wiper & light problem

[mrdp]

Hi all,
Tonight my wiper stop working then 10 mins later after van had been off i tried again and all seemed ok....just went out for final check and found wipers heater and squirter dont work also main beam is dim. I have check no 10 fuse as manual says this does all of above and changed fuse even though existing one seemed ok but no luck.strangely wipers ok if i hold main beam on ( wont stay on automatically!!) any ideas need to get to work tomorrow!!!!

[kevtherev]

you'll find this is an earth fault.
make sure all the connections on the earth crowns (A pillar nearside) are in good order, not just visually.

Pull off each spade and clean them up

[ewenmaclean]

Hello,

first things first - make sure your earth crowns are good and clean. The main beam has the least resistance of everything and may be somehow providing the earth for your wipers somehow when it shouldn't be - bad earths create seemingly weird problems.

The other thing to check is to clean up the contacts on the switch itself, which might be causing problems too.

Good luck

Ewen

[ewenmaclean]

Sorry Kev - just pressed submit without seeing yours...

What he said

[mrdp]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the advise. I think it is the ignition switch.If i wiggle (technical term there) the key just past where it normally sits when engine is running everything works fine i.e. just a tiny bit of positive presure in a clockwise direction. If there is a tiny bit the other way things stop working. I had a problem with a blown ignition switch last winter and put a new gsf one in, so either the quality of the switch is not too good or one notable difference is on both occations i had been using the aftermarket foglights on the front for like an hour plus,maybe the switch won't carry the extra current for long periods ???? they have always worked for shorter times and may have nothing to do with it but just a thought, don't know what general opinion is about that theory?? anyway its an easy fix with a new switch tommorow thanks again for your ideas off to bed now, up for work in 6 hrs

[ewenmaclean]

Hello,

Your fog lights should be on a relay which is activated from the light switch

There's a link on the wiki on how to wire this.

Any more info on how yours is wired would be useful.

Hope the drive's ok!

Ewen

[kevtherev]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the advise. I think it is the ignition switch.If i wiggle (technical term there) the key just past where it normally sits when engine is running everything works fine i.e. just a tiny bit of positive presure in a clockwise direction. If there is a tiny bit the other way things stop working. I had a problem with a blown ignition switch last winter and put a new gsf one in, so either the quality of the switch is not too good or one notable difference is on both occations

So why not tell us this in the first post?

[mrdp]

Sorry for confusion but had not worked out about the switch until about an hour or so of playing with fuses etc other wise I would have put it in xthe first post .I will get the fog lamps rewired with relay

[ewenmaclean]

Hello,

out of interest - how are your fog lights wired currently? You'll notice the main beam runs of the battery wire not the ignition wire, which is the same as you should do for the front fog lights - left side of the fusebox behind it are a few spade connections which are permanent live I think - that where the 30 pin of the relay should come from. Then you won't be running all that extra current through the ignition switch, which is prone to melting when overloaded I believe.

Ewen

[mrdp]

I'm not sure how the lamps are wired as they were fitted by a previous owner and haven't had a chance to follow the wires through yet. All I noticed was I have one of those light up rocker switched near the dash to turn them on/off and a wire comes off this and has a scotchlock connectors linking it to one of the wires on the loom that connects to the ignition switch. I will need to investigate further when home but I have a sneaky feeling they are the culprit.Getting a new switch tonight + a spare for the van so as not to get stranded somewhere in the future.

[kevtherev]

and has a scotchlock connectors

run away....
Ah I see so billy bodger has had a go.

VW has fitted a switch and loom for your front fogs at the factory, it has a relay and a fuse.
All you have to do is run a wire to the switch from the fogs

see your rear fog switch on the right hand side?

does it have three positions? OFF.. 1st click.. 2nd click?

[mrdp]

I do indeed have the 3 position switch so looks like I wire the front fogs into this switch then.Just finished putting in new ignition switch and everything seems ok so at least i won't have a 26 mile commute on my motorbike when the sub zero temps hit in a couple of days . did notice that the front fog lamps already have a relay but didn't get as far a tracing all wires to check how they have been done, will do this at weekend when it's not dark and I can see properlay .Now have a spare ignition switch in glove box just in case .Thanks for all input .

[kevtherev]

I do indeed have the 3 position switch so looks like I wire the front fogs into this switch then.

yep .. Looks like Mr Bodger never came here for advice

[ewenmaclean]

Hello,

Kev - sorry if I'm wrong about this, but on my van and in the Haynes, the feed for the fog lights goes from the relay number 7, and then through the switch, then through fuse number 6 and then onto the lights... If I'm right then you'd be better taking a 12V from the other side of the fuse.

If the previous tinkerer fed the fogs from the ignition tabs in the fuse box then this would have pretty much defeated the point of the relay

As I say - if I'm wrong then apologies, but worth checking....

Ewen

(P.S. a standard 4-pin relay will fit in relay 7 I think)

[kevtherev]

nope that's spot on