Topic: tail lights, brake lights not working after restore

Just finished a 2 year restore on a 68 bug.  I didn't touch the electrical other then removing the lights but the main wiring was left alone.  The headlights and front blinker/drive lights work.  The brake lights worked the first 2 days every now and then.  Now the rear blinkers only work with the lights off, the rear hazards work but once the park/head lights are one nothing.  I checked the bulbs fuses and made sure all the wires were still connected.  Are there any bug specific gotchas that are centric to electrical problems?  Any help would be greatly appreciated, I really want to drive it after all the work.

68 beetle
1600cc  dp

Re: tail lights, brake lights not working after restore

dvnfly wrote:

Just finished a 2 year restore on a 68 bug.  I didn't touch the electrical other then removing the lights but the main wiring was left alone.  The headlights and front blinker/drive lights work.  The brake lights worked the first 2 days every now and then.  Now the rear blinkers only work with the lights off, the rear hazards work but once the park/head lights are one nothing.  I checked the bulbs fuses and made sure all the wires were still connected.  Are there any bug specific gotchas that are centric to electrical problems?  Any help would be greatly appreciated, I really want to drive it after all the work.

As any experienced mechanic or DIYer will tell you...sometimes solving Automobile electrical problems can be a BIG BIG headache...and that's when you're actually working on the car and can see & feel everything.  So just imagine how hard they are to solve over the internet! wink

Things that I can suggest:

- Get out your multimeter...and trace the continuity of the wires in question (to make sure you have continuity)
- Look for bad grounds.  Places where the wire insulation may have worn thru due to years & years of vibrations...or where the insulation may have melted when exposed to excessive heat.
- Look for corroded terminals (and clean as necessary).
- Look accumulated water in the tail light lenses.
- It's possible that the wires to some of the multi-wire relays under the dash aren't wired correctly.
- Check to make sure "hot wires" aren't grounding out (worn insulation).  Of course if you have this...usually you're "popping" fuses.

If you have some of the VW repair manuals...start looking at the wiring diagrams.

- Nick

1979 Super Beetle Convertible

Re: tail lights, brake lights not working after restore

Get out your wiring diagram and recheck your connections and grounds. If you did not change out the harness, it has to be the re-installation of wires on your part wink
Brown is ground on VW's

burrhead

A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.

Re: tail lights, brake lights not working after restore

I got all the lights working now.  the tail lights were not working because of defective bulbs.  The brake lights are the only issue left.  They are on all the time.  When i meter the brake light switches the 3 prong one shows 12v going in and 1.5v no brakes applied and 3.5v with the brakes applied.  Once again the brake lights are always on, bright too.  I would have thought that it would have taken more then 1.5v to make them as bright as they are.  Anyone know what they are suppose to read?  I'm starting to thing that they went bad sitting for 2 years on a shelf.

68 beetle
1600cc  dp

Re: tail lights, brake lights not working after restore

To find out if one of the brake lite switches are bad just unplug them one at a time.....if you unplug one and the lites go out then replace THAT switch and then recheck....

                                                                               Yancey