General Electrical Problem - Can you figure it out?

[clbanman]

It did at one point.  It started as the indicator not actually working - I assumed burnt out bulb but didn't get to it right away.  Then dim light all the time and solid when I tried to use it.   Then (OK, I not only didn't get to it right away, it was quite a while )  I started getting a buzzing in one of the relays in the fuse box and the alarm for key in ignition with door open went off.   I pulled the relay and started my troubleshooting.   Couldn't find anything and figured I would replace the one known defective component before I went further.   Voila - problem gone.   My car has 520,000 km on in and I suspect I am running into some grounding issues, wire resistance issues, etc. so I will likely have more troubleshooting fun in the near future.

[Smokey Eddy]

Ohhhhh okay so you replaced the switch first or the relay first? (i am not hesitant to point the finger at my relays. first had trouble with the GP relay, then the X relay [niether of which i actually ever replaced], and now im willing to bet turn signals OR headlights (and the power is getting to the lights another way ie through the turn signals - hence why my fuses in location 7 & 8 keep burning out [are those for the head lights or turn signal lights?]).
I'll likely end up re-wiring everything in the near future...

i want to add sound insulation to the floor so when i take the carpet up i'll look at some wires and see if they are still shiny  copper but i doubt they will be.

[somolovitch3]

Well they shouldn't be , they are supposed to have this plastic stuff covering them!

Lucuse: godfather of ALL elrctical gremlins! (Actually, switching over to 12- is not that hard)

Corrosion at the relay and at the sockets can gift you all sorts of ..........fun. Look at the leads from the bulb conntact to the wire in the sockets. I tried to kill poor dumbunny because of a corroded lead INSIDE of the right front turn/park socket.  If a relay is getting hot, something is ..........not right. Too much power thru it, or contacts corroded (Gods I love misspelling words the same way all the time!)

HIJACK!...Any known reason the the Alt, Oil, Turn LEDs would NOT work when they should when the temp is above 70 F?............END OF HIJACK AND hellow to Bill.....

[Smokey Eddy]

Sorry what shouldn't be? what should be covered in plastic?

[macka]

Sorry what shouldn't be? what should be covered in plastic?

said wires he was making a funny

[rabbitman]

The ground went bad it one of my bunny's blinker sockets and screwed up all of the blinkers. I don't remember what exactly but it was a pain to find it.

Use a volt meter on the "beep" setting and see if there's continuity between the sockets ground and the body ground.

It might not hurt to check the body and engine grounds too, I've had weird issues that turned out to be the main body ground coming loose........right after taking it off and stuff but lets not go there........

[Smokey Eddy]

ok!
so i'll check the sockets, grounds and switch... as soon as i can freakin find my multimeter
thanks guys.
Also, on one of my turn signals both filaments are burning... i only just noticed that today

[somolovitch3]

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BAD GROUND!!!!!!!!!!!! (Bad Dog! No Bisky!)

Its tying to use the OTHER half of the (lighting) circuit to make ground. Bet it is a front that was Dueling For Ground ( sorry, no music!)

I also posted on 8 valves of furey's post if you want to see (The same info, mostly).  Meter is approximently 2.5 feet from where you last used it ( or is it meters?).

[Smokey Eddy]

Interesting reply. But yes, i must clean all the grounds i guess. anyone know where the grounds for the lights go to?

[Smokey Eddy]

Symptoms:

• Turn signal light (in the dash) is half on and solid when the switch is flipped up or down
• Hazard lights still work (the relay is okay)
• When i start the car the head lights are on. when i pull the light switch to turn on highbeams the lights go out and stay out
• I have to then turn on the lights with the switch to get my headlights back...
• High beams seem to be non-existant
• A new issue is the oil light and buzzer come on now out of the blue (changed oil & filter and it still happens)
  I have the low pressure sensor out replaced with a temp sensor but the high pressure one is still there
  oddly enough it doesn't go off if i bring the rpm below 2,000? I need a gauge to see what the pressure is actually at
• There was a time where my reverse lights didnt work but now they do...
• The alternator has a new voltage regulator in it and the spade connector replaced

My course of action as of right now is to:

• Test the turn signal switch (if i can get it out?)
• Test the appropraite relay(s) if you guys tell me to look at one in particular
• Clean the grounds again
• find out what the oil pressure actually is and if the light/buzzer is an electrical gremlin
• Pick my nose till you guys give/share your knowledge with me because I AM STUMPED

Those are all the electrical problems I can think of for the time being.
This was a turn signal thread but i think it's more than that now.
All fuses are good. Power and ground cables are 0 gauge and new.
I added a second ground cable to the body but the issue still persists.

[rubadubdub]

Hi SE
Just a couple more things to consider:

I dont know which year car you've got but in the mk1 golf the oil light and turn signal (plus fuel gauge and alternator light in a 1980 golf according to my circuit diagram) are fed by a voltage stabiliser in the dashboard cluster.  This provides a steady voltage for the cluster, i think it takes 12v from one pin and the output to one of the others is 10v but not 100% certain.

It may be worth while quickly checking the wiring diagram for your car year to see if there is a common pathway for some of these faulty circuits.

I had a few problems on a Mk2 golf with headlights turning on at funny times and it was a ripped circuit board next to the voltage stabiliser.  Theres a picture of it on one of my first posts if you need to know what it looks like.

Secondly, I had a mk1 with the turn signal staying dimly lit but flashing normally like yours which was fixed by replacing the hazard switch.  Why this worked i have no idea.  It was just something someone suggested on mk1golf.co.uk forum.

Good luck

[Smokey Eddy]

Thanks rubadubdub,
I dont have a wiring diagram for mine but I talked to a guy at a VW shop and he said to look at the back of my fuse box. He said that where i live (it's very humid) they frequently corrode from the moisture and cause things to stop working among other bizzare symptoms like you turn on your wipers and the reverse lights come on. Or you turn your turn signal on and the heater fan comes on. I'll have to look at both of those.

[Smokey Eddy]

Hmph. the back of the fuse box looks fine. But the relays look a little haggard. Perhaps some are useless. Does anyone have a diagram displaying which relays are for what on the mk2 fuse box?

[rubadubdub]

This of any use?

http://golfgtiguides.co.uk/guides/list-of-relays-for-a-mk2-golf/#more-128

Given that you have trouble with the turn signals AND the high beams/headlights, both of which operate via a steering column switch i'd check this.  Especially seeing as the two circuits are not connected in any other way.  Fuses 7 and 8 (according to bentley manual) are after the main beam switch but before the low and high beam circuits, respectively.  So a faulty switch may also explain why these two fuses keep blowing.

It isnt difficult to get at the switches.  Pull the rubber horn cover off the centre of the wheel, disconnect the wires to the horn and undo the big nut holding the steering wheel on.  There are 2 or 3 little screws that hold the switches into the column.  Undo them, switches slide off and clean the contacts to see if it makes any difference.

Unfortunately this still doesnt explain the random oil pressure light.

[rubadubdub]

Oops. Hadn't read burn's post right at the beginning.  Have you already checked this switch?