Acc. Power on 83 rabbit question???

[jellowsubmarine]

Had a stereo put in and it was not wired to operate on acc. position. The unit took power from the fusebox at the "radio fuse". This fuse tests hot only in the run position and not in the acc. I have never heard of a car with no acc. wiring to heat the radio power curcuit. The wiring looks unmessed with. How do your mk1's radio's work... on run only???

I can not find a hot acc power wire off the ignition switch either. Does anyone know which wire is acc. hot? Strange thing is there is a dead wire (red w/ black chaser) that has continuity to ground when the key is off, but open when key on. Bad ignition switch?

TIA

[cuppie]

Welcome to old-school VW electrical - there is no 'accessory' key position. We have but three:
- Off
- Run
- Start

Now, from the factory, the radio fuse (which also powers the dome lights, and cigarette lighter) is always hot. So, unless you're testing the wrong fuse, not sure how yours is switched (unless it was, ah, molested?) If someone modded that circuit to switch with the key, then the dome lights wouldn't work unless the car was on...
How did the factory radios work? Well, they were a lot more mechanical, back in the day. The radio was turned on by, well, turning it on.

Most common way to get switched power for a radio is to simply grab it from the defroster switch.
IIRC, the black/yellow wire is the feed from the X-contact relay; this wire is live only in Run.
(me, I installed a toggle switch for the radio, looped from the radio power wire. I like being able to have the radio on with the car off.)

[jellowsubmarine]

Welcome to old-school VW electrical - there is no 'accessory' key position. We have but three:
- Off
- Run
- Start

Now, from the factory, the radio fuse (which also powers the dome lights, and cigarette lighter) is always hot. So, unless you're testing the wrong fuse, not sure how yours is switched (unless it was, ah, molested?) If someone modded that circuit to switch with the key, then the dome lights wouldn't work unless the car was on...
How did the factory radios work? Well, they were a lot more mechanical, back in the day. The radio was turned on by, well, turning it on.

Most common way to get switched power for a radio is to simply grab it from the defroster switch.
IIRC, the black/yellow wire is the feed from the X-contact relay; this wire is live only in Run.
(me, I installed a toggle switch for the radio, looped from the radio power wire. I like being able to have the radio on with the car off.)

Thanks for the input, good info. And lucus wiring had a bad rap!