mk1 golf GTi electrical problems lights mainly!!

hi, i currently have a few elcetrical problems with me new golf, which im currently getting ready for its MOT,
first things first ive checked all earths, and made sure they have all got a good conection and no corrosion etc,
ive checked all bulbs, fuses and pulled out all realays to clean up the connections etc,

but i still have the probelm of no dipped beam, no horn, no rear fog the wipers only work when the main beam swich is being pulled back, the main beam swich doesnt stay back you have to hold it, the only guage in the middle console (temp) maxes out for some reason when the main beam swich is being pulled back!
if you have any idea on what i need to do to check the relivent bits please let me know!
cheers
alex.

Take out your fuse box and inspect for any signs of water damage.  if so you need a nother one.

Also check the engine is earthed - usually from the rocker cover.

Cheers

rich

this is the fuse box, as far as i can see everything is dry, and dusty, no signs of any water damage at all,

pic here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26423749@N00/42778361/

but i cant see any earth straps coming of the rocker cover at all, or any straps at all coming off the cylinder head to the body work.
the only earth have seen is the one off the battry to the top of the gearbox area,
cheers
alex.

That's the early syle fuse box and are notoriuos for problems when the printed circuits inside fail.  Check that the loom in the engine bay does not have spare wires not connected also.  Put a temporary earth lead from the rocker cover to the body and see if that improvs things.  make sure your gearbox earth is nice and clean at the box and also the chassis rial it should be bolted to.

looks like a compleate maze of wires when you unclip the fuse box! still nothing works, an ive added a thickish wire from a rockercover bolt to a stut top bolt, so that should earth it a bit better,

the funny thing is on friday nite, when i drove it home, the dipped beam worked fine, the main beam stayed on fine, the wipers worked (slowish but worked) all i thought id have to sort out is the winscreen washers, horn and the rear fog! now ive got loads to sort out!!!

gonna start by getting new swichgear, wash/wip arm and the indicator arm as all the problems started when i took them off the first time to inspect the damage to the ingintion etc, but i think im gonna start by getting the locks sorted out first etc,

hi, you wouldnt be able to tell me which relay does what by any chance, cant seem to find any info on it in my heynes,
as ive now swaped the wash wper arm and the indicator arm, but still nothing works!
ie the main beam wont stay on still, im guessing its a relay or summat!!!
cheers
alex.
 

That's the early syle fuse box and are notoriuos for problems when the printed circuits inside fail

Printed circuits? nothing so modern! i opened up a bust one, inside it's like layers of metal.

Anyway. I have solved bunches of electrical faults on my car simply by cleaning with an electrical contact cleaner like this www.wynns.uk.com/conte…l%20Contact%20Cleaner.pdf

Best way to tackle fusebox is by removing plugs at the back ONE BY ONE, giving a spray then reconnecting.

You can actually see the oxide layer coming off.

Disconnect the battery before you start to save burning smells. I have been a bit hasty in the past when pushing the relay plate back and touched it against the mounting, which is earthed. Sparky!

Same will work for most electrical bits. I don't think I have found a broken bit yet! just dirty bits.

If you look at your haynes diagrams the relays are shown and each pin has a no. The actual relays have these no.s on so that's the way to find out which is which.

It's tricky on those relay plates because theres so many aux relays which usually just fall about and aren't in any order.

In haynes you'll be able to track down the right plug and save time, the letter is at the top of the diagrams, i.e. a22 is pin 22 plug a. The letters are stamped into the plastic on the relay plate and when you pull the right plug the no.s are inside.

But you might as well do the lot to be sure.

If cleaning doesn't help it's multimeter, wiring diagrams and patience time.

I am always wary with relay plates, theres such a good chance of fixing one thing and breaking another if you don't take your time and do things logically

Bon Voyage

Del boy.

but i still have the probelm of no dipped beam, no horn, no rear fog the wipers only work when the main beam swich is being pulled back, the main beam swich doesnt stay back you have to hold it, the only guage in the middle console (temp) maxes out for some reason when the main beam swich is being pulled back!

hi, you wouldnt be able to tell me which relay does what by any chance, cant seem to find any info on it in my heynes,
as ive now swaped the wash wper arm and the indicator arm, but still nothing works!
ie the main beam wont stay on still, im guessing its a relay or summat!!!

Sounds like you have an ignition feed problem from the column switches as the horn and (I think) rear fogs take an ignition feed from the fusebox (pin D6 from memory on my fusebox, but dont quote me!) to the respective relays. Check you have 12V at this relay feed with igntion on!

There is no relay for the main beam switch on post -78 cars with plastic column switches. VW deleted it and all switching is integrated. Are you sure you assembled the column switched OK as there is an interlock between the two levers?

Your problems are deffo with the ignition feed. Check the wiring from the column and igntion switches back to the fusebox. These wires are often tampered with when alarms/immobilisers are fitted and can be prone to damage against the steering column.

The relay marked "19" is for intermittent wash/wipe, the one marked "21" is for indicators. The one on the top left should be the twin tone horn.

Has the fusebox ever been changed? For an '82 model year you should have a later blade fuse box. You would need to check the VIN to confirm an '82 model year (C) or an '81 model year (B).

Cheers
Rajan

at the momment im hot wiring it to start it, so hopfully tomorrow when i get my new igntion barrel and housing ill have it all correctly working, then ill really start on the electircs.
at the momment ive  removed the fuse box and all relays and put them in a warm place to hopfully dry em out, as this morning they were damp ish,
when everythings correctly connected up and stuff still aint working ill give it one more look over, but then its gonna be taken to an auto electrian, cos this is starting to take the piss!!
i just hope he dont take the piss and take the shirt of me back!!!

cheers
for you help!!

whoo hooo!!
its fixed!!!
it all came down to that igntion live!! its proberbly cos i was hot wiring it to make it start and not connecting certain wires!! now that ive got one of crazyquiffs lock set on it now its all A OK!!!
i did dry out the fuse box also but im guessing i just hadnt connected the correct things up to make them things work!!!
o well!!
looks like ill be taking my wash wipe and indicator arms back!!!
cheers
alex.

