Bad Bug

[tcmia]

Thanks for the info. Does the horn need a relay. I don't think it had one, but then it also was not wired thru the steering wheel. It had a separate very cheesy button that never worked.

[EVfun]

Most aftermarket steering wheel horn buttons need a horn relay as they cannot handle the current required to operate the horn directly.
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[tcmia]

Thanks I work on that. Now is a good time to add these things before I close up the front end.

[Q-Dog]

I'm not using a relay, but I'm also not using the wheel button, just a cheap button on the side of the column. I figured I would run this until something failed. It's still going after 10 years without as much as a blown fuse.

I don't know. I like to keep things simple.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[tcmia]

That size fuse do you use for the horn?

[Q-Dog]

My car had no fuses when I got it. I patched up the wiring and based my fixes on a factory wiring setup. So, I used 8 amp, just like the VW factory did. And I think I have more than the horn on that circuit, similar to how the VW factory did it.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[tcmia]

Thanks. I followed your suggestions and wired the horn with 8A fuse and a relay and the aftermarket steering wheel horn and it works. I still have to insulate the steering shaft from the outer steering column tube. I am thinking to use a double layer of bicycle inner tube. A 700x19c inner tube should fit snugly on the steering shaft.

[tcmia]

Ok today i tried to work on my turn signals. I was able to get one side to work, but the other one quit after a couple of minutes. I am not getting continuity between the white (power in) to brown (power out). White to yellow works fine. Cable colors are not original. I replaced the wires as the old ones were too corroded. What kind of switch do i have to buy. I looked at pictures but the new ones have more wires. This one only has 3 for the turn signal. The headlight flashers connections were cut off since it only has low beams.

On the metal part it has vw stamped and wah looks like a k in a circle. The white plastic part has the numbers 25742 and what looks like a 2 underneath.

[tcmia]

I got myself a regular bug turn signal switch and eliminated the extra wires. Chopped off the handle to make it the same length as the original one. That worked out great.
I am now stuck on the rear lights. I have all the lights on a common ground, but when I press the brake pedal my license plate lights come on. The positives are on a different circuit. I have my rear lights and the plate on one positive, brake on a different one and each turn one each separate +. I am using LED bulbs for all of them with an LED flasher. This has me kinda frustrated and the clutch on my Ranger also went out.

[GS guy]

Here's a link to American Autowire's VW light wiring diagrams that might help to sort the problem:
https://www.americanautowire.com/pub/media/product...%201.0.pdf

This is for their Highway 15 kit, but can be useful just to see where the various circuits are getting power and general wire routing. Makes it much easier to see how the aftermarket fuse box integrates with the VW based switches and other components. Several VW year ranges with varying switches/relays/etc. are covered. Might help?
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70's vintage Deserter GS buggy - undergoing transformation to Super GS!

[slalombuggy]

If lights are coming on when others are turned on you have a bad ground or too much resistance in the ground circuit from a bad connection or too small of a wire. I run common ground point at the back of my car and there is a wire that goes directly from that point to the negative post on the battery.

brad

[tcmia]

Thanks for the link to the diagrams. I am going to take the rear light circuit back out and start over and make sure it works before i put it in. I will also make myself a common ground as you suggested. I have a braided ground strap battery to chassis and was joining my ground wires at that point.

I replaced the clutch on my ranger and now i can focus on this project again.


I re-did the rear wiring and still had problems with the LED bulbs. Replaces all with regular and the problems went away. Maybe the problem is in the LED bulbs. That's ok. I am ok with that as long as there are lights and turn signals. Next tying it all together under the dash.

[tcmia]

Last night I pulled the wires to the front and mated them up with the fronts and connected the switches, turn signal and ignition and it actually works. An exciting moment. Still have to bundle them up and make it pretty. First time in over 26 years that all work. When I worked on this buggy in 1993 I had suggested to my friend to redo the wiring because nothing worked consistently and he did not want too. Funny how things come around sometimes.

[tcmia]

Got quite some stuff done this weekend. Fuel tank is in. Hood is bolted down. It took a bunch of tries, cause the aftermarket tank did not have the fuel sender hole which is used as a filler in the same place as the OEM one, but I made it fit. Last thing was to bolt the headlights in, but not wired up.

[Busted Knuckle Garage]

Very cool looking. How is the weather there? When will you be able to take a test ride?
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Frank

[tcmia]

Thanks. We had snow this weekend, but it melted already This week lots of rain. Lots of local flodding I am looking forward of testing it. I drove it one time in either 1993 or 1994. Cannot remember exactly.

[tcmia]

Had some time to work on the project. Decided to install the windshield. I am not sure if the frame was originally silver and was painted black or coated with something and worn thru it, but I decided to leave it alone for now. Took some heavy cleaning and scraping with a razor blade to get 2o some years of gunk off. I am pleased with the look. Cleaned up one of the side mirrors, still have to do the other side. You can tell I have not finished refreshing the pin striping on the hood, just been in the mood for it.

[Nairod]

[tcmia]

I did the same thing and also ran ground from chassis to battery, transmission to frame and battery and 2 ground point on the firewall to chassis. I hope to not get the weird electrical problems this buggy had before.

[slalombuggy]

Looking good. Love that old school pinstriping. COOL. Glad to see your electrical is coming together. It's really not that hard, just a few things you have to pay attention to, and some planning.

brad