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56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it
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Wyatt Earp
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2020 12:01 pm    Post subject: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

I have two single filament festoon lamps in the rear light assemblies of my newly arrived 56 Lowlight. Please see the picture below.

Currently they are set up as amber top lens for turn signal and brake light, and the red bottom lens for normal back light. I now have some led light boards which I would like to install as follows: amber turn signal only for the top amber lens and a combined normal back light and brake light for bottom red lens. This is the correct spec for a combined amber and red lens in the UK. I have looked all over the samba for someone’s instructions on how to do it but I can’t seem to see what I need. I’m thinking that I will need to run a new wire up to each rear wing to power the brake light circuit because there are presently only two supplies to that light assembly.

Don’t be fooled by the two white and red wires screwed into the terminal block in the photo, one is the supply in for the back light, and the other is the loop onto the number plate lights.

For those who are electrically minded you can find the circuit diagram here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/56-57ghia_US_600dpi.jpg

It looks as though the 6v from the brake light switch goes through the indicator switch assembly and that’s why it only uses the one wire for brake lights and turn signal. Perhaps it might be just a simple bypass of this wire directly to the back lights to power the brake lights directly?

I hope that I have explained this correctly and I would be grateful for any ideas.

Thanks
Nick
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itsawesty
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:25 pm    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

i looked into this for my lowlight.....but never got round to it. I had the later lowlight rear lights, which i think are easier as the single bulb holders can be converted to dual.
this might help
https://www.busandcamper.com/67-13w-rear-light-rewire-for-euro-lights.html
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itsawesty
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

Does anyone know if EU spec lowlights are the same behaviour as US spec on the rear brake/tail/turn lights? Ive never came across an EU spec wiring diagram for lowlights....
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:52 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

itsawesty wrote:
Does anyone know if EU spec lowlights are the same behaviour as US spec on the rear brake/tail/turn lights? Ive never came across an EU spec wiring diagram for lowlights....


Euro rears are:
top - turn signal only.
Bottom - running light and brake light.

As you say the later mid '57>are simple swapping the brake light wire top to bottom.
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Disc
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 3:52 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

John Moxon wrote:
As you say the later mid '57>are simple swapping the brake light wire top to bottom.


That's probably wont work, as the brake light wire carry also the turn signal and the indicator stalk do the work to switch the signal in that cable from brakes to indicators. If you just swap brake light wire top to bottom you'll move the turn signal/brake light from top to bottom and running light from bottom to top. In original state two single filament festoon lamps do the job just fine - top turn signal/brake light is 21W and bottom running light 5W. In order to have indicator on top and brake/running light on bottom you need 2 filament bulb on the bottom (running light 5W/brake light 21W). 5W and 21W are spec for 12V systems. In 6V system those are respectively 5W and 18W but that doesn't matter in this case.
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Disc
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:03 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

Wyatt Earp,
You are on a right track. You need to pull a wire from the brake light switch to the back of the car and then split it to left and right (easier than putting 2 wires) but then your led light boards must be 2 "filament" to do the job. Basically you can use wiring diagram for later model year like:

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Wyatt Earp
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:26 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

Thanks guys, Disc and itsawesty, between the two of you I think I know what to do now. Hoping to have a go at the end of the week. I will report back on how it goes.
Thanks again.
Wyatt
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itsawesty
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 6:00 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

are you converting to bayonet bulbs? Ive never seen dual filament festoon bulbs.
the bakelight bulb caps on my light units needed replaced, i swapped them out for single bayonet bulb holders, like these but single (posting dual versions as they’re prob more relevant)
https://www.rotatingelectrics.co.uk/ba15d-bulb-hol...rgo-170596

I ended up sticking with the factory functionality, as it is ‘MOT’ compliant and legal but added a 3rd brakelight for safety and the fact most UK drivers wont know what is going on flashy red turn signal but not when braking malarky Shocked
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itsawesty
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 6:05 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

Disc wrote:
John Moxon wrote:
As you say the later mid '57>are simple swapping the brake light wire top to bottom.


