Who has a back-up light connected?

... And where is the connection on the transaxle case?
We might like to run a light back there sooner or later, but I don't know where the little electrical jobber is.
It probably looks like a threaded hole for a brakelight switch, right?
Power to the switch, engage reverse to close the circuit to the light, and to ground from there?
In-line fuse between hot and the switch?

Cory,
Its in the front of the transaxle...I think on the right side. VW wired them with a fuse from the coil to the switch and from the switch to the light. Thats the +, and you will just need a ground.

Wire to positive + on the coil, then goes to an in line fuse and continues to one tab on the back up switch located on the nose cone of the trans. From the other tab on the back up switch tab, the wire goes to the positive + side of the back up light..be sure to also run a ground from the - on the light. ~Alan

Maybe a dumb question but why does this get wired to the coil? Is this to get power to the light? If so, could any power source be used such as the fuse block?

here is the location of the backup light switch, circled in red...and yes it can be connected to any "switched" 12 vdc + terminal, the ignition coil just happens to be convenient...

Bruce That's how VW did it on Beetles from the factory, the back up light may have been an option... rather than alter the OEM harness, VW decided a quick fix would be to use the coil as the 12v fused power source. ~Alan

Jim....I'm liking that simple bag suspension !

Jim - that is an interesting picture. You have both a (non air) shock and an air bag back there . . . couldn't you just do with an air shock? Why they bag and the shock?

Thanks for the info, guys! That should be as easy as taking candy from a baby.

You must have picked up one of those 500k candle power landing lights from while on active duty!

DS, The rear airbags and 4 valve Air Ride system with air shocks on the front were on the chassis when I bought it. After playing with it for a bit, running it up and down and observing the changes in geometery, mostly that of the toe in on the front (it changed by 1/2" from all the way down to all the way up) I concluded it did not belong on my car as I normally drive. I like to drive with some enthusium, be it a winding road, or a run at speed, or a bit of stop light to stoplight efforts....I figured it would only complicate working out normal handling issues and I would prefer to work with proven solutions, so all the air ride stuff came off.

I also suspect the slammed approach appeals more to a different generation than mine....

Jim nailed the switch location,

As far as power for the lights. The coil is just the way VW did it.

I powered mine differently Because of the automatic shifter switch. But you can wire it any way you want it at your discretion..

Bruce:

The back-up light is wired to the coil "+" lead so that if the car is left in reverse when un-attended the back-up light will go out when the key is switched "off" and the battery won't run down.

duh.......

My trans nose cone doesn't have a place for the switch.

I have a switch inserted between the speedo cable and the speedo itself.

When the cable starts to turn backward the light comes on.