Dead Thing!!

[NoahsThing]

Hello to all. 1st off please be patient with me I'm not the most computer savvy. This would be my first post on any site. I have a 15yr old boy that LOVES his newly purchased(with his own money he had saved) 1973 Thing. Purchased "as is" was sitting in guys garage for 4yrs under cover. It had no working brakes and a non-running motor along with a decent list of minor problems.. The Thing was priced a tad higher than research said it should have been but the seller came correct and my son owns a Thing now. Most of our laundry list complete, brakes etc.. Condensor & points, plugs & wires, cap & rotor, fuel filter, oil change, new battery & cables. After all that we decided to go for a short ride down the road out here in the country. Clutch was slipping badly, so I adjusted but you could tell this was its end. Decided to put a new clutch in so my boy could start learning to drive it on the farm until winter. While I had the motor out I replaced the rear main seal, & complete clutch kit. Put motor back in, hooked everything back up and nothing...... Took starter in had tested. It was bad. No problem $36 later and I'm good right? Nope! I checked the ignition switch, the white plastic switch with multiple blades on end was rough at best with a huge crack in it. ordered new and just replaced. Still nothing. I can jump at the starter with key turned and she runs like a sewing machine. I turn the key and nothing. All the dash lights come on when key is turned, and all other electrical systems seem butchered but working. Kinda at a loss. Not really sure what to test next. I've checked all my grounds.. Ughhhh! Any and all suggestions GREATLY appreciated. Thx again!

[NoahsThing]

I just put a test light on the starter with key turned and I have power on big lug. When I put test light on small wire from ignition to starter(small wire slides on blade at starter) and have son turn key all the way I never get power. Does anyone know which wire this is on white plastic ignition switch? I can make a jumper from starter to ignition would this prove if wire is bad? Lastly.. Is there anywhere that small wire might go that I should check? Fuse block, fusible link??? Thx ahead

[Fiatdude]

There are wiring diagrams on thesamba.com that might help you out

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/inf ... gthing.php

[NoahsThing]

Thx! I'll give it a shot. Wiring is just the worst!!!

[Marc]

First thing I'd be looking for, based upon the tale you've told, would be a bad connection in the modular plug that connects to the ignition switch - perhaps the solenoid (Term 50) connector has loosened and pushed back into the plug.

Battery power into the switch = 30
Switched power to ignition = 15
Switched power to headlamp portion of lighting switch = X
"Crank" signal to solenoid = 50

If you "backprobe" between the Red #30 wire and the Red/black-stripe #50 wire (NOT the Red/black "X" wire) with a paperclip and the starter works, the problem's got to be with the new switch or the plug connection. Other contemporary Type Is had an inline connection in the Term 50 wire under the back seat (near where the main brake pipe passes through the back of the pan), but the published schematics for Things don't show one...if you can crank the starter locally by bridging Term 50 to the battery cable but cannot by hot-wiring at the ignition switch plug, the only thing left is that wire or the inline connection if it exists.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/inf ... m_4-73.pdf

[NoahsThing]

SUCCESS!!! Jumped 50 & 30 wire Thing fired right up! I removed new ignition switch(white plastic piece) then taped old broken one back together and put back in. It fired right up. I called the place where I had ordered new piece and they are ordering a new one... I just got a bad "new" one. Thanks a ton for your help.