Taking issue with vintagebus.com wiring diagrams.

[fredster]

Like most people (I assume) I use the wiring diagrams here: http://www.vintagebus.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and very useful they are too. But My current bus is 69/70 californian bay has so many differences to the relevant diagram that I'm starting to wonder whether they are trustworthy. I realise over the years people will swap out wires for incorrect colour ones, but I'm finding many differences from diagram on wires that emerge from main loom tube/conduit that couldn't have been messed with.

Consider this. In this thread: http://www.stainsby.force9.co.uk/uswiring.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; which is linked to on the US to UK wiring sticky, it says remove the yellow wire from terminal 54 from hazard switch and use this as the feed for brake lights - and its absolutely correct and it works well. Now, will someone show me any of the baywindow wiring diagrams on the vintagebus.com site that show a yellow wire going to terminal 54 of hazard switch. I can't see any of them with that feature.

What gives man??? I'd be the first to admit I'm VERY easily confused, especially when it comes to wiring, but where is that dang yellow wire listed?

 

[58herbie]

The wire your looking for on vintage bus is a black and red (for some reason) but vw used yellow term 54 is at the very end of the hazzard switch on the diagram..

Jon

 

[fredster]

Cheers, but your missing the point. I've done the uk to US conversion and its fine. What I'm asking is why is the wire yellow on bus and black/whatever on diagrams?

 

[58herbie]

Pass,

i wasn't around in the factory or the drawing office in them days. The drawings on vintage bus are just scans of original wiring diagrams from the factory and are only there as a guide.. as with most instructions you get nowadays they have small print which says may be subject to change.

The guy who host's vintage bus does not draw these diagrams he just post's old original diagrams up to help people.. so be grateful.

if there where no site's like this there would be no diagrams.

sorry for the rant but what is your problem..think your missing the point.!!

Jon :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[fredster]

Well my problem is that there are wire colours on 'official' VW diagrams that don't seem to match my bus and I'm wondering why? Its a reasonable question surely? When I said you're missing the point I was trying to point out that I've done the term 54 yellow wire thing and its fine and it works. Your post was advising me what to do, and I thank you for it, but i've already done it! I just was interested to see if other people had any similar issues with these wiring diagrams, and its mysterious, is it not, that the wires don't match the diagrams on stock buses. I can't believe that VW would just switch to another colour if they ran out of black/red that day. We're talking about German workmanship here, not Chinese/Brazillian etc.

 

[58herbie]

My original '70 westy had the mysterious yellow wire too but Vw are just like anybody else and things always change, i think you might find it to be an oversight of the people who drew the diagrams for vw and it not being picked up on final proof reading of them. As i have seen quite a few vans with this yellow wire fitted not black and red as per diagram.
As an auto electrician by trade i did some work for M-Sport who prep the Ford Focus for ford rally team and all there wiring diagrams are drawn by an outside company and have to be checked for errors but errors do happen. But in todays world we have computers to help.So i can see where this mistake has come from but these are only a guide and you use the terminal numbers and trace wires between them too.
Yes maybe it should of been picked up back then to keep up VW's high standard but who at the factory would of thought that 30 years on they would have somebody picking fault with a oversight on a wiring diagram.

 

[fredster]

Fair comments all - will have to do a full front wire check soon I think as there are various niggling things going on and a good amount of evidence that previous owner may have fiddled around with it all abit. Turn on indicators, genny light comes on. Wipers slow, high beam light intermittant and so on... Earths seem fine but I think main feed from battery is questionble.

 

[58herbie]

Remember the wire is 30 years + and when i took mine out i found evidence of where it was starting to short out behind the dash on main and dip beam light wires as well as main + cables which if left could of caused a right nice fire and bye bye bus... and this was by no fault of previous owners just age of bus and wear and tear.. so why when we spend all our money on a resto's do most people use the original loom ???

:?: :?: :?: :?: :? :? :?

 

[fredster]

...so why when we spend all our money on a resto's do most people use the original loom ???

Well in my case, and I suspect a few others too, its because I'm generally baffled/scared by auto electrics. Irealise that compared to a modern car the electrics on my bus are fairly simple - but that doesn't stop me being reluctant to plunge in there.

 

[58herbie]

I'm not pushing a sale here but thats why i want to start a business making new looms for the average joe blogs to fit himself but affordable too. I feel if your gona have an old car you should at least know a bit about it and if the country had not got itself into the mess its in i would of started it as a business but am reluctent to quit my 8-430 job to start a new venture at the mo when there a bills to pay...although i am making them in my spare time..

they are feed through and connect or


PLUG and PLAY i guess hehehe

 

[Graham L]

58 Herbie

Out of interest what kind of money are we talking for a replacement EB wiring loom? and do the ends come labelled up or do you need to follow the wiring diagram?

 

[Bookwus]

Hiya Fred,

I converted my stock USA spec Bus to European taillights a few years ago.

I had no yellow wire. Black with a red runner to terminal 54 just as the wiring diagram shows. I 'm wondering if the yellow wire might well have been a mid-year production change which was not reflected on the wiring diagrams.