| Author |
Message |
bushaus
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2007
Posts: 809
Location: Long Beach, Calif
|
 Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:07 pm Post subject: Reverse lights - Help |
 |
|
I have a 67 bus with non-working reverse lights. I plan on going under and checking the wiring from the tranny but here's the question? Do the reverse lights normally turn on when the key is turned on to first click (but engine not running) and the shift is in reverse? I ask so I can check by myself safely and without the risk of my wife running me over while I'm underneath!
I'll also post this in the bay forum since most splits except 67 don't have the back up lights...Thanks guys
_________________
1967 13 window walkthru bus
1965 Karmann Kabriolett beetle
| hitest wrote: |
| Even if completed, the abarth's gonna belch spluey all over your Eriba. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
slow36hp
scott wimberley
Joined: August 09, 2004
Posts: 3113
Location: mukilteo washington
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dstefun
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2002
Posts: 3338
Location: Sacratomato
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| slow36hp wrote: |
| ignition must be on(power to the coil) no need for running check the fuse by the coil first |
Agreed - with test light or voltmeter - check for voltage at hot side of coil, and then both sides of the inline fuse. If you've got it there but not at the actual light assemblies, the only things left are the switch on the nose cone of the tranny, or the wiring to and from the switch. The fuse goes to one side of the switch, and the other side goes to the reverse lights.
That said, you could also have bad grounds at the lights or bad bulbs.
diagram thanks to Speedy Jim ...
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
wanta23
Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2007
Posts: 534
Location: At The Beach
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| mine also didn't work, found out the screws securing them were not seated well therfore the ground was week. may check that as well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bushaus
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2007
Posts: 809
Location: Long Beach, Calif
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 3:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
thanks for the tips guys...esp the wiring diagram and possible grounding issues!
_________________
1967 13 window walkthru bus
1965 Karmann Kabriolett beetle
| hitest wrote: |
| Even if completed, the abarth's gonna belch spluey all over your Eriba. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3275
Location: SoCal
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 8:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Digging up an old post.... Troubleshooting my backup lights on my 67 (factory lights and wiring harness) as the driver side light will not light up (passenger works fine.) I have power all the way to the wire which plugs in to the drivers side light but still nothing. Tried multiple bulbs with the same results. Could their be a short in the housing?
Thanks
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24733
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
If there was a short one of two things would happen.
1. Blow fuse.
2. If no fuse wired in the system, wiring would start to smoke....
_________________
In Stereo, Where Available! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3275
Location: SoCal
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Fuse in place and it's not blowing. Test light shows power
Is getting all the way to wire end of the drivers side.
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches
Last edited by srfndoc on Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:04 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
BulliBill
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4572
Location: St Charles, MO
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 4:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
so if I understand you correctly, consistent power gets all the way to the end of the wire where it plugs into that bulbholder (your test light lights up there). So the fault is either in the grounding of the bulbholder (rig up a temporary second ground wire from the bulbholder to a known good ground) or in the bulb (test continuity of the bulb with a simple multimeter) or a defect in the bulbholder itself (try another bulbholder in place).
Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
olliehank47
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 1198
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 7:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
| srfndoc wrote: |
Digging up an old post.... Troubleshooting my backup lights on my 67 (factory lights and wiring harness) as the driver side light will not light up (passenger works fine.) I have power all the way to the wire which plugs in to the drivers side light but still nothing. Tried multiple bulbs with the same results. Could their be a short in the housing?
Thanks
Fuse in place and it's not blowing. Test light shows power
Is getting all the way to wire end of the passenger side. |
You have two conflicting posts (bold.) I assume the second one was a typo and you meant to write "driver's side", correct?
If so, the only thing left as a possible problem is the light fixture itself. You need to disassemble the fixture and see if you have continuity to both parts of the light socket--the center of the socket must have continuity with the wire and the side of the bulb socket needs to have continuity to the outside housing (ground.) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
BarryL 
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 14258
Location: Casa de Oro, California
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 8:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Those housings have a funky point to dig in and scratch a ground. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3275
Location: SoCal
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 8:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
| olliehank47 wrote: |
| srfndoc wrote: |
Digging up an old post.... Troubleshooting my backup lights on my 67 (factory lights and wiring harness) as the driver side light will not light up (passenger works fine.) I have power all the way to the wire which plugs in to the drivers side light but still nothing. Tried multiple bulbs with the same results. Could their be a short in the housing?