Nice one son, glad you are sorted. Had the same problem on one of mine.  :y:

cheers, ive also mangaed to sort out the horn aswell!!
just the windsreen washers and rear fog to sort out now for MOT
you won't have any tips would you mate??
i know the pumps working as ive had it wired to the battry,
and the rear fog bulb is working, just nowt happens!!
any ideas???

im takenin it for its MOT thisafternoon, ill know it'll fail on the above, but a mate is hopefully gonna sort me out on the electrics this weekend. But i just think it might fail on some other stuff, (stuff i cant check brakes etc)so ill can do them while im waiting for him!!
ill let you know how i get on
cheers
alex.

How'd you get on alex?

well i fitted the igntion housing then put the orgianl wash/wiper arm and indicator arms back on, and put eveything back to standard, i put the fuse box back in, as i had it in the airing cubard all nite to make sure its all dry, with all the relays also, plugged it all back in, (took some pics of the front and rear before i moved it, its like a bloody maze of wires down there!!)
then attcached the steering wheel, and turned the ignition to 3rd click, everything now works!! the lights work fine on dipped, and when i engage full beam it stays on! the horn works too now also!!!

i then moved on to fit your door handles, me being me i fitted the P/S one to the D/S!!! so when i worked out that the tabs get pushed down all went smooth!!!
the only problem now is that there must be some kind of plastic housing around the boot lock that im missing, as when its bolted in its quite loose in its hole, the old one was siliconed in plaece!!
ive been tring to find pics of a std mk1 from the back, it looks like a black collar type thing that surround the hole im missing, any chance you know what im talking about and you have one???

but cheers for the locks, all my electrical problems started when i messed around with the ignition to make it easier to start, as when i got it the barrel was compleatly ripped out of the housing and just the swich was there, thats how the previos owner was starting it up, by stickin the key in the actual switch, but that had started to round off, so i took it apart and to start it iw as touching the blades of copper (which are inside the swich, if you ever take one appart!) togeather to make the circuit, then touch the copper blade witch kicks the starter up, and wallar!!! the enigne fires, but the other copper prong was the one which needed to be on, so putting an new housing, ingition and swich sorted all my gremlins out!!!
cheers!!

Still got small problems with the rear fog and the winscreen washers, any tips on these?
 all i can say is that the wahser moter works fine, and the bulb in the rear fog is fine too, the only other thing ive notice about the O/S rear lamp unit isa that theres two wires coming up with a plastic connector on it which dosnt seem to connet to anything in that area at all,
pic here,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26423749@N00/43875009/

if needs be i can wire up a temperary swich for both and just use some old speaker wire and a couple of old switches, dont really wanna be drilling anyhting on the dash so'll ill see i would like to get it all finished tomorow tho, cos i think with the new MOT stuff which has just been brought in all the garages are funny about the retests etc,
so if its all fixed first thing ie before they finish tomorow then it'll be MOT'd and then i can worrie about parcel shelfs and other bits etc!

cheers
alex.

Alex,

Yeah I've got the rubber that goes around the rear lock to hold it securly.  I'll bung one in the post when you send your old locks back.

That connector looks like the one for the rear wash pump that sits on the drivers side - Can't see yours on the pic - should be a white container with pump attached sat on a bracket.

Cheers

Rich

it had a rear wiper and washer, but no bottle, ive removed em anyway! stage 2 weight reduction, along with 0% sound proofing/insulation!
ive already posted the locks back to you mate, you'll have em monday/tuesday easy!!

got slight trobles still with the rear fog, and no the handbreake warning light dont go out! im gonna try and secure the connector on the prong abit better with my pliers tomorow, as it some times filkers over bumps and hard braking, that should sort it but if it dont what could be the couse???
any info would be great!
cheers
alex.

 

The warning light is not just for the hand brake, its also the brake fluid level warning. Do you have it topped up :dontknow:  or check the wires to the screw cap.

yeah mate thats sorted it cheers!!!

one small thing i found out today, read my haynes, the wiring for the rear fog is a gray and white wire, and brown for the earth, so i looked at the o/s rear and the wiring isnt even there, BUT, it is on the n/s!!!! so i stuck a bulb in it and flicked the fog swich to clicks,
 (im guessing just first click is for the fronts which aint wired up atm)
and the light came on but when it came to put the backing plate, (the bit which holds the bulbs in place) back into the rear of the cluster, there was a little plastic stip stopping it going in!! so ive snapped it and fitted it togeather and now i have a rear fog!!! but its on the n/s is that where yours is??
also the swich only kicks in when your on dipped/fullbeam, it dont work on side lights is that correct, i think it is, just thought id ask!!
cheers
alex.

A rear fog lamp must be fitted to post '80 cars on the off side. Just extend the wire to the other side.

Yes, rear fogs only come on with dipped beam.

Cheers
Rajan

spot on mate,
on the rear of the back pannel of the cluster, theres blade terminls coming out, ive just connected the n/s to the o/s one, now ive got twin rear fogs!!!
even better than just the one!!!
now the next thing which dont work are the blowers, i was told that its just needs a swich but i think it maybe more, any info? do the swiches brake easily?? the heater matrix works fine, as the car does warm up, but theres nothing blowing the air,
let me know mate,
cheers
alex.