Connecting Indicators?

Need to add some indicators to my 58 Beetle to pass rego...was thinking of getting some trailer indicators put on, as otherwise it cost me $150 just for stock 60s light assemblies. But what i want to know is how to connect it up. Is it as simple as finding the indicator switch (must be somewhere near steering column? does anyone have pics?) and just getting a plug connector (2 wires to one) and then wiring the lights to that switch?

Your Beetle will have semaphores [trafficators] hooked to the blinker switch
You will have to find these wires... coming from the switch
and the power going to the switch

You disconnect all of these wires

Buy a two pin flasher/blinker can
I just put an electronic see thru one in My Son's 56 Beetle which is 12 volts

If Your car is still 6 volts You may have a problem finding a 6 volt flasher/blinker can/unit.

The three wires from the blinker switch:
One wire goes to the flasher/blinker unit
One wire goes to the RHS blinker
One wire goes to the LHS blinker

You will have to experiment with these

The other wire on the two pin blinker/flasher unit goes to the ignition/Power fuse
which should be the same fuse as the wipers use..

You can use any lights for the blinkers
My Son used old VW reversing lights and painted the bulbs with amber clear model paint.
these were attached to the bumper support brackets.

but go to an Auto One shop and look at all the different amber lights available... some aren't too expensive...
I would have used original VW front top of the guard blinker lamps, but many VW owners don't like these
One fellow used front early Nissan Patrol round amber blinkers
taken from a wreck at a wreckers..
I'm not sure where You will pick these up,
but I have seen many beetles etc with these lights used as blinkers
they are reproduction Harley Davidson Motor cycle blinkers
they are chromed and just bolt to a piece of metal from the bumper brackets
The ones I saw were fairly cheap.... surprised Me...

and I forgot, Yes, hook the front blinkers up first and get them going, then connect those wires to the rear blinker lamps...

Best of Luck

Lee Noonan 68AutoBUg

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug


[ Edited on 18-8-2006 by 68AutoBug ]

Ich fahre ein Kdf ein Tag wrote:Need to add some indicators to my 58 Beetle to pass rego...

do your semaphores work? if they do then you shouldn't need extra indicators for roadworthy.

you can always add some harley indicators - have them on my 57 but no pics for you.
they were around $15 each and i just mounted them on the bumper bar mount.
as for the wiring it will depend on how your car is set up as Lee has already said... 6v/12v etc...
the indicator systems are not hard to wire up, it is the flasher unit that can be confusing.
good luck

Semaphores/trafficators are illegal in NSW...
It IS illegal to use them.... so I was told...
by a mechanic who had just told the elderly woman getting her old car passed for rego...
the same thing....

as She pulled onto the highway the semaphore popped out.....


Yes, the Harley repo lights are the cheapest...
You may need to tell Him where He can buy them...
Not sure where I saw them...
Can't get any good ones cheaper than that...
They will probably come with no globes or 12v 21 watt which is the correct 12v bulb....

My Son put Blinkers on His 56 Beetle recently...
I presume they are required, when a vehicle is NOT registered... [in NSW]

It used to be, if the vehicle was continously registered then they didn't have to be added...
Only if the Rego ceased...... could be different now??

cheers

Lee

id just like to say bullshit on that one lee if the car was originally fitted with them they are legal the same goes with the air horns on fiats as they are og. so if the car came with semaphores its road legal as it does not have to met current adrs but what was in place at the time of construction the same as pre 70 cars dont have to met the same emmisions standards of current cars.

well i cant speak for nsw laws... but when i had my 57 roadworthy check (it was unregistered at the time) i asked the mechanic about semaphores and seatbelts to get a clear understanding of these two items before i went to the rego office... (mine had already been converted to 12volt with the flasher installed and indicators in the front and back as the semaphores were disconnected)
he told me that the semaphores were legal if fitted as orginal equipment - obviously they have to work...
he told me that if the car was not fitted with seatbelts then it did not require them, however if they had been installed they had to meet the safety criteria for seatbelts.

having said the above with semaphores i currently have mine working AND additional front and rear harley indicators for maximum effect for other drivers. Now they cannot say they didn't see me indicate.... braking is another matter tho... lol

ok car is 6v already have blinker unit (as the car has lenses and lights in the semaphore holes). But apparently for rego have to have back and front not just side indicators (Tasmania for you). Autobahn has 12v trailer indicators, and i was going to replace the globes in these with 6v ones. So all i need is follow the wires. Thanks for your help.

yep... if you have the elephant ears in place of the semaphores and you have the flasher unit installed all you need to do is connect your new indicators to the wires from the flasher unit to the elephant ears.

barls wrote:id just like to say bullshit on that one lee if the car was originally fitted with them they are legal the same goes with the air horns on fiats as they are og. so if the car came with semaphores its road legal as it does not have to met current adrs but what was in place at the time of construction the same as pre 70 cars dont have to met the same emmisions standards of current cars.

I just told as it as it Happened... Barls...

A different Mechanic may have a different outlook..
but this One had Told the Lady NOT to use them...
and He told Me they weren't legal...

He was Ok about Her driving without blinkers...
or seatbelts...
but NOT to use the semaphores...!!

I've seen another Mechanic fail a Rego test because they didn't have any water in the REAR window washer...
in a late model hatch...

These are both local Mechanics in Scone....

Lee

Ich fahre ein Kdf ein Tag wrote:ok car is 6v already have blinker unit (as the car has lenses and lights in the semaphore holes). But apparently for rego have to have back and front not just side indicators (Tasmania for you). Autobahn has 12v trailer indicators, and i was going to replace the globes in these with 6v ones. So all i need is follow the wires. Thanks for your help.

Yes,
You are already halfway there....
Did they say You could leave the side blinkers connected??
Although I can't see any reason why Not...
as late model cars have the small blinkers on the front guards...
cheers

Lee




[ Edited on 18-8-2006 by 68AutoBug ]

thats alright lee im not getting up you im just saying that the nsw rta's stance is what i said.