Headlights

[cpprinttom]

Ever since I have owned my thing the headlight switch hasn't worked right. I am assuming when you pull the switch one click, only the parking lights should come on and when you pull it two clicks the Headlights & Parking lights should be on. When I pull mine one click, Headlights & Parking lights come on. Do you think this is a bad switch or is my wiring screwed up??

[kubelmann]

Our dear old VW Things are famous for a number of electrical trouble as a result of their age. 4 way flasher switch, headlight switch, turn signal switch and wiper switch develop intermittent troubles that make it tough to fix.

The head light switch on the Thing came from 71 - 79 bus. A good number of other headlight switches will work but only the Bus switch will retain the feature of the headlights going out when the headlight switch is on and the key is off. I recently bought one from one of the web sites that specialize in Bus parts. The Thing part number and bus part number are the same. I have tried used switches in the past but only to have the used switch fail soon after. I have spent time trouble shooting wiring issues only to end up replacing a switch and fixing the problem. If you have original switches it will not hurt a thing to replace them. Some cost more than others. Luckily the headlight switch is one of the less expensive switches.
Pulling the headlight switch to the first knotch and having the headlights come on sounds like a shorted switch to me.

[cpprinttom]

Your saying with an origanl Thing headlight switch the Lights don't work with the Key Off??

I also have a problem with my Turn Signals. When the headlights are off, my turn signals work fine. But when the headlights are on, the turn signals will flash a couple times and then just stop, no clicking noise or anyting. It's weird that it works with no headlights!?!

[kubelmann]

Yes, the original factory Vw Thing headlight switch had a function that caused the headlights to go out and the running lights to stay on when the ignition switch was turned off.

If your turn signals flash once on the speedo light then stop, it means you have a flasher that lacks one of its relay points. The original Thing flasher has one set of points that flash the outiside lights and the second set flash the interior speedo light. When the flasher starts to die it seems to lose the speedo relay, I currently have two Things that do this. You can replace the flasher with a number of other flashers tie the two wires for both lights together and it will work fine. I suspect that the original design was intended for the first relay to fail and warn you that the part was on its way out.

The turn signal mystery is a function of a bad switch. I would bet money on it.

ALL electrical circuits run through the four way flasher switch. Others run through the headlight switch. When one of these switches go bad it make for mytery electrical issues. The turn signal switch goes funny and it hits wires and contacts that make it do funny thing. GET A NEW HEADLIGHT SWITCH. the part number you want is 211 941 531 E Later VW switched to 311 941 531A but that was a less superior switch that was used as a result of supply and demand (in my opinion)

[n0limdon]

Just checked mine - one click gives me parking lights, tail lights and license plate light, whether the key is off or on. Two clicks with key on gives headlights plus the rest of course. My problem is the dash lights are kinda flakey, hafta give it a turn every now and then for them to come on (the switch).
K-mann - I see the guy in Chitown has a switch on e-bay again, at least I think it is the same guy, he has had it on a couple of more times since you were looking and I alerted you. Price again is $15.99 starting bid plus $4 shipping.

[nerf965]

I have bought one of the chitown headlight switch it is the wrong switch, it won't install to the left dash pannel

[kubelmann]

I bought my headlight switch from the Bus Boys or the other Bus web site. It worked great. AND the headlights go off when you turn off the key.


211-941-531E Headlight Switch, 1971 to 1979 $26.00

http://www.bus-boys.com/switches.htm
Order Toll Free (800)792-2697
or

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=211941531E

Part Reference Number*: 211941531E

Brand: Kostal*
$26.34

This picture shows the terminals for the correct VW Thing headlight switch. The small terminal is the one that creates the auto shut off feature that most other switches are missing.

[bucko]

To avoid any additional confusion, I won't explain how the Military light switch works, including the blackout lights!!! Pushing the center button, sliding the square to the opposite side.......

[kubelmann]

Speaking of blackout drive lights.. There is a real pair of actually NEW originals on Samba for $85 They look beautiful. I have a pair on my Thing offroad car but when I got them they were neither new or nice although you sure couldn't tell now.. Mine now look nice and new after more than a few hours of restoration... There are many parts of the front blackout drive lights that are common to the early VW back-up lights. That is how I restored mine using parts from VW back-up lights. I am still on the prowl for the three rear round black-out drive lights.

[bucko]

"I am still on the prowl for the three rear round black-out drive lights."

These can be easily had from my buddy in Germany. Do you want me to price them out for you?

And you're right about the front blackout lights... they are the reverse lights used on many VW's, with a metal "hood" and a horizontal slit opening. These covers usually rust out. The problem I had with my set was the internal ground; even though it "looked" good, the ohm meter showed open. The cure was to heat up the copper contact and flow some solder into it.

[kubelmann]

Thanks. Yes please price them with our Berlin pal. I had a chance to get them a few years ago and didn't take advantage of the opportunity. Now I have not seen them around for a while. I know they are somewhat common in Der Faderland.

The inside of front black out drive lights also have two bulb sockets instead on the one for the back up lights..

[Ferretkona]

[1961bluebug]

[bucko]

Sure thing. The military switch has a center "button" the you can press (I always use a tiny phillips screw driver to do this). When this small button is pressed in, it then allows you to slide the "square" block (center of switch at it's base) to the left/right. This then allows the switch to operate just the blackout lights, or when the button is pressed and held while sliding the square block to the other side, the "normal" driving lights.

Kubalmann, my original military lights only have one bulb in them. They are the original ones that where mounted on the front bumper. Mine is an "early" (1971) military version. Perhaps the later ones used 2 bulbs....

They have the HELA glass lens cover, with a metal hooded cover and small horizontal slit to allow minimal light to shine through.

[kubelmann]

I will post the picture of the inside of mine. It had one 3 watt bulb and one 7 watt bulb. I run bigger bulbs to get a fog light benefit from the lights. I got them from our Houston German Kubel part guy.

[bucko]

Our "friendly" Houston parts guy has had some recent trouble. I ordered a good amount of parts from him over the past year or so. Then, he too ran into some difficulties; his main water main broke, he had hurricane damage, and several other mishapes. Needless to say, an order from him was delayed for several weeks, until my emails finally got him to ship off some stuff. Some of the stuff was good condition parts, and some was what I'd call rusted junk. He promised to look for a correct wheel chock, a radio switch, and other small hard to locate parts for my military restoration, but after several emails will little or no response, I gave up on him. It started out as a good source, and things went great, but for some unknown reason to me, he just quit being a good source for some of the small hard to find parts.

I will stick with my German buddy from Baveria, along with our great French contact that posts here often (Pmj????) Can't remember the spelling.

[bucko]

"I will post the picture of the inside of mine. It had one 3 watt bulb and one 7 watt bulb. I run bigger bulbs to get a fog light benefit from the lights. I got them from our Houston German Kubel part guy."

On my military 181, there is one white wire that runs to each blackout light on the front bumper. I have not yet checked the wattage of the bulb used, but will now that you mentioned yours. This is interesting, as it has me now wondering when VW changed these out from 1 bulb to 2, or vise versa. Seeing as how the 68 to 72 military 181's are considered "early" versions (they had different front fenders too; a "ridge" ran down the front fender center were the turn signal mounted), this has me wonderin when this change took place. I'll ask our buddy in Germany.

[ztnoo]

Maybe Bassoitis hasn't infested the southern US climates...

[ztnoo]

or maybe it has....

[bucko]

Yep, could be.

My bud from Germany responded and said that there are two versions: one and two bulb versions> He doesn't know if there was an early/late version. The single bulb versions use a 21 watt bulb.