Howdy All,

Looking for some help/advise on a problem with our 69 bug. It has a ugly radio in it so thought I would take it out as am getting an original, soooo I carefully disconnect all the wires, but forget to disconnect the battery and now it wont start. Don't know much about electrics but I must have shorted it out. The emergency hazards lights wont work, but the light around the speedo comes on without the lights on......errrie!

Probably not, must have moved/touched something and it like a domino effect in these old cars...

Any ideas.....its hard to get it to an auto elec when it wont start?

NOT HAPPY with myself

check your fuses yet ?

Some one may be able to help You if you state where you are located....

the radio may have shorted something out...

there is Power at the Light switch direct from the battery.

it will be probably easy for someone with a bit of electrical knowledge..
and impossible if No knowledge

could be many things as this isn't an ordinary fault
that happens... it was man made

someone with a bit of knowledge could hook the starter and engine up so You could take it somewhere...

Preferably a VW shop or mechanic...

or someone recommended who has worked on VWs...

or it may cost you a packet..

sorry for the bad news...

Lee

as Lee said in the earlier cars upto bout 73 or so the power from the battery came via the light switch im guessing to give maximum voltage at the lights

it comes in and connects to a double male post on the light switch marked 30 then goes to the fusebox
as its just above where the radio is its possible u have knocked it off and as its unfused directly from the battery if it touched anything metal it would just weld itself to it, been there done that.....

also thats why the light still worked but nothing else
look for heavy red wires dangling around the light switch

thanks will have a look tomorrow - As for my Location I am in Croydon Vic. There is a great VW mechanic locally but $$$$ it may be. If any one is local and knows a thing or two, would be much appreciated.

go back and take all the wires that you so carefully disconected before and this time reconect the battery and start conecting all the wires 1 at a time until you find the bad bugger
good luck

It'll most likely be main battery feed (big fat red wire) on the headlight switch now touching the body or ashtray or wiper motor.

Yeppas i ihave had this fun headlight switch issue, was even worse because the previous owner cut the dash upwards so the radio would ground the headlight switch.

Ok, found a THICK (red) wire, that has been cut and joined to a thick(orig) black that seems to go back to the battery, anyway it was loose and touching the headlight group, thus the power......anyway connected it to the lower terminal on headlight group, start her and WOW she runs, so as I walk around admiring her and thinking COOL, I smell SMOKE!!!!!!

F**K lots of SMOKE, - its was the fuse, white third from the right that was smoking like I used too when I was 15 y.o.

IT was completely bent and warped, black and brown but still passing current.

So i checked that no other wires are touching replace the fuse and iT seems to run perfectly now.....

The cars un-reg as we are going to do her up, but at least she can be moved around now.

The smoke from the fuse is usually the fuse contacts being weak or corroded and the resultant bad connection melts the plastic fuse base. I'd clean these up and make sure they are nice and tight, usually only a squeeze is required.