A pillar door switch / dome light wiring placement

[tristanblue]

Hi guys I am fixing the wiring on 66 vert. When purchased the wiring that runs to the switches on the A pillar for the dome light was missing. I am installing new wiring but not sure how-where to run these wires from the trunk compartment down to the A pillar door switches.

Any info, tips. pictures, diagrams greatly appreciated.

T

[sputnick60]

That job was no fun on my '66 cab. The wires are a loop that runs from the cabin light, down innards of the A pillar and into the trunk. But wait! There's more...It also goes down to the door switch. Meanwhile, in the trunk it cuts all the way across and finds its way to the door pillar on the other side of the car. Then there's the red power wire that comes off the back of the clock and squirrels its way up the A pillar to the light. Check out the wiring diagram for a '66 in the technical archives.

You'll need a "snake" of some type to find a path into the trunk so you can push a draw string through. The hole on the top corner of the windscreen frame can give you access down the A pillar. I think there are two possible exits. One is into the far back corner of the trunk and the other is into the hinge pillar or maybe being the splash plate in the wheel arch.You need to watch that doesn't snooker you. Here are some pictures of my car from a time before the restoration where I've marked up the points of interest. OG wire loom is shown there.
Circled in the photo below is 1) the small wire from the fuse that powers the clock and 2) the red jumper at the clock that carries on up the A pillar to the light.

The next photo shoes the red and brown wires together in a small loom... see arrows. The single brown wire seen in the left of the shot goes past the glove box and finds it way to the door switch on the RHS of the car. Back at the LHS the loom pokes into a grommeted hole ( arrowed ) but the brown wire loops back out to head down to the LHS door switch. But there's another brown wire coming back from the door switch that eventually goes past the grommet and up the A pillar to the light. Looking carefully you can see a pair of brown wires that go for a few centimetres to where the main loom goes in to the cabin through that large grommet. ( in the shadows behind the thick red wire)
So the red and the other brown wire both rise up the window pillar to the light switch. You might find it easier to work up hill with the snake through that hole in the corner.

This next picture shows the other side of the main grommet in the passenger area and you can plainly see the switch wire and the main loom.

Tell us how you get along

Nicholas
_________________
'66 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet...
'65 Porsche 356C Coupe...
2005 Mecedes Benz C180 Kompressor Estate
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[tristanblue]

Thanks for the info Sputnik.

[kent70ghia]

Nicholas,
I have a 70 coupe, and it looks like when the new headliner was installed during paint, the brown ground wire to the dome light was cut. Do you think if I tried a string to the red wire, I would be able to pull it out to the trunk, then pull the red and a new brown wire? Or will it more than likely get caught somewhere?

Thanks,
Kent

[sputnick60]

[kent70ghia]

Thanks Nicholas, I have not installed the sun visor yet, trying to decide what to use to cover them with yet. I may be able to get away with opening it up there and seeing if the brown wire was clipped after that spot.

Kent

[Era Vulgaris]

[sputnick60]

There is a gap behind that panel opening at the top inside the trunk. This is the path the wire uses.

Nicholas
_________________
'66 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet...
'65 Porsche 356C Coupe...
2005 Mecedes Benz C180 Kompressor Estate
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[Era Vulgaris]

Just to update this, the gap the wire passes through is where the upright defrost tube passes through the underside of the dash. Same on both sides.
I also corrected my driver side, as it does not share the same path as the main loom.

_________________
Currently own:
66 Karmann Ghia, L390 Gulf Blue, under construction, here: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=760505&highlight=
99 Mazda MX-5 10AE, Sapphire Blue Mica, 6 speed, LSD

Previously owned:
98 Porsche Boxster, silver, 2.5L -- 67 Karmann Ghia, Black, 1500sp -- 98 BMW Z3, Atlanta Blue Metallic, 2.8L I6 -- 75 Porsche 914, Laguna Blue, 2270cc -- 72 Porsche 914, Signal Orange, 1.7 FI -- 74 Karmann Ghia, Black, 1600dp -- 74 Triumph TR6 with O.D., sapphire blue