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Kaput
Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2002
Posts: 859
Location: Lakewood, CO
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 Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:56 pm Post subject: 1970 bus instrument panel Brown Wires? |
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Can anyone tell me where the brown wires at the bottom of this photo should go? One is currently going to the fuse box and is hot, the other looks like it belongs in the headlight switch somewhere.
Also, the instrument illumination lights are currently connected to the high beam switch. when I tried to connect them to 58b on my headlight switch (which seems to be correct from my wiring diagram) something started smoking.
Can I assume that my headlight switch dimmer is toast and is probably the reason the PO connected it to the high beams? |
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Brian
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Joined: May 28, 2012
Posts: 8340
Location: Oceanside
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| Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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usually brown is earth (ground)
you see the little symbol to the left?
So look at that diagram again.
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Kaput
Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2002
Posts: 859
Location: Lakewood, CO
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| Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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You are right, don't know how I must have confused the reading with another wire.
I did see the symbol to the left but was assuming that the black wire was a ground since it is next to the symbol.
I was able to get the dimmer to work but it is pretty random then just starts smoking.
Can this switch be fixed or should I just buy a new one? |
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busdaddy
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Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51153
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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I'm guessing you have some sort of early bay?, one brown wire from that terminal on the back of the cluster goes to the ground on the body under the windshield near the fuse box and the other should go to the signal switch. Fix the wiring before ditching the switch.
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Kaput
Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2002
Posts: 859
Location: Lakewood, CO
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:34 am Post subject: |
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Yes, 1970 bay.
Wiring has been majorly rigged.
It's going to take a while to sort it out, pretty much every wire has been spliced or replaced with a different color.
No lights on the speedo are working except for the hi beams. but the lights all work on the outside, Probably pretty dangerous to be without any warning lights. |
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| Kaput wrote: |
Yes, 1970 bay.
Wiring has been majorly rigged.
It's going to take a while to sort it out, pretty much every wire has been spliced or replaced with a different color.
No lights on the speedo are working except for the hi beams. but the lights all work on the outside, Probably pretty dangerous to be without any warning lights. |
Spend some quality time working this out before you get much further. Doing so will:
1) Teach you all about how your bus is wired, which will help you quickly troubleshoot why your headlights suddenly stop working at a critical moment.
2) Help you avoid an expensive, preventable and tragic fire.
3) Keep you from posting some miserable saga about such an event.
4) **Best of all** Can help you guide some young fellah in the future as he tries to figure out his majorly rigged wiring in his bus. |
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1967250s
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2007
Posts: 2137
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 11:44 am Post subject: |
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^^ what they said. Be sure to check all the wiring under the dash and the fuse box. Trace each and every wire! You REALLY do NOT want a dash fire. If you can , get rid of those splices. Learn how to strip wire and solder it together, being sure to use heat shrink on the joints. Practice on a bench first, sucks to burn your wiring or fingers when you are learning to use a soldering iron. Go to a radio shack, they'll set you up. Also consider making the wires ( get right gauge) a little longer, say 6 inches, for ease of installation and removal.
You might want to replace that switch, too. They often lose the ability to dim when the wound filament rheostat/resistor corrodes into little *pieces.
You might want to also learn to use a multimeter for testing voltages and resistances and they are cheap, too. Much less than replacing a burnt dash.
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Kaput
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Joined: December 12, 2002
Posts: 859
Location: Lakewood, CO
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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Half way there! I have a multimeter and know how to solder.
I am Having a pretty tough time just removing the fusebox.
Work Ahead! |
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Amskeptic
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Joined: October 18, 2002
Posts: 8568
Location: All Across The Country
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Kaput wrote: |
Half way there! I have a multimeter and know how to solder.
I am Having a pretty tough time just removing the fusebox.
Work Ahead! |
Have you noted some of the fascinating trivia of German wiring?
ex.s
#30 terminals mean that they are hot off the battery
#15 terminals mean that they get voltage with the ignition key on.
Black is positive / brown is negative
Your warning lights are actually powered up with a black #15 wire to their outsides (the sockets) and are grounded through their centers.
That means you have two plates on the fuel gauge that are actually live and have black wires leading to the plates, then nearby, a brown wire grounds the surrounding metal of the gauge cluster. Keep a sharp eye.
Colin
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jakokombi
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Joined: August 15, 2010
Posts: 779
Location: Milwaukee
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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How is your windshield seal?
I ask because with the windshield out,
as well as the top dash plate, it is much easier to work under there. 
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Kaput
Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2002
Posts: 859
Location: Lakewood, CO
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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The window seal is relatively new, probably 5 years, not going to replace it.
I do need to put the steering wheel on straight so I may just remove it plus the dash. It is pretty tight down there. I was trying to take the fusebox out but its pretty well stuck right now.
That is some useful Trivia Amskeptic! Definitely taking note.
Probably going to let this rest till I have a free weekend. |
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