1970 vw bug wont stay on unless i hold key all the way clockwise

[sandra_2000]

so working on my bug on the fuel gauge which i still dont know if its fixed but another problem popped up with the ignition switch. the car turn on and runs but i have to hold the key all the way on and if i let go it turns off. do i have to just buy a new ignition switch or is there another fix.

[Glenn]

It's the switch.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[sandra_2000]

thank you!

[Pops67Beetle]

Just out of curiosity, does the starter engage when the key is in the run position?
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When I close my eyes I’m a little kid riding in the cubby..... Priceless!
13 y/o son’s quote while watching us replace the pedal cluster…. “Who says the Germans lost the war.”

67 Beetle bought new, 95% stock.

[gt1953]

I bet it is a 68 or 69 beetle. bad switch
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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})

[sandra_2000]

I would think so with the starter the car starts up but dies if I let go of the key. I have to hold all the way to keep it running. This is the first problem I’ve had with the ignition switch

[ashman40]

My suggestion is to remove the current switch and carefully take it apart and see if it can be rebuilt. Sometimes it is just a matter of cleaning up the internal electrical contacts. The OE German switches have a much larger contact area than the aftermarket switches currently available. What I'm saying is buying an aftermarket switch will likely only last you a year or two while a rebuilt German VW switch will last your decades.

Unfortunately, if your ignition switch is the later style plastic cased switch, they often crack thru the body and then you have no choice but to replace them.
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AshMan40
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'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!}

[sandra_2000]

great more fun for me!

[Cusser]

Sandra I've had my 1970 and 1971 VWs over 45 years each, and replaced the electrical part of the ignition switch on each exactly once; last time was about 3 decades ago, and many believe modern replacements are not as well-made.

My 2 cents is to fish the wires of the new electrical part of the ignition switch all the way through to the trunk area and connect them properly. I've seen too many VWs where folks got lazy and just used crimp-type butt connectors under the dash to connect the wires (and similar with pre-1972 turn signal switches).
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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

[sandra_2000]

Okay so it’s better to rebuild a original one than to buy an aftermarket one, right?

[ashman40]

[74 Thing]

Ashman40 photos at the bottom of this page of the burned contacts
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php...t_dir=DESC

[sandra_2000]

Ok I’ll try taking it apart

[gt1953]

I had to replaced mine a couple of times on the 68, finally wire in some solid switches in parallel. They never failed. One was push to make contact and the other was the "ON" switch. Hardly ever used the key after that.
_________________
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})

[sandra_2000]

Anyone know if the aftermarket ignition doesn’t have male spades and Oem does have male spades

[MrGoodtunes]

[Ian]

All of the aftermarket/EMPI/China electrical ignition switches are junk. ALL OF THEM including the one Wolfsburg West is selling (Chinese)

Find a good used German or pony up for NOS. I used to keep the used German ones in stock, but I ran out of good ones years ago.

Check your part number this might be the right one for you:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2393688
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All your Buses are belong to us.
Love and good roads!
IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROB CRESS 1968-2012

[ashman40]

[sandra_2000]

thanks guys!