wire attached to a ring that goes around the inner steering column. I think it is part of the horn wiring but unsure how all the horn wiring works?

[DHanna]

Have a look here and it will explain all.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/type3_61_fuses.jpg

Have you still got the terminal plate which these wires solder to on the column casting? Not absolutely necessary but handy for continuing connections.

Red/grey to starter solenoid.

The small grey wire is used for the side Euro parkers. Not needed if you change the parkers to side indicators.

Other 2 as per diagram.

DH

[dpetteng]

Thanks, any thought on the horn wiring?

[DHanna]

[dpetteng]

sorry for being dumb but what does the horn wire connect to? I know this is different from my beetle.

[DHanna]

[dpetteng]

more questions...

So, the wires from the ring that contacts the indicator arm...

Black/white goes to left indicators
Black/green goes to right indicators
green/black and white goes to flasher relay
not sure where grey goes?
not sure where grey/red goes?
not sure where grey/black goes?

On the wiring diagram it doesn't show any of these but does show a brown/white and a brown which I am assuming is the full beam flash button on the arm as one goes to earth and one goes to "S" on the light relay.

[ataraxia]

Here's a contact plate with a short bit of wire attached:

[dpetteng]

so, the button that changes between low beam and full beam, this has a brown and white wire and a brown wire, the brown and white goes to the light relay, where does the brown go?

[ataraxia]

[daos]

resurrecting an old thread, hooe nobody minds.

some confusion re wiring of a replacement indicator on my 69 type 3.
there are 8 wires:
brown and brown/white on the high beam side
black/wh and blue/wh on the left turn position
black and grey in the middle position
black/green and black/red in the right turn position

i've connected brown/wh to the dimmer relay
black/wh to L turn, and black/green to R turn, both on hazard light switch

so where do all the others go?
brown to horn according to the wiring diagram, but the rest aren't even on the diagram.

i got the car in a semi-undone state so it isn't a case of just replacing what was there, half the wiring has been changed or messed about with.

add to that the PO managed to break the binnacle holding the steering column - presumably when they yanked out the ignition - so the column wobbles up & down..

[daos]

and yet more steering column grief -

after dismantling and repairing the ignition i moved to adress the excessive up & down slop in the steering column, only to discover that the aluminium/magnesium housing around the column is badly cracked. the lower third is almost split off so he bearing doesn't sit tight and the column + bearing moves up & down. somebody has previously used excessive force to dismantle it or maybe it's accident damaged? i'll need to fix it somehow in order to be able to replace the (missing) circlip. tried a hose clamp but they aren't quite strong enough. photos here, arrows indicating the cracks:

the main issue however is the column itself. the thick curved steel plate attached to the right side activates the steering lock, but the column won't go far enough down the housing to enable the bearing to slide in past the circlip groove. has anyone encountered this before? i really don't want to have to take the fuel tank out in order to remove the steering column, but grinding down the edge of the plate seems to be my only option so i may have to.. the rest of the column is undamaged and everything below the ignition was undisturbed. a mystery.

[Bobnotch]

It looks like 2 things are happening, or have happened. 1) the column head is sitting too far down (away from the steering wheel), and 2), the column adapter at the steering box is extended too far out. To correct the 2nd part, loosen the bolt holding the column adapter, and slide the column down on it some more and then tighten the bolt. To adjust the column head, you'll need to loosen the 2 bolts holding the column head to the dash, and the clamp bolt at the end of the column head. Then just pull it toward the steering wheel and tighten the fasteners. You'll need to pull the column head off to repair the cracks, or replace the column head. To remove it, take out the fasteners that I mentioned above for loosening/adjusting the column head.
I hope this helps.
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71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
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[daos]

Bobnotch, that's really good news, thanks! i'll try removing the column head first since i need to fix the cracks. not sure if it's alu or mg, but i'll try to tig weld it. and then adjusting it should solve the issue, i only need a few mm.

i'll post results when i'm done.

[daos]

here's the fix, hopefully this may be useful for someone else:

i couldn't manipulate the cracks closed without risking breaking the part since magnesium is so brittle. perhaps heating the whole part would make it possible to bend the part back and weld the cracks, unfortunately not within my current range of abilities. i managed to get an alu shim in there to hold the bearing solid and tight, using a hose clamp thin enough to fit without getting in the way of the indicator assembly. the circlips should fit once i get hold of some.

the small plate covering the ignition will not fit but since this is also missing i'll address that issue later. for now the steering is solid and functional.

someone has royally abused the whole steering assembly, sad that people can't use a little more intelligence and sensitivity instead of violence.

[Mike Fisher]

Some PO had a 'temper tantrum' while working on that! If it mounts fairly solid with working turn signals & horn then it's a job well done! The turn signals sometimes do not self-cancel like they are supposed to because of the plastic parts!
_________________
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69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold

Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey

[daos]

hehe, yeah.. the thing i don't get is that old vw's are so simple to take apart, even without a manual. but it was abandoned for a long while, maybe it was a hotwiring attempt since the ignition was broken. if only cars could talk..

noticed that with the turn signals.. also half the connections broke loose, it's one of the cheap replacements. i soldered them back on and managed to melt some of the plastic in the process so the contacts moved - it didn't take much heat at all to do that. going to a swapmeet on sunday, i might get lucky and dig up something nos.