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signal switch or whatever?

Hi all,

Been awhile since I've been around. I sent this question to Speedy Jim but thought I would run it past all of you for input. Thanks Buggrn 74.

I have an electrical question for you. First a little history. :-)

Since buying my 74 super beetle, the turn signal indicator light has not worked. The flasher worked and the lights worked but not the indicator light. I finally decided to see what was going on and took the speedo out and checked all the lights and general clean-up. I marked all the wires "as they we connected". All the lights in the speedo were good so I just cleaned up the connections and put everything back together.

The one thing that I did notice is that the compartment that contains the turn signal, oil, and charge indicator light is made of plastic and the metal plate on the back did NOT have a ground wire to it. This seemed odd to me and as I suspected I could not get the lights to light until I manually grounded the metal plate itself. (On the test bench)

Back in the bug, I couldn't get the lights lit either. So I took the light socket out of the holder and grounded it manually and the light lit. But when I ran a ground to the plate and connected everything up and turned on the ignition, the light flashed very rapidly and the flasher unit (of course) clicked very rapidly. When I turn on a turn signal the lights and the flasher operate normally. When I turn the signal off, it resumes the rapid flashing. If I disconnect the ground everything still operates except I have no indicator light again. I have run the ground from several different locations and have pulled the flasher. When I test the flasher with a multimeter I have continuity to all three posts all of the time. I even took the flasher cover off and operated the breaker points inside manually and still have continuity between the three poles. This is a relatively new flasher (2001) but still could be bad. But I suspect a short somewhere. Maybe the turn signal switch? Any advice would be great.

Sorry about the long explanation.

Thanks for you help

Rog

Reply to
buggrn 74
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Since everything else works but the "turn signal warning indicator" K5, the problem is definately the small 20 gauge blue/red wire running from the center conductor of the K5 indicator to the 49a terminal of flasher relay J2. No other component could cause the symptoms described(assuming the bulb is good), because everything else is common to other parts of the circuit. As far as grounding the metal speedo plate, not a good idea. The speedo bulbs use a "common" positive power connection from fuse S12, NOT a common ground So by grounding this, you cause J2 flasher relay to receive a ground from the speedo(rather than from the turn signal switch as normal), but I'm surprised that fuse S12 didn't blow in the process. Anyway, I suggest doing a continuity check of the blue/red wire or jumper it with a good wire as a test. It's either a disconnect, dirty contact, corroded crimp, or broken wire. Please post how this turns out, no pun intended.

Reply to
Debra Chervenka

Debra,

Thanks for the advice. As it turned out, the problem was with the wire not being connected to the common. You're right, lucky I didn't start wasting fuses. I guess I never really thought that the switch was the grounding mechanism for the system. I assumed it was the blade on the alum. plate at the lights. Negative ground system negative ground to chassis. Negative ground system. 12 volts to metal!!!!!! Warning, Warning Will Robinson! :-) Anyway, Speedy Jim and Yourself both gave me the same advice and I'm appreciative of it. Luckily there was not a problem with the main wire ( blue & red) Thanks again and I will probably have more dumb questions at a later date. As if you couldn't tell I have not had the SB that long. About 1 1/2 yrs. Am pretty handy with mechanics but never had experience with Volkswagens. Some things are a bit different.

Rog

Reply to
buggrn 74

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