VW 1968 ignition switch

Hi, could anyone explain to me how the ignition switch works? I own a 1968 Beetle and I have a serious problem with ignition: when I turn the key, i do not feel any "resistence" between the second and the third position... at the end neither the engine nor the starter itself work.

The fact is that the ignition switch is made of two components, the electrical and the mechanical one. It should be a mechanical problem, unless the ignition cylinder is a mere lock. I guess there must me a sort of broken spring somewhere... but which part should I replace?

Thanks Alvin75

Reply to
Alvin75
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The spring return is in the switch half.

Replacing it entails removing steering wheel and turn signal switch assy.

Helpful hints here:

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The switch comes pre-wired:
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You'll need to remove the horn ring. There are 3 small screws holding it down. Make careful note of all the tiny spacers/springs and how they fit together.

Then you need a 27mm socket to get the wheel off. Don't remove the nut, just loosen it. Then wigle the wheel till it comes loose. The nut will save your teeth should the wheel come off with force.

Before removing the wheel, turn so that the spokes are set dead ahead; that will make it easier putting back on.

Speedy Jim

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"I have no use for a car which has more spark plugs than a cow has teats!" Henry Ford, when advised that Chevrolet was introducing a 6-cylinder engine.

Reply to
Speedy Jim

"Speedy Jim" ha scritto nel messaggio news:kPZBh.29245$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...

Hi, thanks indeed for your explanation. So I have to replace only the electrical switch, i'm so glad that I can keep using my old keys!!! Otherwise I would have had to replace even the door lock :-(

Alvin75

Reply to
Alvin75

Couldn't a locksmith key a new switch to match your existing keys?

Reply to
Michael Cecil

Yes you can just replace the electrical part of the switch... sould help eliminate those no starts also... here is what happens when you turn that key...

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Reply to
dragenwagen

Thanks to you too, i will print it all and read in the next week-end..

"dragenwagen" ha scritto nel messaggio news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...

Reply to
Alvin75

"Michael Cecil" ha scritto nel messaggio news:C_idnWs0x51CS0XYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com...

Hallo, luckily it depends on the switch, so i do not have to change the mechanical part. In my opinion the "doctor" of my beetle had not given a look to it yet, so he was trying to hum and haw.

Anyway, starter and switch "burnt" together doesn't seem good to me. What has damaged what? Or perhaps I should look for the original trouble elsewere...

Alvin75

Reply to
Alvin75

starter and switch "burnt" together??? huh? If you mean the electrical part burnt I could see that happening. If something actually "burnt" then I would highly suggest checking the wiring. Because if the electrical part of the switch malfunctioned and the circuit had too much current going through it, then it heats up the wire and melts off the insulation. The replacement electrical switches come pre-wired with about 6 inches or so of wires attached so you can splice the wires into the exsisting wires. The mechanical part is just a cylinder, how ever there is a function of the cylinder, if I remember correctly, is that once you turn it to the "start" position, you will have to turn it "off" before it allows you to turn it to the "start" position again. That's to prevent you from putting it in "start" while the engine is running. DOH!! But I'm not sure if that came along in later models... like my 72 had.

I had this happen to my 1968 beetle when I had a "no start" situation like I described in the article. It melted the insulation off one of the wires under the back seat... actually it was the wire that went to the neutral safety switch for the semi-automatic trans... I don't recall if that wire was on the high or low current side of the starter circuit... I think it was the high current side.

BTW you cannot bench check the manual trans starter as it has no internal bearing for support, so you "could" damage it by trying to check it out of the car. the semi auto starter has an internal bearing, where as the manual trans starter uses the insert in the bell housing for support. Just incase ya didn't know.

dragenwagen

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Type I "Old VW's don't leak oil, they mark their territory."

Reply to
dragenwagen

Hi Alvin! :)

This is Alvin-in-AZ and my '67 had a problem with going over really rough roads or my knee touching the key and killing the engine or just making it sputter really bad.

I wired around the stock igniton switch with a push button for the starter on the dash and a sort of hidden ignition switch.

I know that ain't what you're looking for, or hardly anyone else for that matter... :) it's just how I handled the problem. I'd already taken that switch apart a few times and made it work, but it finally just got too bad and it was hard on the engine etc when it'd act up.

Alvin in AZ ps- the locks etc? they only lock -you- out because you are the only one not willing to break the window or tear out the fuse block pps- that was another weak spot, those sorry original fuses, I replaced the fuse block and mounted it inside the "trunk" ...BTW, that cured a whole bunch of electrical problems ppps- there used to be a different Alvin on ramva too Singapore or Malaysia?

Reply to
alvinj

I recently replaced the ignition switch on my Beetle (steering column from a '71). As Jim mentioned you will need to take apart some of the steering column. Keep track of your wires and realize that the replacements don't always use the same colored wires as the stock ones (or yours may already be a replacement that didn't use the stock color scheme). Color wiring diagrams help but it might be best to use a ohm meter to test the different wires. You can find a diagram for your year here:

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If you have the patience and the time, you might be able to rebuild the insides of your switch (be sure to disconnect the battery before doing any electrical work). I did mine which is very similar to yours (a few extra connections). If you carefully bend out the peened in metal case from around the base of the switch you can open it up. If you spend 10-min looking at the mechanism you will see it is not too difficult (rather ingenious really). I cleaned up the metal contacts inside and greased up all the moving pieces. Then reassembled it and tested it. It worked just like it should. I even installed it for a short while as I waited for my replacement switch to arrive. In the end I used a new one, but it would be possible to fix one in a pinch. I don't think it would be so easy with the newer plastic cased ones. You'd probably crack the plastic taking it apart.

electrical portion of your ignition switch has failed/broken and maybe the contacts within are worn. Inside the electric switch is a rotating copper(?) plate that makes contact between the different wires that feed into the switch. In position one ("Off") no contacts are made between the wires (in later switches there is sometimes a "hot" (+12v) lead that gets power when the switch is "Off"). In position two ("Run") the main +12v lead (#30) from the regulator (via the fuse block or headlight switch) is shorted with one (#15) or two other wires (#15 + #X). I believe your year only had a single "switched" +12v lead (#15). Later models ('71~) had an aux/acc switched lead (#X) which is was disconnected during "Start" (presumably to reduce the load during engine cracking). Wire #15 runs the ignition and must have power during "Start" (cranking). In the third position ("Start"), high curent power is sent down wire #50 to the starter solenoid. None of these wires running into the ignition switch are fused. Be very careful NOT to ground them. At best you will get a spark and a surprise; at worst you could start a fire as the wiring melts. Also, later models (like my '71) had an additional wire (#SU) that controlled the "key in the ignition" warning buzzer (aka door buzzer).

Mechanically within the switch there is a return spring that is compressed when you are cranking that pushes the switch back to "Run". There is also a fancy mechanism made of a spring loaded arm and multiple deflecting "pegs" that prevent the switch from going a second time into "Start" without first being switched "Off". There is also the steering column lock and the key tumbler, but those are external to the electrical switch.

The easiest thing to do would be to buy a replacement ignition switch. For your '68 they shouldn't be too expensive (

Reply to
AshMan

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