Crazy Electrics

[mrunlucky]

Hi all, I know it's bin awhile since I last posted, but to bring ya all up to date, my car, a 2000, 1.9 TDI Ztec Diesel, has now been sorted from the previous faults (Thread: Flashing Warning Light, Faulty lights?)

The garage that I purchased the car from sold out and left with no forwarding address (surprise surprise!!) and it's taken me almost a year to get the car sorted with 60% of the price being covered by my warranty supplier. I gave the boys at the recent garage a list of all the things that my previous dealer should have done over the past two years, but when they checked, they told me no oil, filters, wiper motor or anything else for that matter had been replaced as it should, and the service that should have been done was not carried out, (yet another surprising waste of money??)

Anywayz, barring another looming service and MOT, got it sorted about a month ago and now I have yet more problems with the electrics which I will list below. These problems all started at the same time.

 

Ignition switched on: Fog light indicator illuminates and the radio, and heating panel lights flash.

 

When button for heated rear screen depressed, this causes the instrument panel, radio and dashboard lights to come on (no flashing) along with the parking sensor?

 

Lights on radio, heater, instrument panel and dashboard are a little brighter when brake pedal depressed but this does not stop the flashing unless I switch the lights on.

 

No heated rear screen?

 

still the same temperature guage intermittent fault, but even the recent garage had no answers for this?

 

I am in need of your help once again fellas, and would be eternally grateful for any assistance.

[El Dingo]

Hi mrunlucky,

 

When you say ingnition is switched on, is the engine running, or just ignition switch on?

[big_kev]

Definitely sounds like faulty wiring, bad earth or wires in contact somewhere ( faulty loom ? )

[Andrew T]

Souns like you've got some crossfeeding going on, and I think your problems may be coming from the tailgate wiring, where the cables may be shorting into each other. Start by pulling the fuses for the various components affected and see if any still work when the fuse has been removed. If they do, remove the conduit in the offside taigate door jamb and you may find bare wires where they've chafed on each other. If it's not there you will have a nightmare of a job trying to find it. There's miles and miles of wiring in a Galaxy!

[mrunlucky]

Hi all, thanx for your quick responses, but I din't get in til late so couldn't get back to ya til now.

The probs occur when ignition switched on. makes no difference when engine started. Still the same until headlights switched on then flashing stops.

Will check the rear lid tomorrow as wife says that the central locking on the lid sometimes does not work :ninja: I'm not too sure on which fuses to pull though :(

Once again, thanx for all your help, and I will get back 2 ya asap :blush:

[El Dingo]

Try this one...

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...wtopic=7262&hl=

 

This gave me some weird symptoms, like ABS warning lights, central locking problems.

On VAG-COM it showed as multiple short to B+ (alternator output terminal).

 

Just an idea...

[mrunlucky]

Try this one...

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...wtopic=7262&hl=

 

This gave me some weird symptoms, like ABS warning lights, central locking problems.

On VAG-COM it showed as multiple short to B+ (alternator output terminal).

 

Just an idea...

 

 

Thanx man, will try and get to look at the gal tomorrow. Any info recieved is a sign that one is not alone eh!!

[dipsomaniac]

have a look at the brake light/rear light bulbs. sometimes the connectors on the bulb holder can touch causing all sorts of weird electrical problems - like the main beam coming on when you press the brake pedal.

[Guest MATT jr]

..the idea of pulling fuses is a good one.

 

i used this to find why our house electrics kept tripping -- worked it down to a leaking kettle! (quickly aswel)

 

MJR

[Guest gooner52]

just remember when pulling fuses

 

you will get error codes stored

 

that will need to be cleared with vagcom :(

[mrunlucky]

Hi all, many thanx for all the suggestions, I did manage to take a brief look at it just before dark, (wife bin xmas shopping for the litluns most of the day) I unplugged the gromit and waggled the wiring loom on the wiper side of the boot lid, and this stopped the flashing and me rear wiper moved, so I guess there's probably a short somewhere in that area. I probably won't get to look at it til Thursday at the earliest now, but if anyone has any suggestions as to how to check or get at the loom through the boot lid, will be eternally grateful. Is it that I have to take the trim panel off the boot lid and then all will be revealed? :lol:

 

Many many thanx ;)

[jkspoff]

Re: Central locking query:

Don't forget when the engine is running, the boot lid only opens with the drivers door open. A security feature. Mk2.

[mrunlucky]

Re: Central locking query:

Don't forget when the engine is running, the boot lid only opens with the drivers door open. A security feature. Mk2.

 

Thanks for the reply JK, wife knows this, she's the one that told me about it ;)

The lid soemtimes don't open after the engine has bin cut, and even with the drivers door open I have to use the key. The central locking seems to have a mind of it's own though cus when she's loading the car with kids and/or shopping, sometimes the darn thing locks itself, and then of course as the kids move around inside they set the alarm off? :lol:

[mrunlucky]

Hi all, sorry it's taken more time than I wanted to get back to ya all.

I had the car looked at on Saturday by a mate of mine, and he found the wiring loom in the back door lid had a few broken cables. He reckoned it's where they had become brittle, and over time, with the opening and closing of the door, some had just broken. Forgot to ask if they were touching other cables or not?

Anyway, he's rejoined the wires and all seems to be working fine :lol: So hopefully no more crazy electrics.

 

Thank you all for your help, I think this forum is the best thing since the invention of the mini-skirt, and you lot are the dogs, and until any other probs arise, or I can discover any more "unusual" goings on with the gal, take care and keep up the good work :wub: