Radio wiring is different from the manual? (pic included)

[Bustercat65]

I have a 65 bug and non-working radio.
Taken from the 64 manual, the wiring is different
My fuse cable is connected to bottom right terminal 2. The 'speedometer panel line' is connected to bottom right terminal 3. Is this correct, or possibly why the radio isn't working?

[bluebus86]

Like this...

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/bug_62.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/bug_62_key.jpg

Note the diagram is labeled for 61 but was same in 65

This uses same fuse as domelight, radio can be on without key switch being on. No extra fuse needed if wired as this. If you want to use seperate fuse for radio, simply hook radio to the otherside of the same fuse holder.

If you want radio to only work when ignition is on, then select the far left fuse, again wire on top and it uses existing fuse, wire to bottom fuse terminal and you want to use an inline separate fuse for radio. If you are using a high current tube type radio, Id not place it on the far left fuse, as the current draw will lower the voltage available for the ignition coil, which may reduce engine performance, dim signal lamps.


Bug On with tunes!
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[mukluk]

How you have yours connected may or may not be the reason it doesn't work. The radio needs a power source coming in and a ground in order to turn on, and if you want the display to light up when you turn on your lights then it also needs a power feed tied into the panel light circuit. Where those are located is dependent upon how your car is wired. The power source for the radio can be an always on battery source (terminal 30 source) or it can be switched power (terminal 15 source), depending on which you want to use. The panel light feed can be directly from the light switch itself, or you can piggyback the terminal at the light socket as shown in your diagram. Another option is to use the parking light power feed circuit from the fuse block, but that invites possible issues in the parking light circuit to potentially cause problems with the radio.

The absolute easiest way to determine whether you have a wiring problem causing the radio to not come on versus an internal problem with the radio itself is to connect the positive radio feed directly to the positive battery post, and the radio ground to the negative battery post then turn the radio on.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[Bustercat65]

Ah. so one wire (the fused line) is for radio power itself, the other is just for the display light? (How is this grounded? by the restraining bar that connects it to the washer motor?)

If i'm reading this correctly, currently my radio was set up to:
1. Draw power from the right parking/tail/license light
2. Get its display light power from the left parking/tail lights?

Two things:
1. The original manual explicitly says not to wire it to the "distributor terminal of the ignition switch" due to battery drain, poor starting and damage to the ignition. I assume they mean terminal 15?
2. I plan to wire in a cigarette lighter for charging my iPhone, that should be good on terminal 15, right? (that's ideal because then it wont quietly drain the battery if i leave it connected)

[bluebus86]

[Bustercat65]

it's a sapphire 1. It has a fuzed cable, and the extra cable for the dial.

[mukluk]

Is the car 6 or 12 volt? Six volt radios don't work for long on twelve volts.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[Bustercat65]

6 volt

[bluebus86]

[Cusser]

Radios in those days were installed at the dealers, so anything goes.

My 1970 (bought in 1972) had the radio wired "always hot".

My 1971 (bought in 1976) had the radio wired to the ignition switch.


I've since changed the 1970 to be wired to ignition switch.
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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

[mukluk]

I've always preferred to have the radio in my VW wired to an always hot terminal so I can have the option of having tunes while sitting with the engine off. Wiring the radio to switched power means you either have to leave the engine running to listen to the radio or you have to disconnect the condenser wire from the coil if you're going to sit for any real length of time with the ignition on and engine off lest you run the risk of burning up your points or damaging the coil. Later cars with an accessory position on the ignition switch don't run into this problem, but our earlier cars don't have that luxury.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[Cusser]

[herbie1200]

VW diagrams suggest to wire radio on the interior light permanent fuse.

Reason: some radios (i.e. Blaupunkt, Becker, Grundig, etc.) have a lot of capacitors on the feed terminal, to eliminate noises in AM, and those capacitors are a problem on the +15 terminal that is often turned on and off.

My hint is to wire radio where VW suggests, +30, and to add a buzzer between antenna radio out and the contact of door opening, to not forget radio working.