need help getting lights working

hi, been on this forum for ages, i'm completing a 1.8 16v conversion and i am up to the stage where the engine is in but needs wiring up. i have found most of it using diagrams. a friend told me the best place to start was to get the hazards and the lights working tried this weekend but for some reason i cannot do it.

i think it could be an earth issue but not exactly sure and i don't know if my all the required earths are connected

the battery is in the boot to tidy up the bay, i have a connector which goes from the battery to starter motor, then from battery to fuse box and battery to front lights relay upgrade.

earth points
the battery is earthed to the body at the back
at the front the gbx mount is earthed to the chassis also on the chassis is the ecu earth and fuse box earths
front light and indicator earths i have just made up on the inner wing

all earth points have been sanded to bare metal to get best connection and fuses are all ok

but still the hazards or lights don't work

has anyone any ideas ?

i have now checked all earths connections with a mulit meter and they are fine

i also have power going to the switch and lights, i checked this by putting one probe on the battery + and one on the wire i want to check (dont know if this is right)

but still nothing works

can someone please help

thanks

tom

to check power you want +Ve probe on the pin you're checking, the other to earth somewhere. battery or chassis or engine basically.

does anything work at all, such as battery and oil warning lights, blowers etc

not alot in the car, all i have are the lights and engine, no dash, clocks etc

i checked a few points around the car, by putting +ve probe on wire then -ve on an earth

hazard switch does not work nor do the lights and indicators, but i have power going into the fuse box

could something be earthed that shouldn't be ?

test the wiring to the bulbs by putting 12v to the black/white and black/green to the hazard switch or indicator stalk. if the lights dont illuminate then its a problem after that, if they do its before

if the lights dont come on give them 12v to the back of the indicators, if still nothing then its your earths

i've put 12v to the indicators @ the hazard switch and the work fine, although the backs don't come on. they do when 12v goes to them directly. the front lights work also from having direct power.

seems like the problem is to do with fuse box but from what i know everything is wired as per the diagrams.

not sure what to do next

try running a chunky earth from the battery direct to the earth point in the engine bay, it may just be the main earth just doesn't like travelling thru the car chassis!

what gauge wire do you think it needs to be ? 

at least as chunky as the old stuff, if not more.  for the test, you could just run a jump lead front to back and see if it changes anything

if it was me i would find a bmw in scrappy or similar, nick its battery cables and engine bay junction blocks. earth the engien to this, using the later mk2 golf and mk3 golf type earth which runs to a stud on one of the engien -> gearbox bolts rather than the gearbox bracket as its a much better earth point

it no work, i tried a jump lead tested it was earthed fine but still nothing, power goes into the fusebox but does nothing from there

do you have anymore ideas ? i bet its something so simple but just can't figure it out

hmm, what about the main fusebox earth from D/22? its the chunky brown. if thats hooked up next look at the ignition switch, do you get 12v to the red wire? try bridging the red wire to the black that should trigger the ignition. look at the hazard switch red/yellow wire that should have 12v, and the black/blue should have ignition live

i have checked the earth d/22 was fine, also have power going into the fusebox and going out towards the dash via the thick red wire. the red/yellow wire @ the indicator stalk has 12v, not sure which black/blue wire you are talking about think it's the one @ the hazard switch, checked that one and has no power.

still hazards and front lights don't work on there own

on a good note when i move the indicator up the drivers front and side indicators come on but do not flash, also the drivers front light comes on ? can't understand why that happens. one of the drivers rear lights comes on aswell, it's the one above the indicator.

then when i move the indicator down the pas front and side indicators come on but don't flash along with the pas front light. also the middle rear pas light comes on.

and when i turn the key slightly the it sounds like the fuel pump starts up

sounds like all my wires are mixed up, but i can't understand it because they all line up with the correct plug and each wire matches the other

alrighty we are getting somewhere, the blue/black wire is the ignition live feed for the indicators/hazards, so this is why they dont work when you move the stalk. look at fuse 19, this feeds the black/blue wire.

I meant the red/white wire at the hazard switch sorry, red/yel to stalk is the flasher switch live. the red/white is fed from fuse 4 so check that too!

as for the rear lights going a bit loopy, that sounds like an earth issue so check that out, also remove the bulb trays and check the contacts are all clean

fuse 4 that controls the red/white for hazards was melted when i took it out and looks burnt around the fusebox how can i check if the fusebox is ok ? when i changed the fuse i was getting 4v @ the hazard switch red/white.

fuse 19 is fine, still no power to black/blue @ hazard switch

so up to now all front indicators work @ stalk also the font lights @ ind stalk ??
and the light at the rear underneath the indicator comes on in accordance with the front indicators

why do the front lights come on when indicators switched on at stalk ? its not the main beam its the smaller light, is this a fault ?

the main beams do not work at all at the switch, the have 12v going into the relay upgrade i have done to the loom but nothing after that, don't think is earths as the work fine when given direct power

if fuse 19 is ok and still no power then you are not getting a feed from the ignition switch to it, so i would say the fusebox has gone if you are getting ignition live to other stuff.

the sidelights will come on if you indicate with the ignition off, this is the parking light system

ive messed about today and got 12v to the red/white and black/blue @ the hazard switch, so does that mean i'm getting power from fusebox ? but still they don't work could it be the switch ? or do you still think it's the fusebox

also got the brake lights working but still no front lights

if you get power to those pins then the fusebox is well enough to power the switch, but its possible something else is wrong with it. i think its worth trying another one just to rule it out! if that doesnt help then you'll have to start digging into the wiring a bit more. have a look in my sig jetta89.pdf that covers your fusebox and shows the internal traces

i am also trying to get the engine to tick over when i turn the key, it's not working for some reason - do you think the fuse box has anything to do with it ? all earths and fuses are fine but still it doesn't work

jump the starter spade with 12v, if it cranks then the starter cabling is ok, so look at the fusebox and ignition switch.

if it doesnt crank then starter is dead or the cabling to it is poor, the later mk2 and mk3 moved the main engine earth to a stud on the rear gearbox to engine  mounting bolt

the engine cranks over when i bridge the battery cable to the starter motor spade.

could this problem be the ignition wiring ? or do you still think my fuse box has had it.