I checked the search and learned that fuse numbering is from left to right.

What I can't easily find are which ones are hot without the ignition?

and which ones get hot with ignition. It seems like one of my fuses is dead at both ends with the ignition on or off.

thx

All the positive sides of the fuses will see power when the ignition is on.
Some of these fuses have no path to ground until a switch is closed or some other event.

You will see power with a meter on the top of each fuse (meter set to volts, black lead to a good ground...red lead to the top of the fuse.)

RIch

simply put

key OFF] ground the test light, touch the probe to the top of each fuse, note the ones that light.

disconect one of those to find out which side the power comes from, take power from the hot side.

like r trowle said they all will be hot with key on

mike

All the fuses will not be hot with the key on. The fuses for the head lights will only be hot when the headlights are on. There are 4 fuses for the headlights 2 for low beam and 2 for high beam. I think there is also a fuse just for the running light function. It also will not be hot until the lights are switched on.

Hey, thats right...

interesting... does the headlight fuses get power from (after) a relay? there isn't a relay involved in the curcuit is there?

high beam relay switches the power from low beam fuses to high beam fuses.

I would think it would switch the grounds.
I would have to look at the fuse block but I think its just one main bus on the back...no way to be selective about power...

On my mercedes they did all sorts of ground switching relays...they are a bugger to diagnose.

Rich

so the power goes to the relay, then to either high or low fuse, to the bulbs... you would think there would be a fuse at the begining of the (+) wiring, BEFORE the relay to protect the curcuit.

does anyone have a link or can post a picture of the curcuit?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/914/914_electrical_diagrams.htm

This is getting complicated. I would assume that with the ignition on, both ends of all fuses will have power...no?

It seems one of my fuses doesn't have power with or without.

I believe at least some circuits are switched before the fuse block. Headlights is one- thats why HL switches fry with 100 w bulbs and no relay. I think the same may true for the wiper circuit...

Again all fuses will not have power just because the key is on. Lets run down the list.
Fuse 1 and 2 are for the high beams and only have power to them when the high beams are selected.
Fuse 3 and 4 are for the low beams and only have power to them when the low beams are selected.
Fuse 5 is for all left side park and tail lamps and only has power present when the headlight switch is in the first or second pulled position.
Fuse 6 is for all right side park and tail lamps and only has power present when the headlight switch is in the first or second pulled position.
Fuse 7 is for the trunk and liscence plate lights and only has power present when the headlight switch is in the first or second pulled position.
Fuse 8 is Keyed power. This fuse has many items onit that will only have power once the key is turned on so you should only have power once the key is in the run position.
Fuse 9 is for the optional fog lights (I believe, as my car doesn't have anything for that fuse but if I recall that is what that is for) and should only have power when the headlights are on allowing the fog lights to have power.
Fuses 10, 11, and 12 are all Battery powered fuses and should have power at all times. These fuses power things like the horn relay, brake lights, headlight motors and other things that will always need power regardless of the key position.

I hope this helps clear things up for you. So yes you should have some fuses with no power going to them, it is just a matter of are the correct ones getting power or not.
JIM

I just gave the run down based on the diagram for a 1971 but the diagram for the 1973 has fuses 8 and 9 switched so those two fuses could be opposite on different cars depending on the year but the operation is the same.
JIM

wow, interesting... vw is sure giving lucas electric competition!