Electrical gremlins

[busmania]

71 bus. Recently did a ton of work on my bus. I am pretty sure everything worked correctly before the partial restore but I only drove it about 130
Miles before the engine went caput and I redid a bunch of things. I’ve rebuilt the front end, engine bay, engine, new paint etc. I’m having some electrical issues. I’ve made several notes below. Where did I screw up? Most systems seem to work with lights off (but still have a couple issues). When I turn lights on things seem to go really south.

No lights on
-no e brake warning light at all
-everything else works
-brake lights work
-blinkers work front and rear
-blinker indicator on dash flashes left bulb but not right (shouldn’t both blink regardless of left or right?)

Lights on - critical system (headlights and tail lights and some blinkers) work

- Headlights, tail lights and front marker lights on but no brake lights
- E brake warning light stays illuminated constant but goes off when I hit the brakes
- Left front blinker works, rear left does not however when left blinker on, BOTH dash indicator blinkers blink as they should.
- No right blinker front or rear
- No brake lights but do have the tail lights which seem brighter than they should.

Recent work
-replaced master cylinder (and all new wagenswest front end). did not label where everything went when it comes to master cylinder.
-painted engine bay and labeled every wire when it came off.
-pretty confident I labeled and put everything back correct but at the same time, I’ve made “stoner” moves before.

The build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=712803

Edit: studying the wiring diagrams. Did I reverse the master cylinder connections? Looks like that might matter....(this is the only thing I didn’t label when I took it apart)

[telford dorr]

You probably have multiple problems. Let's start with the easier of them: check the grounds on the light fixture shells, front and rear. Remove, clean, buff, and reinstall the brown ground wires. Get a end-type Dremel tool brush and buff the insides of the bulb holders. Also do the bulbs. Reinstall, retest and see if anything has improved.

Next trick is to remove the instrument cluster (helps to remove the steering wheel), remove the indicator lamp holders, then buff the base plates the lamp holders attach to. Reinstall, checking the wire color going to each holder. Make sure that there is a brown ground wire going between the instrument ground terminal cluster and the body in front of the parking brake handle. Retest and see what still doesn't work.

Brake switches: use an ohmmeter to determine which two of the three switch terminals have continuity between them. The third terminal is the power (black) wire. Now put one ohmmeter leads on that terminal. Have someone press on the brakes. See which of the other two terminals has continuity. That terminal is the one that goes to the 4-way flasher switch (red/black). The remaining terminal is the brake fault (red) wire.

The Gallery shows this:

_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)