Electrical demon

Bart Dunn · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:09 pm Post subject: Electrical demon

OK, so I've got this weird thing going on with the wiring from the fusebox for the Ghia headlights (in the trunk up front) forward to the headlights. The wiring is slowly cooking itself to death--it's gotten so hot that it's scorched the wire, the cloth insulation, and the fuses, but it hasn't blown the wee 8 amp fuses. How can it have that much resistance in it (so that it gets hot like that) but not blow the fuses? So far, I've not tracked down the problem successfully, although I did put a multimeter to it and cleverly discovered that yes, indeed, the wiring has current running through it. I can build an engine and weld stuff, but electricity isn't my bag past replacing the battery.
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Not enough car seats fit into my:
'58 Beetle convertible
'58 Beetle sedan

TeamSpatula · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:14 pm Post subject:

Wiring diagram would be very handy to have...otherwise, it's either resistance from crusty connections, or else there may be a tiny short - just enough to heat things up, but not short it out directly...You can always clean up the connections, and see if that clears it up. If not, use a continuity tester & see if anything is making contact that shouldn't be...
wiring is tedious, but not too bad once you get into it...but a diagram, especially a color one, will be a huge help.
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Buggeroff · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject: Hot wires

Bart, the biggest cause of overheating wires is a poor ground connection. make sure that all of your ground connections are clean and bright. Chris.
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"Chris of the Ozarks"

Headlinerless 57 Ghia
Thread deleter extrordinaire.

Buggeroff · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:28 pm Post subject: in response

Go to vintage bus.com, they have lots of great diagrams. Chris again.
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"Chris of the Ozarks"

Headlinerless 57 Ghia
Thread deleter extrordinaire.

70 140 · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:14 pm Post subject:

what headlights are you using?

Bart Dunn · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 7:18 pm Post subject:

The whole car is entirely bone stock and 6v. Thanks for the suggestions so far--I'll take the brass wire brush to the connections in the area and see where we are. . . I hate electrical problems.
_________________
Not enough car seats fit into my:
'58 Beetle convertible
'58 Beetle sedan

Bart Dunn · Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 9:37 am Post subject:

It was a bad switch. Why that was burning up the wires farther down the line is beyond me, but I swapped it out with the one from my beetle and all's well. Thanks for the help!
_________________
Not enough car seats fit into my:
'58 Beetle convertible
'58 Beetle sedan

Eric&Barb · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:25 pm Post subject:

Hi Bart,
Check into the library @ type2.com for the article that we helped write up on how to take the early headlight switches to solder all the riveted connections inside and out to get rid of voltage resistance.
Also in post-1960 fuse boxes solder the brass clips in each pocket of the fuse box together. For pre-1961 fuse boxes solder the riveted connections together.
Use a volt meter at the battery posts to see how much voltage is in the battery. Then work through ALL the wiring to see where and how much voltage drop there is at EACH connection. In our longer bus wiring harnesses we have been able to get voltage drop to .1 volts!
Thusly we have white bright headlights and bright taillights.
Eric&Barb


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