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Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 10 May 2025, 17:53
by rollercoaster
So it was working recently and all at once not.
Checked the fuses 11 and 13, late van..
Earth crowns look fresh but I'll give them a wiggle.
Any tips what to look at next.
Electrics is my massive blind spot!
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 10 May 2025, 17:58
by silverbullet
Wash/wipe stalk is fuse 11, heater blower is fuse 13.
Sounds like an earth fault to me.
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 10 May 2025, 18:27
by Stesaw
Check the relays
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 10 May 2025, 18:55
by rollercoaster
Ok I will go deeper into the earth crowns,
relays for those not listed in my Haynes.
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 10 May 2025, 19:51
by rollercoaster
Nope, stumped, how frustrating.
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 10 May 2025, 21:06
by Robsey
Have you checked the X relay.
Relief relay in location No 8
It is a very heavy duty relay numbered 24, 18, or 100.
Other than that is the ignition switch.
X pin position.
It feeds 12 volts to relay No8 pin 4 (relay terminal 86)
If you don't have 12v on pin 4 with the ignition on (not cranking), then potentially the ignition switch is defective.
If you do have 12volts on pin 4, then the relay may be defective.
If you short relay No8 pin 2 (30 terminal)
to pin 3 (87 terminal), then everything should start working.
The only way things won't work is if there is no permanent live 12 volts on Relay 8 pin 2.
If there is no voltage, then the fuse box may be defective.
I forgot to say - the pin numbers for the relays are embossed on the relay locations on the front of the fusebox.
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 10 May 2025, 21:07
by Forden341
I’m thinking it could be the X relay?
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 11 May 2025, 10:04
by rollercoaster
Robsey wrote: ↑10 May 2025, 21:06
Have you checked the X relay.
Relief relay in location No 8
It is a very heavy duty relay numbered 24, 18, or 100.
Other than that is the ignition switch.
X pin position.
It feeds 12 volts to relay No8 pin 4 (relay terminal 86)
If you don't have 12v on pin 4 with the ignition on (not cranking), then potentially the ignition switch is defective.
If you do have 12volts on pin 4, then the relay may be defective.
If you short relay No8 pin 2 (30 terminal)
to pin 3 (87 terminal), then everything should start working.
The only way things won't work is if there is no permanent live 12 volts on Relay 8 pin 2.
If there is no voltage, then the fuse box may be defective.
I forgot to say - the pin numbers for the relays are embossed on the relay locations on the front of the fusebox.
Thats amazing detail, very grateful Robsey.
It reminds me that my 12 year old pulled a relay,
swore he put it back where it was...
Maybe I should take a pic for you later..
I'm out today and will make sense of it all this eve,
and then probably ask more questions.
Did I mention my blind spot?
Thanks hugely..
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 11 May 2025, 19:56
by rollercoaster
Long day today, bit tired to think.
Photo of what's there, relays..
Anything obviously wrong?
I shall follow Robsey's leads in the morning.
Thanks
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 11 May 2025, 21:14
by Robsey
Yes - the 18 relay wants to go in the space below it's current location.
It is in socket 2.
It should be in socket 8.
Sockets are
[1] [2] [3] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ]
[7] [8] [--] [10] [11] [12]
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 11 May 2025, 21:21
by rollercoaster
Ah OK, even with my blinkered eyes..
and thoughtless confused tired brain,
and the well thumbed page of Haynes,
The X relay was not in the right spot!
I can see how he got it wrong replacing it,
as when its in the right place its "upside down"
Why did he even take it out, dont know..
Anyhow, relief, things work again!
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 11 May 2025, 21:23
by Robsey
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 11 May 2025, 21:24
by rollercoaster
I wonder why it only goes in upside down
when its in the right place
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 11 May 2025, 21:36
by Robsey
Maybe the chaps in Hannover had consumed too many biers when they printed the relay casings.
I inherited a lot of O.C.D from my wife. I spent un-necessary time removing relay casings and refitting them the right way up for the fusebox.
I would not worry about orientation. As long as it works.
Re: Sudden electrical death of washers, wipers, and heater fan.
Posted: 12 May 2025, 05:30
by ZsZ
Probably there is an internal standard for the lettering orientation (related to pinout) in VW, but the layout of the internal conductors of the fuse panel did not allow the correct placement.
