1973 super beetle wiring issues

[jtry54]

Hi all, I am new to VW's and also this forum... think I may have bitten off more than I bargained for... I just picked an old bug to tinker with thru the winter months it looks like the previous owner has cut the wiring harness from the back seat drivers side to the rear motor compartment... I thought I could fix this with all new wiring harness but it appears there is not a complete wiring harness for this car available... I did however find a new wiring loom from j bugs that supposedly does half the car... so I bought this new loom thinking I could at least rewire what they cut out but I can't get the old wire harness out to put the new one in... there are no wires in the old wire loom but it will not come out... does anybody know why it won't come out or maybe how to remove it so I can pull new wire loom in? I really don't want to have to take the new loom apart just to pull new wires through an old loom... If someone could point me in the right direction any and all help would be greatly appreciated....thank much. Joe

[b15605]

Where the loom goes through the body between the back seat and the engine compartment is filled with foam - your loom is probably hung up in the foam, which is why it will not come out. If you can weld, you can cut out a hatch on the inside of the car (will be under the headliner) and clean the foam out to free up the loom. You probably want to get the foam out anyway to prevent the dreaded 'death foam'. Anyway, that is probably why it won't come out.

[Deebs]

Straighten out a coat hanger, and start to poke it through where the loom is at now (do this from the engine compartment side). Poke it all around the outside of the loom, working your way further in. I had to do this last month when I rewired mine. It was just a matter of freeing up the loom that was stuck to the foam. Once I poked around it enough with the hanger, I pulled it back and forth from the backseat and the engine bay until it freed up. Tape your new loom onto the old one when you pull it through.

Make sure you use a little grease on the new loom and tape over all the wires so they don't become stuck on sharp corners.

[jtry54]

thanks guys, I'm sorry to take so long to report back but I actually forgot that I had posted here... I finally did figure out what the problem was and you all were right, it was the foam... I found a flexible green garden steak about 5/16" or so and started poking it in there an it finally did poke through... It took a lot of poking and some hard pulling but I did get the old loom out... the new one is in and all is good... now I have to figure out how to wire the rest of the car... do either of you guys know anything about the diagnostic port on the fire wall... can't find any info. on it or if it is available anywhere... does it have to be in the wiring system? it is still there but wires to it have been cut off and there doesn't appear to be any new wiring for it in the new loom... again, thanks for the help...

[calvinater]

Obsolete you can delete it along with the associated wires in the Bently diagram
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"Albatross"!

[jtry54]

Hi Calvinater, thanks for the info. I don't have a Bently diagram... is there any place else I can find the diagram you speak of?

thanks

[kangaboy]

Easiest thing to do is just cut all the wires off the diagnostic plug and cap off the hot ones. I have repurposed several of these wires and run sensors and other items in my motor. It's nice to use them and not feed more wire through the foam.
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-74 Standard - "CaliBug" 2084T, MS3X w/FI and Crank Fire
-76 Westy - "Gandalf"
-18 GTI SE

[ashman40]

[jtry54]

thanks for the help Ashman 40,