'72 Standard Beetle Dim Tail, Turn, Brake Lights
 

I guess I'm not getting enough power to them. The last owner baja'd the heck out of it so I am having to rewire it almost from scratch. I'm "saving" the original wiring harness ($300 new). Headlights are fine. Front signals are fine. I do not have the right side tail assemblies hooked up. Would that be the problem? Looking at the diagram, I don't think so.

RE: '72 Standard Beetle Dim Tail, Turn, Brake Lights
 

Be sure you have good ground for the lights, if they are
mounted on plastic fenders then run a heavy ground wire
from the base of the light housing to the metal body, back
in those days they had a problem with the wiring making
to many connections along the way, and at each connection current was lost making the lights dim. We did a
fix on that by running a 10gauge wire from the positive post on the battery along the inside of the floor pan on the
right side (passenger) and punched a hole in the trunk area
for the wire to go through and then went to the positive side of the ignition switch, that would be the wire that stays
hot all the time on the switch, you also have to be sure the
hole is done in a way that it doesn't cut into the new wire
and short out. but that did increase the power on the entire vehicle lights and starter system.

RE: '72 Standard Beetle Dim Tail, Turn, Brake Lights
 

Thanks. When I unhook the ground wire from the base of the light, it does not have any effect on the brightness (dimness). I think I will scrub the base a little better to make sure I'm actually getting a ground. Thanks again.

RE: '72 Standard Beetle Dim Tail, Turn, Brake Lights
 

It may be a good idea to make sure the base of the
bulb socket is grounded to the tail light housingif your
using that for a ground, or be sure the bulb base socketis grounded.

RE: '72 Standard Beetle Dim Tail, Turn, Brake Lights
 

I have decided to replace the wiring harness for a couple of reasons. Whenever I go to splice wires, I find that they are all corroded inside (black). I'm gonna need to replace some wires anyway that are missing. I'd just assume spend the $300, and do it the easy way. I'll just be without tail lights for the time being, because I've tried everything. The only explanation is that the wires are just to old. Thanks again.

RE: '72 Standard Beetle Dim Tail, Turn, Brake Lights
 

If the wires are black inside, then thay are in bad shape.
They wont carry current like they should.