Why are the running lights unfused?

[talljordan]

As seen in the wiring diagram, the running lights are unfused, they connect to terminal 7 of the fuse box, but not on the fused side.

Why leave them unfused? Having a hot unfused wire behind the dash seems risky. And fuse 7 is also unused!

For the time being Ive moved it to the fused side of the terminal, but Im curious if there is a reason VW may have done this.

Edit: To be more clear, I know the lights themselves are fused via F1, but having the hot supply to the headlight switch be unfused feels unsafe?

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1972 Super Beetle, Parked until adequate restoration funding is acquired in restoration!

Wanted: Male computer diagnostic plug end

[sctbrd]

Headlights automatically turn off with the ignition switch, but parking lights stay on (see picture)- "parking lights" are for when you park the car but want to keep it visible.

Note at bottom "compulsory in some countries"- there were laws that parking lights had to be left on when parked in certain cases.

[bsairhead]

A fuse can blow. The wire sizing was the equivalent to a fusible link.

[baldessariclan]

If you look at the factory wiring diagrams for these cars, you’ll generally find a significant amount of unfused circuits and components, here and there. Why did VW do it that way? And is it “unsafe”?

Not 100% sure on all of VW’s motives / logic, but it seems to have worked just fine, and isn’t particularly unsafe either, or at least not by standards of the day these cars were built in. I don’t recall ever seeing or hearing about them catching on fire right and left due to the wiring behind the dash. If the connections are tight & secure, and area is properly covered, pretty much a non-issue (in my opinion, anyway).

What I do recall causing lots of electrical fires in all sorts cars when I was younger was teenagers (and some adults, too) installing custom wiring, stereos, lights, etc. Off top of my head, can remember at least a half dozen or more folks I know who had car fires caused by that sort of thing…
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver

baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt...

[Schepp]

If it really bothers you, you can create you own harness or buy a universal one that utilizes relays and go that route.

I replaced my harness with the JBugs full harness and added a separate standalone harness with relays for anything that isn't factory VW.

Like stated above, the wire gauges were proper for the factory accessories running on the factory circuits. Start adding things like an electric heater or a stereo etc.
With such a long run from the battery location, the factory wires can over heat real quick when over loaded.

[ashman40]

Since we are talking about parking lights (front and rear) you should also be asking yourself WHY did VW place ALL but one parking light onto fuse #1 and just leave the left rear parking light all by itself on fuse #2???

If you do the calculations, a single 8A fuse is sufficient to power all four of the 5W corner parking lights and the license plate lamp. You could have powered them from a single 8A fuse. Why did VW chose to move the grey/black left rear parking light circuit onto its own 8A fuse? For redundancy (or resiliency?).
With all parking lamps on a single fuse, an overload would take out ALL your parking lights while driving down the road or parked. You would not know but from behind you would be invisible and someone could come up and rear end you, not seeing you were there.
But having one of your rear parking lights on its own fuse means you need to short two circuits to loose all parking lights. You will still be visible even if one of your parking light cicuits blew its fuse.

Unfortunately, by moving the headlight switch source #30 red wire to the protected (output) side of fuse #7 you have created the "single point of failure" VW removed by having 2 parking light fuses. When fuse #7 blows you will loose ALL parking lights.


VW's method of using a single circuit parking light switch to control all parking lights but have two parking light circuits for redundancy is cheaper than to create a fully dual circuit parking light switch to feed two different parking light circuits. A dual circuit parking light switch could have the fuses placed in front of the switch... but the switch would be much more expensive! Not VW's way.
Also, switches are not designed to fail. You assume they will work for many years. Fuses though, are by design meant to fail and protect the wiring. VW planned for fuses to blow but worked to keep the driver safe with redundancy/resiliency but kept the single circuit parking light switch.
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[sb001]

[DUNGBTL]

[OldSchoolVW's]

[talljordan]

[ashman40]

[talljordan]

Yeah I may revert my change and just add some insulation around the hot terminal on the headlight switch to avoid short potential.

I'm a smidge torn, I always carry spare fuses, so if I lose lights I can always swap it in., and I would rather blow a fuse than start a fire. But fire risk also seems very low.
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1972 Super Beetle, Parked until adequate restoration funding is acquired in restoration!

Wanted: Male computer diagnostic plug end