Thanks
Fuse in place and it's not blowing. Test light shows power
Is getting all the way to wire end of the passenger side. |
You have two conflicting posts (bold.) I assume the second one was a typo and you meant to write "driver's side", correct?
If so, the only thing left as a possible problem is the light fixture itself. You need to disassemble the fixture and see if you have continuity to both parts of the light socket--the center of the socket must have continuity with the wire and the side of the bulb socket needs to have continuity to the outside housing (ground.) |
That was a typo, should have said power to end of wire on drivers side. How does the housing get its ground since it's completely surrounded by the rubber seal?
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hitest
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2008
Posts: 10296
Location: Prime Meridian, ID
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
If you can believe it, just through the two screws. You can add a jumper as a ground very easily- just as is often done with the taillight housings. There is no crime in drilling a small hole in the reflector for which to screw or rivet a ground wire.
_________________
| EverettB wrote: |
I wonder what the nut looks like.
|
'62 L390 151, '62 L469 117, '63 L380 113, '64 L87 311, '65 L512 265, '65 L31 SO-42, '66 L360 251, '68 L30k 141, '71 L12 113, '74 ORG 181
FU#5 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3275
Location: SoCal
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 10:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
| hitest wrote: |
| If you can believe it, just through the two screws. You can add a jumper as a ground very easily- just as is often done with the taillight housings. There is no crime in drilling a small hole in the reflector for which to screw or rivet a ground wire. |
That's what I thought but seemed sketchy. Another question I have involves two different types of housings I have. My original housings had the section where the screw goes in to torn out so I bought two new OG housings that came with an extra connector. It almost seems like this could be used for a ground.
Old
New
Part numbers on each housing are the same and both made by Hella. The newer housing is the one that is not working but the other new housing on the passenger side works fine.
*Edit - Not sure about the housing but the little rubber boots they came with seem to be from a Type 3 (part number 311945281):
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
olliehank47
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 1198
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 6:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yes, that extra connector on the newer lights to for a ground wire.
If that's the bad fixture in the photo, notice the corrosion around the hole where the bulb fits--that's where the ground is made and it should be cleaned up. You can easily test continuity of the hot connection and the ground connection of the fixture with it apart. You can even put in a bulb, connect the hot wire to power and touch a ground wire to the fixture body. If the builb lights, the fixture is good and your problem is a solid ground of the fixture to the chassis. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stocknazi
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2004
Posts: 5150
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 8:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
If you don't want to drill a hole in the light housing you can use a small nut on the backside of the mounting screw and attach a small eyelet electrical connector. Clean the contact area on the housing and use dielectric grease.
I always add a ground to my taillights this way and they are bright and trouble free; a must for those running 6 volts.
_________________
WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).
"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."
Thomas Jefferson |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
BarryL
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 14258
Location: Casa de Oro, California
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| BarryL wrote: |
| Those housings have a funky point to dig in and scratch a ground. |
This is from the kind with a separate ground but it's the same casting.
This is where the sharp point was, one at each side by each screw.
Here's where it touches the body steel to make ground through the rubber.
Here's the whole schmeer assembly.
Sometimes you can just reach inside the engine compartment and wiggle-scratch the whole unit into submission ground. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3275
Location: SoCal
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 10:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
The issue definitely appeared to be ground related after doing some additional troubleshooting. I took Doug's advice and took advantage of the extra ground post on the newer housing and ran a ground wire to the back side of the tail light housing just below:
That did the trick and I'm back in business:
Thanks to all for the assistance.
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nubby
Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2010
Posts: 605
Location: Down by the river
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 10:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Curious, are the reverse lights activated when you put tranny in reverse? I haven't gotten that far yet on my 67. Housing is installed, just no power yet. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3275
Location: SoCal
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 11:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yes, as long as the ignition is on (turned to the first click). No need to start the engine. I had my trusty helper (my oldest daughter) clicking it on/off as I was testing everything.
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
