electrics= fun

[Winner]

Hello fellow mk2 luvers need some help with electrics.

I fitted new dashboard loom to my mk2 golf cause the old 1 set fire to itself. now i got the new 1 in  the earth wire (brown wire) on light switch has 12volts goin down it not good! so i disconnected it but the grey and blue wire on the back of the headlight switch is acting as an earth which goes to back of fuse box. Time for the clues:-

1. If i turn my sidelights on. my instrument panel gets stressed and some of the lights go dimm and the rev counter drops to about half of what it should be reading. ie sit engine at bout 3000rpm turn side lights on revs drop to bout 1500rpm but engine revs dont move. So i put headlights on and everything returns to normal (rev count jumps back to 3000rpm) and everything works fine. I am thinking it will be a bad earth but where do i look? on sidelights at front of car or on the dashboard loom side?

2. What is the grey and blue wire ment to do on the back of the headlight switch? anything? because mine is just an earth which goes into the fusebox thats tellin me there is something a little bit wrong. so wat is that wire ment to do anyone have any clues for me?
  

[nealey]

Wiring short caused by the wiring rubbing through on the os chassis leg by the dim dip resistor?

[rubjonny]

1. sounds liek there is a problem with the dash or headlight earths

2. this seems to confirm it, the grey/blue wire is the dash lights feed

you need to check all the main earth points for melting I suspect, there should be several earth wires to a metal claw bracket above fusebox, and the main fusebox earth is a chunky brown wire to Z2

[sparkplug]

Jonny help , is there a multi earth point near the fuse panel ?
if so where is it please ?


cheers

[Steve_B]

It's above the fusebox just to the right of steering column. It's a set of about 6 spade connectors.

[mk2bal]

Could it be the replacement loom is different at the h/light switch terminals, and not working with new switch? I know there's a few different types that interconnect, but can short things out and cause fire/ problems. I'm thinking this as the wiring is all plug + play, and fairly simple to do without going wrong. Ie plug things in exactly where they were, with labelling etc if you really can't remember or work it out. Surely if headlight function was fine before all this, then I'd check terminals marry up + supply the same cables on both looms on the red h/light socket

[sparkplug]

It's above the fusebox just to the right of steering column. It's a set of about 6 spade connectors.

cheers Steve , soon as im off nights gonna have a look 

[sparkplug]

found it cheers again Steve , found the fault too , an earth cable had come off