Reverse lights do not work

[Frodge]

Hi folks. Couple of questions about the reverse lights. I do not think mine have ever worked since I bought my car 12 years ago, I’ve never really dug into the problem. First thing I need to check is if they are working or not (I don’t think so, but I’m sitting in the car when they should be on, so I don’t know🙄) I’m assuming the switch only gets current if the key is turned to accessory or on, correct? That’s the first thing I’m check later.

Next I know from reading the 100 post here that this is a pretty common problem? Why? If I understand the black wire runs off the harness and then I’ll seee a black fuse holder on my shroud that has a connector going to the coil. I have that. Then the wire runs out the passenger side tar board up to the switch on the nose come. (Is this visible from underneath the car? (The wires) I don’t ever remember seeing a wire near the transmission, where is it routed?) Then from the other switch a black wire runs back the same path and connects to a “splitter” where a single wire goes to each reverse light. Are these wires visible either? Or are they buried back there? I pretty much know what should be there, but not sure where I need to look for them.

[busman78]

If you have not checked whether your vehicles lights are working or not in the past twelve years then I would recommend you surrender your drivers license for the lack of being a responsible driver.

Now, to check them put the vehicle in reverse, turn ignition switch to the on position but do not start the vehicle, get out walk around to the rear the reverse lights will either be on or not.

[Frodge]

Lol. They don’t work. I’m joking.

[busman78]

It is a simple circuit, power from the positive side of coil when ignition on, power to BU switch, when in reverse switch closes, power to lights. Power wire to switch accessible but from switch to lights once inside the engine compartment that wire vanishes behind the tar board.

Verify the fuse from the coil to the switch is still good. Easy test is pull the wires off the switch, join them together, turn ignition on if the lights work then it is the switch, if not check the bulbs, you can test if power is getting to the bulb socket, verify ground at the socket.

[Cusser]

Yes, turn ignition on, put gearshift fully into reverse. If lights are not on, start with basics like checking for voltage at both sides of the inline fuse, and pull the tail light lenses and check the bulb sockets too, with your voltmeter or DC test light.

Folks over the years have screwed up on the connections of the reverse light wiring during engine R&Rs.

Go under the VW, find the reverse switch, see if it has wires, and trace them rearward if they are there. This is a very simple set-up, the reverse switch is simply a continuitity switch, activated when the gearbox pushes the nub on the switch "in" to "close" the circuit. In other words, can be tested in place with ohmmeter function or voltmeter/test light.

If you need to, you can always run new wires forward to the backup light switch and then rearwad to connector.
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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

[gt1953]

Not sure if you have a 12v test light or Volt Ohm Meter =VOM. It is so easy to figure out.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[Frodge]

I have a test lamp. I can see the wires going through the passenger side firewall through the hole. I can see the wire coming back also to the splitter. I can’t seem to see it on the trans. Need to crawl under more.....

[busman78]

All the way to the front of the trans, switch scews into the nose cone.

[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

_________________
1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor

[Frodge]

Are the wires visible from underneath the car? Or do the wires run on top of the trans? How do you open the fuse holder?

[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

Wires to switch are visible from underneath.

Assuming your fuse holder is the 'VW style ceramic style' like this one seen above the carb in this pic, you should be able to 'unscrew' the holder apart to access the fuse.

_________________
1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor

[jinx758]

My fuse holder is from a FLAPS & I have to push both sides together and then a small twist to pull apart .


As a long time bachelor ( found someone silly enuff to marry my monkey butt 4 yrs ago ) I have checked my lights monthly for decades by backing up to an empty strip mall. Easy peasy to look in rearview mirror as the lights are reflected off the glass front of the business. Dark-thirty works best.

Hope this helps ... jinx
_________________
" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford

It's not unlike the same difference

You can't push a rope


VALVES (cold)
POINTS
TIMING
CARB (fully warmed engine)

SCRAPE ALL GROUNDS

My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor

[Connie74]

Hey, Almost...
Are you sure that the switch that faces to the back is the backup switch? If so, then what the heck is that other one (circled in the diagram) for? I agree, "???".

[Cusser]

[60ragtop]

[ashman40]

For clarity....

The VW (ceramic - GBC) fuse holder looks like this:

The wire wraps around the right side of the fan shroud and passes thru the hole in the firewall tin. In this pic from the right side of the engine compartment you can see the sleeved pair of wires passing thru the hole in the tin. The Y-connector in the pic is the return wire splitting into two (L & R).

The two wires dive into the tar paper and run to either taillight where it connects to the blue wire for the reverse lights.
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AshMan40
---------------------------
'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[cellobus1]

Ok this is the most recent thread on this subject, so I'm hoping for some help as I try and get these '73 Thing BU lights to work.

This is a non-stock set up. I have a double red, gemelli pasta-looking wire that has an inline fuse on one strand. The other strand is fairly permanently attached to the Left taillight 4-way connector. The other end of both of those strands are tight together as if they both attached to the BU light switch. They weren't hooked up at that end when I pulled the engine 2 months ago, in fact there were no wires anywhere near the BU switch and it looked it hadn't had anything hooked up to it for a long time.

One question I have is, does it matter which wire goes where on the BU switch?

Another is, with this setup, is the wire that comes out of the harness near the passenger side with the male spade on it moot? There was no square plastic thingy on it. It looks like it heads toward the front, but doesn't actually go to the taillight housing? Or does it originally go to the switch?

Thanks
_________________
1976 unrestored daily driver Standard bus, "Stella"
formerly, 1959 Standard bus
formerly, 1973 transporter which was 4 years old when it taught me to drive

[sjbartnik]

[Cusser]

Just run new wires forward to the reverse light switch; that's just a contact switch, actuated when put into reverse. The in-line fuse there is a MUST !
_________________
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

[cellobus1]

Thanks!