That's probably wont work, as the brake light wire carry also the turn signal and the indicator stalk do the work to switch the signal in that cable from brakes to indicators. If you just swap brake light wire top to bottom you'll move the turn signal/brake light from top to bottom and running light from bottom to top. In original state two single filament festoon lamps do the job just fine - top turn signal/brake light is 21W and bottom running light 5W. In order to have indicator on top and brake/running light on bottom you need 2 filament bulb on the bottom (running light 5W/brake light 21W). 5W and 21W are spec for 12V systems. In 6V system those are respectively 5W and 18W but that doesn't matter in this case.


does that mean EU spec with amber top reflector has an amber brake light? Or is the wiring different EU spec.....
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John Moxon Premium Member
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 8:59 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

itsawesty wrote:
Disc wrote:
John Moxon wrote:
As you say the later mid '57>are simple swapping the brake light wire top to bottom.


That's probably wont work, as the brake light wire carry also the turn signal and the indicator stalk do the work to switch the signal in that cable from brakes to indicators. If you just swap brake light wire top to bottom you'll move the turn signal/brake light from top to bottom and running light from bottom to top. In original state two single filament festoon lamps do the job just fine - top turn signal/brake light is 21W and bottom running light 5W. In order to have indicator on top and brake/running light on bottom you need 2 filament bulb on the bottom (running light 5W/brake light 21W). 5W and 21W are spec for 12V systems. In 6V system those are respectively 5W and 18W but that doesn't matter in this case.


does that mean EU spec with amber top reflector has an amber brake light? Or is the wiring different EU spec.....


Top brake and indicator light is US spec only. US spec rear lights were all red.
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itsawesty
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:52 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

The wiring must be different EU spec then if ONLY US spec had the top lamp as both brake/indicator.

Any EU spec lowlight owner around to confirm one way or the other? I'd be really interested to know if/how EU spec had a dual filament brake/tail light, and the required wiring.
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 12:41 pm    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

itsawesty wrote:
The wiring must be different EU spec then if ONLY US spec had the top lamp as both brake/indicator.

Any EU spec lowlight owner around to confirm one way or the other? I'd be really interested to know if/how EU spec had a dual filament brake/tail light, and the required wiring.


Yes "aerosilver" and "RockStock" and "udo dreisoerner" and a few more.
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chris fryer
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 7:18 pm    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

Mine runs Euro, The new loom that I fitted only ran stop\tail wiring, so I added an extra twin from the turn signal switch.
It works nicely however I had to get inventive inside the actual light housing to accommodate the dual filament Globes, by epoxy fixing new bulb holders.
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aerosilver
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2020 8:53 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

John Moxon wrote:
itsawesty wrote:
The wiring must be different EU spec then if ONLY US spec had the top lamp as both brake/indicator.

Any EU spec lowlight owner around to confirm one way or the other? I'd be really interested to know if/how EU spec had a dual filament brake/tail light, and the required wiring.


Yes "aerosilver" and "RockStock" and "udo dreisoerner" and a few more.


Mine and R.S's have US spec rear lights
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:14 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

aerosilver wrote:
John Moxon wrote:
itsawesty wrote:
The wiring must be different EU spec then if ONLY US spec had the top lamp as both brake/indicator.

Any EU spec lowlight owner around to confirm one way or the other? I'd be really interested to know if/how EU spec had a dual filament brake/tail light, and the required wiring.


Yes "aerosilver" and "RockStock" and "udo dreisoerner" and a few more.


Mine and R.S's have US spec rear lights


Yes I know the US configuration is legally acceptable in the UK and by that token mainland Europe too but...

Are you still using incandescents Russ?
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:50 am    Post subject: Re: 56 Lowlight rear light wiring to Euro standard - how can I do it Reply with quote

Yes, Festoon bulbs, 6V.
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