A few weeks back I noticed my brake lights were not working...as I began troubleshooting I also realized that my horn as well was inop, and the fuse pops everytime it is replaced. Can someone give me an idea as to the source of the short, and perhaps where to direct my search? It is a 72 super bug.
horn:
button in center of steering wheel is always suspect. pull the cover on the button, check for continuity between the button and ground. You should have none. Pull +12 volts from somewhere else on the fuse panel, and hold it to the horn terminal. See if it beeps. If it doesn't, you could have a bad horn.
brake lights: switch is on the "master cylinder" of the brake system. get under the bug and look below the brake pedal. remove the connectors, spray with contact cleaner and wire brush them.
most light problems are caused by bad connections in back. make sure your bulbs are clean, and the sockets for them are too.
make sure fuse panel is clean (spray with contact cleaner and wire brush)
Yep, horn and stop lights are both fed from Fuse #11.
An easy first step would be to pull the Blk/Yell wire off the horn itself. (One side of the Horn is Hot) See if the fuse still blows.
If it does NOT, the horn is bad.
If it DOES, focus on the (2) Stop Light switches. You can pull the 3-prong plugs off each switch as a test. It would be rare for the switches to short to ground, but the plugs (or their wiring) may have disintegrated.
Well, those steps should lead you in the right direction at least.
Thanxz alot for the info...I'll give it a go today, see if it is a fix, I'll reply w/update as soon as I know...
I have checked the horn and brake light switches, (disconnecting and replacing fuses) yet each time I turn the ignition to the on position it blows the fuse, any advice would be helpful
Fuse #11. Right?
Look at the fuse holder. One side has a brass "strap" connecting to Fuse #12. Ignore that side of the fuse. The other side of the fuse has a Blk wire which goes into a plastic splice.
From the splice, there are 2 Blk wires to the Stop light switches and a Blk/Yell wire going to the Horn.
------------- Is there anything else connected to Fuse #11 (on the side opposite the brass strap)? If there *is*, find out where it goes. It may be suspect.
You might pull the Blk wires and the Blk/Yell out of the plastic splice in an attempt to isolate.
Speedy Jim
Jim, As far as the fuse panel goes, yes there is the black feeder wire (dash side) and 2 wires on the nose side, one is a large yellow w/black stripe, and on the same brass strap a black w/yellow...I have isolated the yellow black as the wire w/ the short, as it blows the fuse when connected. Still when disconnected, I have no lights
The brass strap side is the feed from the Ignition switch. The fat Blk/Yell is the feed. The other Blk/Yell goes to the Headlight switch and feeds them.
But these should be on Fuse #10, not #11.
The VintageBus site appears to be down or I would have you download a diagram. But go here:
Speedy Jim
If they are both on the same fuse, figure out which wire goes to which system and disconnect one and then the other, seeing which one blows the fuse. That narrows it down.
Go from there.
------------------------------------------------ Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA
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No, the horn ring is on the ground side of the horn circuit.
If the fuse and bulbs are okay, the problem is almost always that both switches in the MC have failed. Only one switch is needed to work the lights, so you don't notice a problem until the second one fails. The only solution is to replace the switches.
You can do this without bleeding the brakes, but you need to have the new switch ready to go in as soon as the old switch comes out.
------------------------------------------------ Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA
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