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Post by campbell45 on Oct 20, 2009 21:31:09 GMT -5
I'm having tail light and brake light problems. The guy I bought it from put a 4 prong relay on the headlights and fog lights (he put them on there) and every time you have the headlights on you dont have brake lights and every time you have the fog lights on you dont have tail lights. Also we looked at the bulbs of the brake and tail lights and they are dual filament but only has two wires. Then we checked the master cylinder brake switch and it has wires on both sides it. I checked all the fuses and they are okay. The weird thing though is that I have 2 6 slotted fuse boxes. One has glass fuses the other one has fuses that have white plastic and thin metal running between them. I have looked at wiring diagrams from beetle repair manuals and I'm stumped. Any help would greatly be appreciated. If I can't do it then I will have to get it paid to be rewired
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Post by smyrnaguy on Oct 21, 2009 7:59:37 GMT -5
It could be that the taillights have no direct ground. The circuit is being completed by the headlight or fog light ground way up front. When these lights are turned on it would basically unload the rear lights. Your dual element tail lights should have 3 wires at a minimum. A brake/ signal wire, a taillight wire and a ground. Were the taillights mounted in any other car they would be attached to metal completing the ground and making the third wire unnecessary. That's my guess.
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Post by jspbtown on Oct 21, 2009 10:54:10 GMT -5
I agree with Smyrnaguy. Sounds like a feedback on the ground. Try disconnecting the rear lights. Then test each circuit. What I mean is disconnect both wires. Test to see if they have power with no lights or no brakes applied. Then press the brakes and see if one gets power. Then release the brake and do the same test for the lights. The other wire should have power when the lights are turned on. if those are both good then ground the case to the lights (mounting screw is a good place) and see what happens.
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Post by campbell45 on Oct 21, 2009 23:18:50 GMT -5
well after spending 4 hours under the dash and tracing wires I'm starting to figure it all out. the guy had almost gotten the wiring right. Little fixes here and there and I should be good for the headlight and fog lights. I still need to worry about tail lights and brake lights. I checked if I was getting a good ground and I was but didn't help me out. no light. But I am confused on the grounding to the mounting screw. You actually ground the light to the mounting screws?
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Post by jspbtown on Oct 22, 2009 8:26:32 GMT -5
If you have a true 2 filament bulb then the two wires you have going into the socket each illuminate 1 filament. 1 filament is slightly smaller and is used for your rear marker lights (the ones that come on with your headlights). The larger filament (thus brighter) is for your brake and/or turn signal (depending on how it is wired and how many lights you have). Since those two wires only carry a "+" charge,you need to get the "-" charge to the bulb somehow. That charge is usually carried by the socket that holds the bulb. In order to supply the "-" charge to that socket you usually ground the light housing. In a production car that "-" charge is throughout the steel body of the car. So when you mount the housing into the vehicle the "-" charge travels through the mounting bolts and into the socket.
So.....
1. Where were you getting "a good ground" from? It should not be through either wire IF (repeat strongly...IF) you have a true dual filament bulb.
2. Your rear driving lights can come right off the same relay that powers your headlights. When the headlights come on, the rear lights should light.
3. Brake light wiring is simple. Wire from the fuseblock (usually keyed power...meaning the wire has power only when the key is in the "run" position) directly to the master cylinder brake light switch. then power from that same switch back to your rear brake lights.
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Post by campbell45 on Oct 22, 2009 23:18:45 GMT -5
I got it! you were right the first time. my mounting screws weren't grounded. all my electrical works like a charm now. well except for my coil. now I think my coil burnt out. I've got power from the ignition wire. but no spark to the distributor and I only get off and on flickering power to the condenser and choke heater when I try and start it. Think its gone bad?
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Post by smyrnaguy on Oct 23, 2009 7:37:42 GMT -5
The condenser should have pulsing DC when the engine turns. The choke should not. You should have constant 12V at the + terminal on the coil when the ignition is on. The points and condenser connect to the - terminal. The choke wire can be connected to the + terminal as well. If you have a pulsing choke then it is either connected to the wrong wire or wrong coil terminal.
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Post by campbell45 on Oct 23, 2009 23:34:39 GMT -5
turns out my choke wire was on the negative and not letting enough power to send a spark. all good now though! but I was wondering while were talking about the wires. is there anyway I can give all my electronics more stable power? I got the alternator kit and its a 12v. I just seems like if i turn on the headlights or am using 2 or 3 things at once it puts alot of stress on the electrical system. anyway to fix that?
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Post by mrbigh on Oct 24, 2009 7:42:47 GMT -5
turns out my choke wire was on the negative and not letting enough power to send a spark. all good now though! but I was wondering while were talking about the wires. is there anyway I can give all my electronics more stable power? I got the alternator kit and its a 12v. I just seems like if i turn on the headlights or am using 2 or 3 things at once it puts alot of stress on the electrical system. anyway to fix that? Make sure that ALL of your ground wires that interconnects on the front of the car to the chassis, are clean, corrosion free and the point of connection to chassis ground is sound too. Is your battery getting the right charge by the alternator/regulator? Basically, an electrical car wiring 1-0-1, a heavy electrical load in a vehicle is being handled by the reserved power of the battery that gets charged constantly by the alternator. |
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Post by campbell45 on Oct 24, 2009 23:04:34 GMT -5
well I think I got it. I didnt have my alternator's idiot light hooked up. I did buy a dune buggy turn signal and flasher switch. Has anyone used one of these? Theres more wires then I was thinking. how hard do you think it is?
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