I bought my Beetle last month. It's in decent shape but I do not know the history of it or anything. They guy I bought it from had had it since 2009 and said the only problem was that the one headlight didn't work. I drove it for a couple of minutes last weekend around the storage complex and checked all the lights to see if everything worked.
These are the things that do not work:
Radio
Headlights
Left brake light
Left turn signal
Hazards
Windshield washers
Dash lights
But the horn and the right turn signal and right brake light work.
I was thinking maybe it was just a fuse??
I'm not really sure what to check as the source of the problem.
I got some fuses coming from JBugs.
Could It Be A Fuse?
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SharkQueen
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- Location: Howell, Michigan
In addition to fuses you may want to get some bulbs. One of the first things you need to determine is if your car has been converted to 12 volts.
You should invest in a volt/ohm meter and/or a test light. Neither are very expensive. A wiring diagram of your care will help diagnose the problems. You can download a wiring diagram here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/inf ... 66_USA.jpg
An owners manual will have a diagram of the fuse panel showing what each fuse covers. You can download an owners manual here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/man ... g65bug.php
You should invest in a volt/ohm meter and/or a test light. Neither are very expensive. A wiring diagram of your care will help diagnose the problems. You can download a wiring diagram here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/inf ... 66_USA.jpg
An owners manual will have a diagram of the fuse panel showing what each fuse covers. You can download an owners manual here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/man ... g65bug.php
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SharkQueen
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- Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 7:29 pm
- Location: Howell, Michigan
Items not working
With these 6 volt VW's the problem is often the ground. Every couple of years you need to take stuff apart and clean the grounds for each light, horn, etc. You'll be pleased with what a little steel wool and some dielectric grease can do.
An old car nut who got his driver's license in a new 1961 VW and has owned 10 VW's (1957-1972) since then. Favorite was the 67's (2), but the 66 is the longest owned and current VW.
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SharkQueen
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- Location: Howell, Michigan
Find grounds
Shark Queen
A ground on the VW's is just a way to complete the circuit. The current flows in a circle and the switch turns it on and off. Like a water hose, it has to have no kinks. The positive power flows from your battery through your lights and horn to the metal of the VW body which is grounded to the negative side of the battery. When you turn them on, the circuit is completed.
In your case each light and the horn has a small black wire that "Grounds"
to the body of the VW, which in turn is connected to the negative side of the battery. It's also possible that the horn or light is grounded to the bracket that holds it to the body. If that bracket or black wire is slightly corroded it won't let the electricity pass (Like a kink in the water hose). The easy way to find the bad ground is with a test probe that has a light in it. Touch it to the red wire where it enters the unit, the touch it to bare metal someplace to ground it., If it lights the ground for that unit needs cleaning.
What you need to do is take them apart and clean the metal to metal contact that grounds each unit with steel wool on both metal surfaces. Don't forget the main ground, the black cable on the battery (The smaller of the two posts on the battery) goes to the metal ground on the car needs to be cleaned where it connects to the car.
A ground on the VW's is just a way to complete the circuit. The current flows in a circle and the switch turns it on and off. Like a water hose, it has to have no kinks. The positive power flows from your battery through your lights and horn to the metal of the VW body which is grounded to the negative side of the battery. When you turn them on, the circuit is completed.
In your case each light and the horn has a small black wire that "Grounds"
to the body of the VW, which in turn is connected to the negative side of the battery. It's also possible that the horn or light is grounded to the bracket that holds it to the body. If that bracket or black wire is slightly corroded it won't let the electricity pass (Like a kink in the water hose). The easy way to find the bad ground is with a test probe that has a light in it. Touch it to the red wire where it enters the unit, the touch it to bare metal someplace to ground it., If it lights the ground for that unit needs cleaning.
What you need to do is take them apart and clean the metal to metal contact that grounds each unit with steel wool on both metal surfaces. Don't forget the main ground, the black cable on the battery (The smaller of the two posts on the battery) goes to the metal ground on the car needs to be cleaned where it connects to the car.
An old car nut who got his driver's license in a new 1961 VW and has owned 10 VW's (1957-1972) since then. Favorite was the 67's (2), but the 66 is the longest owned and current VW.
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SharkQueen
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- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 7:29 pm
- Location: Howell, Michigan
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SharkQueen
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- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 7:29 pm
- Location: Howell, Michigan
The whole car is older than my dad lol.
Good thing though is that JBugs has a whole car harness for like $200
I love having a Beetle becaus restoration parts are so cheap.
Also, my outside mirror doesn't move. I tried to get it to turn the other day to turn it in since I could not see out of it. Is there a trick to getting them to turn? Maybe it's rusted and just locked up.
Good thing though is that JBugs has a whole car harness for like $200
I love having a Beetle becaus restoration parts are so cheap.
Also, my outside mirror doesn't move. I tried to get it to turn the other day to turn it in since I could not see out of it. Is there a trick to getting them to turn? Maybe it's rusted and just locked up.
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Blue Baron
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- Location: Tampa, Florida
Spray the mirror with WD-40 or some other lubricant to loosen it up.
The turn signals and taillights ground directly to the body. I clean the grounds by carefully loosening the bolts that hold the assemblies to the fenders (8mm wrench, lots of lubricant), and scrape the rust and paint off the fenders, bolts and washers where they mount to the fenders. DO NOT BUST OFF THE BOLTS. They will eventually come loose with lots of gentle coaxing.
The grounds for the headlights are inside the trunk, on both sides next to where the headlight wires come through the fenders. There are brown wires that are screwed to the body. Remove them and clean the contacts, and scrape the paint off the body where they attach. You may have some interference getting the screw off on the drivers side, due to the tube for the hood release. I use a super stubby screwdriver.
Also, remove and check the bulbs, both those that work and those that don't, and clean off all the corrosion.
A wire harness may be cheap, but installing one is no easy task, and figuring out what attaches to what ain't easy either, even with a color diagram. You may need to pay a professional.
The turn signals and taillights ground directly to the body. I clean the grounds by carefully loosening the bolts that hold the assemblies to the fenders (8mm wrench, lots of lubricant), and scrape the rust and paint off the fenders, bolts and washers where they mount to the fenders. DO NOT BUST OFF THE BOLTS. They will eventually come loose with lots of gentle coaxing.
The grounds for the headlights are inside the trunk, on both sides next to where the headlight wires come through the fenders. There are brown wires that are screwed to the body. Remove them and clean the contacts, and scrape the paint off the body where they attach. You may have some interference getting the screw off on the drivers side, due to the tube for the hood release. I use a super stubby screwdriver.
Also, remove and check the bulbs, both those that work and those that don't, and clean off all the corrosion.
A wire harness may be cheap, but installing one is no easy task, and figuring out what attaches to what ain't easy either, even with a color diagram. You may need to pay a professional.
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SharkQueen
- Member
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 7:29 pm
- Location: Howell, Michigan
I actually messed with my grounds and got my turn signals and dash lights to work
My dad said we are going to go through it and clean it up. The grounds are all dirty and stuff, so that's probably what the problem is. I just don't want to have to replace a wiring harness If I don't have to. My dad works on Chevy's so he couldn't figure out what all of the wires are for. But I got a wiring diagram so that should hopefully help.
My dad said we are going to go through it and clean it up. The grounds are all dirty and stuff, so that's probably what the problem is. I just don't want to have to replace a wiring harness If I don't have to. My dad works on Chevy's so he couldn't figure out what all of the wires are for. But I got a wiring diagram so that should hopefully help.
I would only replace the wire harness if it is hacked up, cut, or broken.SharkQueen wrote:I actually messed with my grounds and got my turn signals and dash lights to work
My dad said we are going to go through it and clean it up. The grounds are all dirty and stuff, so that's probably what the problem is. I just don't want to have to replace a wiring harness If I don't have to. My dad works on Chevy's so he couldn't figure out what all of the wires are for. But I got a wiring diagram so that should hopefully help.
If everything is in good shape just clean all of the contacts and grounds.