electrical problem, headlights/wipers etc

[southcoast_gti]

hi guys just a quick one, ive got no rear lights on my car atm, got indicators etc but no brake lights/rear lights, headlights still work but main beam wont stay clicked on, and wipers wont work unless full beam stalk is pulled back into place and held there, any ideas?

[rubjonny]

wiggle relay #18 to start with. sounds liek you have multiple issues though, the brake lights have their own permanent live feed seperate to lights/wipers etc. check the rear light earths behind the boot carpets either side, and make sure the plugs are fully in

[southcoast_gti]

made sure plugs are fully in, one side (drivers side) is working but still no break lights, checked the earths and there attached but might take them off and give them a clean to get any sh!t off that might be on them, well ive got a post on edition bout the whole thing if you want the link with pics etc, basically it didnt have a headlight switch when i bought it but a flick switch type thing, it should have a 9 pin headlight switch but when i plug that in it dont work (possible faulty switch?) but when i plug an 8 pin switch in the headlighs and one rear light still work

[southcoast_gti]

also there is no relay 18, theres a 17 one?

[southcoast_gti]

pic of my fusebox

[southcoast_gti]

right some progress sort of i think, well more details for you, atm everything is managed on a flick switch but wires are loose and going crazy, ive drawn a quick diagram of my headlight switch plug, and the 9 holes and what they seem to do with wires from the switch going into them, basically ive taken a pic of the wires out of the headlights switch plug and drawn a crappy diagram lol


 this pic shows the flick switch wired into headlight switch plug, theres 5 wires plugded in in total the diagram shows what they do, the black wire that goes from the switch into the second hole up on the left goes into the power one as the other side of the headlight switch it is a big thick red wire so im guessing when i flick the switch the pwer goes into the other 4 wires coming out of the switch into the headlight switch thus powering the lights/heaters etc, sorry if this all sounds confusing- heres few more pics, soz for the poor quality


in this pic you can see a brown wire coming out of the headlight switch when i put one of the live wires in this it melts, only done it briefly so as not to cause damage but think there is a problem somewhere cuz when a normal headlight switch is in place then surely this would be live when the switch is switched to one? like when i flick the flick switch on?



basically when i fit a headlight switch i only get wipers/heaters if i hold the indicator stalk back on to full beam setting, also full beam setting wont stsy engaged, could someone please shed some light on this as i need my car for tonite. is it to do with this brown wire? is it not earthing properly?

[rubjonny]

its relay #17 on your car, some have 18 some have 17.  looks liek someone fitted the wrong headlight switch in the pasty and its melted some of your headlight loom, you need to follow it right back to the fusebox and repair all the damage + fix the headlight switch socket.  you have lost the X over live feed at the fusebox (supplied by the 17 relay, basically its the circuit that cuts out when car cranking on starter), pulling the main beams onm is a well known way of bypassign the ignition switch to bring on the X-over circuit live.

look at the yel/black wire from the headlight switch and the ignition switch if wiggling the relay doesnt help, this is what triggers the #17 relay.

please do something about that bodged up switch though, it really isnt nice. if you cant find the right switch/.plug for your car, a later 11 pin switch & plug can be modded in if you match up the pin numbers and wire colours. that way you'll have an easier time finding new switches in the future at least.  and follow all the wiring back to the fusebox, its likely to be a bit of a mess back there!

[Wayne]

please do something about that bodged up switch though, it really isnt nice. if you cant find the right switch/.plug for your car, a later 11 pin switch & plug can be modded in if you match up the pin numbers and wire colours. that way you'll have an easier time finding new switches in the future at least.  and follow all the wiring back to the fusebox, its likely to be a bit of a mess back there!

That is shocking and will not be helping.

Needs sorting asap.

[southcoast_gti]

the last owner fitted that switch and it pisses me off alot, ive been told to get a new dash loom and as the dash needs replacing anyway (cracked) it will be easy enuf to do this, or rubjonny how hard is it to fit the 11 pin set up cuz im breaking a mk2 16v 90 spec with headlight switch and wiring that id need, ivwe got a 9-pin headlight switch that i need for this car but the wiring down into the fusebox is pretty mullered, i also cant get my stereo to power up atm

[rubjonny]

the 90spec car will have the plug you need, but it'll need splicing to your fusebox. call me crazy but if i were you id strip out the entire wiring loom from the 90spec and fit it to your car. the 90spec fusebox is better than the older one. main advantage is that all the looms are modular, on a 90spec replacing the headlight loom is a piece o wee, it unplugs from the fusebox. on a pre-90 the headlight loom is spliced into the dash loom and all over, right mare.

only thing is your car is a digi 8v, so the engine loom wont swap over, would need to get a 90spec engien loom or splice your pre-90 engine loom to the 90spec 16v engine plugs.  im sure you'll be able to find someone who would want to swap a 90spec engine loom for a digi one though.

your call though, it is pretty involved 90specing a older car, fusebox hanger is different, column and stalks, clocks etc. the plugs for sidelights, indicators and horn looms differ too, though you'll have them on the 16v. just you need to find 90spec small bumper indicators from later spec carby mk2, unless you go big bumpers or splice the plugs to your old lights