Where do these wires go? also a burnt wire. 1972 Beetle

[rrb6699]

ok as im starting to drive this '72, im shaking out the bugs. last night driving around the headlights all the sudden go out. parking/running lights stay on and turn signals still worked.

I took the radio out and snapped these pics. looking up thru the radio, I see a burnt wire on my headlight switch. these pictures may be upside down cuz I can't see it on my tiny phone screen just so you know.

1) what is that position on the headlight switch for and how do I get the headlight switch out I'm afraid of destroying it and I can't see a way to pull it out.?

also there's a brown double wire not connected I assume these brown wires are ground connectors judging from the other ones hooked up to ground tabs. however, I do not see a place to hook this wire up in its vicinity behind the radio.
upon tracing this ground wire not connected to anything I find it connected to a ground behind the spedometer near the rear of the fuse panel. and the other side looks like it took to the generator light.
it looks like a series circuit am I correct where are these grounds at all linked together and one long wire with connectors at different points along the way?

2) it look like the radio ground came from the washer motor ground so I'm assuming this is not a radio ground wire. sometimes these connector tabs are hard to spot but where would I connect this thing up if I cant find one? also would it matter if this was not connected since its connected somewhere else along the line?

3) there is also a brown spotted wire for lack of a better term running over to the passenger side under the trunk hood that is not connected to anything as well.
tracing this down it looks like it's hooked up to the door switch on the driver side. so that does not seem to be connected I will have to see if I find the right side driver door switch. perhaps that's as well this would be connected to the right side driver door switch.

sorry for all the simple questions but I'm just trying to figure this thing out so I can document and start marking these wires properly.

rr

[rrb6699]

just to add I do not have headlights now I seem to have found a way to make them not work at all. working solo is a bit difficult.

So, I made a jumper wire, hooked it to the head light switch tab where the burnt wire was hanging and then just touched it to ground but it doesn't make the headlights come on.

what do I need to do even if I have to do I separate circuit wire total to get the headlights to work?

also none of the speedometer lights work so I cannot see my speed at night. all the bulbs look ok.

perhaps this had something to do with the wire that burnt up because I can see one bulb that is not hooked up at all.

semi logical assimption: the two tabs closest to the passenger compartment (e.g. attached is closest to the pull-out in the passenger compartment) should be for the headlights since its the second pull click after the running lights come on (1st click) when you pull it again all the way out, used to make the headlights come on.

however, I don't know the internal wiring diagram of the switch so I can't just took two wires up an hope it works!

rr

[rrb6699]

took a better picture of the headlight switch there are three tabs with no wires on the ones to the front side of the vehicle next to the red wire what you can't see.

not knowing how to hook this thing up what wires go where from this headlight switch to get the headlights working again since I can't seem to pull the switch out without destroying it.
of course this will be a good test to see if its working at all
UPDATE-NOW IM REALLY CONFUSED!!

I had this wild idea to turn the lights on and hit the bright switch. When I do that they came on and when I turn the lights off the headlights stayed on now what's the problem?
I'm thinking the times that aren't hooked up before the dash lights but I can't be sure.

hope someone recognizes the issue.

rr

[Marc]

Do you even HAVE a wiring diagram? It generally helps
`71-up VWs use what's called the "X" terminal for the headlamps. The headlamp switch has two input sources: Term 30 is hot all the time and supplies the portion of the switch which controls the parking lamps/taillamps.
Term X comes through an auxiliary set of contacts in the `71-up ignition switch to supply the portion of the light switch which controls the headlamps alone - that's why they turn off with the key.
The Hi/Lo beam selection occurs completely downstream of the light switch, at a relay ("J" on the diagram) controlled by a momentary-ground signal when you tug back on the t'signal stalk. Any symptom involving the failure of either beam is occurring there, not at the light switch.

http://www.vintagebus.com/wiring/1300_a ... 1971-1.jpg

[rrb6699]

the body harness was replaced. what i'm HOPING is they followed the wiring that was there wire for wire. But, the fise panel was replaced and there is no numbering. that means I really need to identify each wire at the fuse panel to each circuit.

I can guess starting circuit and a few others, so I can mark the fuse panel at each fuse.

so right now i'll have to take the diagram and try to follow each circuit individually. im sure they are hooked up correctly, but its not documented by number.

right now I have to get the dash lights working and trbleshoot the reverse switch or wire. cuts the engine if I hook it up.

rr

[Marc]

the body harness was replaced. what i'm HOPING is they followed the wiring that was there wire for wire....im sure they are hooked up correctly

So which is it? Certainty, or hope?

I'm sorry, but my old eyes aren't up to staring at your pics to try and make out the terminal numbers on the light switch. Does it have one marked "X"? If not, they screwed up when rewiring the car. If the ignition and lighting swiches are incompatible, that's something which can be worked around, but start by doing a wire-by-wire check against the diagram. IF you have the correct components, the next step is to confirm their function.

[rrb6699]

ok,
I should have said I am certain the circuits are hooked up correctly because everything that is working seems ok.

but I have no dash lights and on the last pic of the lights switch there is nothing hooked to 3 of the tabs on the switch.

I pulled a connector off the first tab that had a burnt wire when I pulled the radio out & saw it.

so to get spedometer lights at nite I need to figure out what to connect to the switch to get dash lights.

rr

[Marc]

The dash illumination lights are powered from Term 58b on the light switch (small gray wire w/red stripes). It's not uncommon for the wirewound rheostat inside to fail open, in which case you need to replace the switch (remember, `68-`70 switches look similar but lack the X terminal to work properly in a `71-up car).
The expedient "fix" is to simply piggyback the dashlamp wire to Term 58 (the taillamps) - either at the switch or off of one of the tail/parking lamp fuses - that'll give you full-brilliance dash illumination anytime the parking lights or headlights are on (which is, after all, the way most people run them most of the time anyway).

Note that there is no fuse protection on the dash illumination circuit - it relies upon the use of very light gauge wire which'll hopefully go up in smoke in the event of a short so that the switch isn't damaged....so if you replace any of the stock wire, use nothing larger than 18AWG (or provide a fuse).

[rrb6699]

just one more thing...

I dont see an ez way to remove the switch. I tried to pull the knob off it but I didnt want to break it.

it seems to be stubborn.

I think i'll fuse I it since something musta shorted this wire. the grey, red, yellow-black, white-black wires arecurrently hooked up to the switch. what amp should I fuse it at since I detest smoking wires...
also, if a dash light is missing, will the dash lights still work?
one on the left side of the speedomtr (driver view) is missing.



rr

[Marc]

The illumination lamps are in parallel, so they operate independently.

Not all terminals are "populated" on a typical light switch - they often have an extra Term 30 (hot all the time from the battery). Some have vestigial Term 57s, a holdover from the days of front parking lamps inside the headlamp enclosures, which only provide output at the mid switch position.

The switches are secured to the dash by escutcheons "bezel nuts" which (if tight) require a special tool to remove without doing any damage. You may be able to break the nut free with a hammer & small chisel, then unscrew it using needle-nose pliers.
"Home-made" bezel nut tools usually fail, unless made from something which won't simply twist/fold under load (like a can-opener).
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... ?p=4482167

Which wire is it that you're concerned about needing an additional fuse?

European-style GBC fuses come in a range of ratings, but those used in VWs were all 8A or 16A (rarely, a blue 25A for a special application like air conditioning). Newer cars like yours have sufficient load distribution that generally speaking you can use all 8A fuses. Older cars (esp 6V) sometimes needed some 16A fuses because the load was too great for 8A. Note that ALL fuses in the lighting system are downstream of the switch and hi/lo relay, so if a short develops ahead of the fusepanel something's going to fry. The proximity of the lighting wires to the wiper mechanism makes them particularly vulnerable to damage if misrouted (even with a stock radio it's a tight area, with an oversized head unit the placement of the wires is critical).

[BAJA-IT]

The knob should twist off to expose the nut that Marc referred to.

[SCOTTRODS]

How many people actually have the right tool to remove the Switch? Am I the only one?

[Marc]

If you want the "right" tool, you'll need two...a larger one for `68-up and a smaller one for pre`68 (buses also use the smaller nut).

[helowrench]

How many people actually have the right tool to remove the Switch? Am I the only one?

I don't need one if you have it......

[sideshow]

Never had a car that new, but I suggest a nickle viewtopic.php?f=13&t=21346 .
I would also suggest any bently close to what you have.