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Model specific boards => Golf mk1 => Topic started by: Alec on 02 June 2010, 22:24

Title: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: Alec on 02 June 2010, 22:24
My mate just turned up in a G plate GTI cabby that she has just bought. The electrics are going insane, MFA and rev counter are going barmy, full beam light comes on when the full beam is turned off and vice versa, dashboard lights have vanished, the dimmer switch for the dash lights makes the oil pressure light flicker and the central locking seems to be connected to the lights. Car is also tricky to start and has a very low idle. All these problems started today.

Bad earth? Faulty wiring?
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: richandhazel on 02 June 2010, 22:31
Earth's.........always check earth's first off IMHO.
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: Alec on 02 June 2010, 22:33
Earth's.........always check earth's first off IMHO.

Thought as much, thanks for that. I am not at all clued up on the mk1. Any idea's what and where to check?
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: raferackstraw on 02 June 2010, 23:39
check earth to rocker cover on engine for instruments and check earth to tail and headlight bulbs.
get a bit of wire and attach to brown wire going to headlamps and ground other end then see if lights work normal do same at each tail lamp, also check the column switches
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: Alec on 02 June 2010, 23:44
check earth to rocker cover on engine for instruments and check earth to tail and headlight bulbs.
get a bit of wire and attach to brown wire going to headlamps and ground other end then see if lights work normal do same at each tail lamp, also check the column switches

Am I a div for not understanding alot of that? Earth to tail? Cheers though
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: rubjonny on 03 June 2010, 09:11
white/brown wire is the earth, check in the engine bay for a snapped wire. usually its earthed to side of head/rocker cover. also sometimes it helps to add an extra earth from the head to one of the coil mounting bolts
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: richandhazel on 03 June 2010, 10:27
white/brown wire is the earth, check in the engine bay for a snapped wire. usually its earthed to side of head/rocker cover. also sometimes it helps to add an extra earth from the head to one of the coil mounting bolts

That's a good idea! I've noticed that my rev counter fails occasionally. I have tried cleaning up the earth to the cylinder head. I'll try your suggestion too.
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: SoundillusioN on 03 June 2010, 13:14
Does this car have an aftermarket alarm fitted?
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: richandhazel on 03 June 2010, 13:29
Does this car have an aftermarket alarm fitted?

Is that me that you're asking?

If so, yes, it has a Toad Ai606 alarm and immobilizer.
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: Alec on 03 June 2010, 14:54
Does this car have an aftermarket alarm fitted?

Yes but not sure on the make/model. The door's had a mind of their own last night.
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: SoundillusioN on 03 June 2010, 15:36
Does this car have an aftermarket alarm fitted?

Yes but not sure on the make/model. The door's had a mind of their own last night.
this was where my troubles started, a badly wired clifford concept 50.. it took over the car!... if you have checked all the earths, especially the ones that should be plugged into the earth crowns by the fusebox then i would start investigating the wiring that the alarm has spliced into.  it will be wired to the door locks, lights etc???
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: Alec on 03 June 2010, 17:39
Does this car have an aftermarket alarm fitted?

Yes but not sure on the make/model. The door's had a mind of their own last night.
this was where my troubles started, a badly wired clifford concept 50.. it took over the car!... if you have checked all the earths, especially the ones that should be plugged into the earth crowns by the fusebox then i would start investigating the wiring that the alarm has spliced into.  it will be wired to the door locks, lights etc???

Cheers for the info. She got the car from Rugby so quite close to you. The guy is apparently a dub addict so he might well be on one of the forums
Title: Re: Mk1 GTI Cabby crazy electrics. Anyone help?
Post by: SoundillusioN on 07 June 2010, 15:50
very close to me!..... i take it there were no issues pointed out at point of purchase..... well i seriously recommend trying to find out the make/model of the alarm and see if it has a feature to disable it to see if a lot of your issues go away... then again, if the wiring for it is pants then that might make no difference... might be worth dropping the fuse box and look at the condition of any spliced wires and putting bad ones right...  :undecided: