Club 80-90 Forums

T25 wiring problems - Just bought my first VW camper. 1987 1.6TD T25. glow plug light comes on and goes off after a few seconds as it shoud but once the van is started the light flashes permanently. Also the engine temp gauge goes up in steps once ignition is on to full scale deflection. Haynes say there is no manual for this model. Any suggestions for a fix or ideas where I could get diagrams please?

check you earths first.

Wires will have probably broken off the sender units.

Thanks for advice. I tried checking some bits today and the wiring is a mess of scotch clips and loose wires

Hi

I had many wiring issues, including a flickering glow lamp light which was intermittent (and headlights which flickered, indicators which behaved strangely, a reverse light which didnt work etc) earths earths earths was the advice everyone gave me. I cleaned and reattached new spade connectors for the earth crown under the fuse box, a good start as they were all rusty, but did not work. I cleaned replaced a lot of other connectors too. Eventually i took it to a garage after weeks of fiddling, and it turned out that it was one of the relays in the fuse box. They said not a common problem. I am no expert, thats just what my problem was.

Good luck

(ps I have the haynes manual for the pertol version, the wiring diagrams seem pretty similar to whats in my van)

(forgot to say, mine is an '87 diesel, although the engine comes from a golf)

Looking at the TD wireing diagram (do you want one? PM me an email address) the heaterplug lamp is powered from the dash (ignition circuit) and so must be earthed by the heaterplug control relay to make it light (as its an LED you can't make it light by powering it backwards anyway). Its got to be the relay or the wire shorting to ground - its white with red trace. Same story with temp sender - powered by dash, earthed when it reaches the engine. All those wires run together so it sounds like they have rubbed through against the body somewhere in their run (sorry I can't be more spacific, they are long wires! - you'll want to fix that as theres no fuse in that bit of wireing!

If you want a book for diesely bits JK's do a little one thats not bad (actully mentions turbo diesels!) though the wireing diag is useless (mine didn't have wire colours on it!). For non diesely bits the watercooled haynes should do. Theres a big expenicve one called Bentley that is genrally great but doesn't cover diesels apart from early 1.6D's and all the wireing is US spec - probubly not the best bet for a later 2wd euro diesel owner given its high price.