Instrument wiring

pmansson

pmansson

Well-Known Member
Messages
877
Reaction score
31
Location
switzerland and sweden
I had the instruments out for replacement with refurbished ones, installed new 4w lamps except for the turn signal lamp which I left at 2 or 3w.
When I push the instrument holder into its position, there is very little space for a hand to insert the multi sockets into the female sockets mounted on the metal board behind the instruments. This task is always a real bummer and takes sometime to get right. I put the multi instrument out of the way, dangling by its many connections, but it´s still tight and difficult. It took a good half hour to get it all right. (And I didn´t forget the tripmeter wire this time. That is very hard to install properly with the speedometer in place).

Has anybody tried a different method. I thought (for the next time) I would try attaching the multi pin sockets with no instruments connected. That would give me much more space to do this. Then connect all the contacts and insert the lampholders etc. Then attach the instruments to the holder/board which will be tricky when trying to reach for the 2 screws per instrument....

Any other ideas???
 
It's pretty much trial and error and time consuming, curse-inducing, but I was able to get mine in and out with a long angled needlenose and another straight one. I eventually recruited another set of hands to speed it up, but my seats were out.

I swear, Karmann hired elves or gnomes to do this.
 
its far easier to remove the steering wheel and the lower dash panel (that screws onto the horizontal wood panel below the instruments). then the entire instrument cluster can be removed / put back. it is much easier to put all of the connections into place ... especially the big connectors.
 
The wheel was out, and the lower dash as well. I have done this operation on at least 7 cars, but was just hoping for a different approach or use of some clever device. It doesnt´t help that the female multipin sockets are mounted to a (backwards) slanting metal sheet, making it even more awkward to push in, and secure, the male sockets.....
On the car yesterday, the securing pins were broken on one of the female sockets. Presumably some PO had been rough when disconnecting them some time back.
What I don´t want now, is for that socket to shake loose and come out so that I will have to do it all over again....
 
pmansson said:
, the securing pins were broken on one of the female sockets. Presumably some PO had been rough when disconnecting them some time back.
Click to expand...

I've got that problem on my e9: one of the two white plastic clamps on the female socket snapped off. Honest, I wasn't rough with it - the plastic is now 42 years old, and it has gotten brittle.

I'm not sure how I'm going to fix this. At present, the connections to the gauges have become intermittant. I know it's that socket, as wiggeling the wires that connect to the socket causes the gauge needles to jump. The socket is completely inaccessable until the gauge cluster is removed, and even then it's tough to get at.

Are replacement sockets available? Perhaps from Radio Shack or other electronics suppliers? Or, could I somehow use a tie wrap to hold the M and F halves together?
 
wedge it.

5998x1__66261_zoom.jpg
 
Merely a suggestion

There are electrical repair connectors which use a wedge device inserted in the connection. Wether inserted in each side where the exisiting tab or prong is on the oem... or at the top.

You'd likely have to cut the wedge down, perhaps if there needed to be two; drill a hole and wire the two together for ease of removal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top