Armed with a multimeter now, I found that the BLK/Gry Pin on the fusebox itself is getting 12v with the ignition on, however when I put the connector (D) back on and test the wire a couple inches above - where the soldered part of the wire is I get 0v This may be a silly question but when checking the earths putting the red multimeter point on the earth in question and putting the black on seperate earthing point, should it read -12v?
sounds like you have a break inside that wire, or the pin is too corroded/burnt to get a good connection. maybe its damaged and opened out so it cant get a good tight fit on the pin? when checking for continuity change the mode of the multimeter so the display reads 1, then 0 if you touch the tips together. some have a mode that also beeps when you do this which is handy if you cant see the screen. put 1 probe to the earth you want to test, and the other to a point on the chassis that'll tell you if that earth wire has a good connection to ground. likewise you can do this test from the grey/white wire pin and say, the soldered joint to see if there is a break in the wire that you cant see
I will have a crack at popping the connector out of the plug and give it a clean. I'll have a go checking the continuity. Thanks for the info
if that still doesnt work you might have to peel back the insulation till you find where the break is. had a dodgy earth on an indicator plug and found the copper had turned to dust for a good 2 inches thanks to water getting in
This is further beyond my comprehension now, but I pulled out and replaced the suspect connector for the Blk/Gry wire in D, I then split the connector block, and plugged the left side into the fusebox which has the BLK/GRY wire on it. I get 12v from it, and checking on the stalk end I get 12v to it there also. So at least I now know there are no breaks in that wire. However if I plug the right side of the block in I get nothing from it at all?
just had a thought! is the x-over relay in place and working ok? its the one with 17 or 18 on the front in socket number 8. might be worth popping another one in just to make sure
Hi jonny, I removed the no. 17 relay, and hooked it up to a spare car battery, with the multimeter on it to for a continuity test. It clicks when given power and the 1 on the multimeter quickly falls to zero. So it's working?
id still try another, plus its worth giving it a wiggle in the socket. mine sometimes doesnt make a good contact, really need to change my fusebox soon!
Do you know of a good place online to find a new one? Have looked on vw spares, GSF, halfords, ebay etc or Is it a case of going to a dealership? I'll try wiggling it in there though Frustrated!
I just got one off ebay in the end , was just a couple of quid so worth a pop Not sure if my heater is working, but I've ordered a new switch as the old one I may have broken! Or am I right in thinking it utilises the same relay as the wipers? New question: Does anyone know the ohms that a Mk1 caddy fuel sender uses? I pulled these numbers out of somewhere, 47 Full, 220 would be the reserve, however I know there is very little fuel in it at the moment, was into the reserve when the old clocks came out, and I've started it plenty of times testing things out and it currently displays 147 ohms There are some presets for fuel senders for the gauge on the dash - for some standard US vehicles. There one closest to the above is 240 ohms full 33 ohms empty. There is a custom option for setting it up. I thought it would be a case of just entering the empty and full values, but the options are to start with an empty tank and add in fuel during the setup or to have the sender out of the tank and move it to different positions... Not sure which way to go really!
if the blower doesnt work either thats a clue, the blower power comes from the x-over relay too! it may be the problem is the ign switch as the relay is triggered by it, the black/yellow wire on the switch is the one that triggers the x-over relay i would take your sender out and measure the actual values it gives you for full/mid/empty. they can vary a bit with age
I will give the new switch a try when it arrives. Does the fuel tank need to be removed, or can the sender just be got at to test with everything else in situ? Thanks again
under the rear seat is a metal disc, take that off and the sender is right there you need to twist it anti clockwise to release then it lifts out. can be proper tight in there though!
It's a caddy, so the tank is under the bed. I have a mk1 golf haynes but it isn't much help... Will jack it up and have a looksie, ta anyway
I jacked it up last night, and after googling some images it appears the sender on the tank is on the top side, so it will have to come down. I tried the alternative no. 17 relay just now as it came in the post, but still nothing not sure what's left to check? I've put the dash in there, but I'm in two minds whether to start again on it. As i'm not sure I like the shape and I did a crappy job of covering it with leather
not bad for a first try though! i think if it was me i would have the main bit of dash just a straight bit, totally smooth. then have the middle gauges in like a pod sat above pointing towards you. certainly would be easier to trim! try bridging the red wire on the ignition switch, to the yellow/black. also trace the yellow/black to make sure it goes all the way to the fusebox without damage
I think if I had paid someone to trim it properly it would look nice enough. But i was originally just intending to paint the fibreglass, and not cover, had I planned on covering it from the start I would have used less curves. I don't want it to look too fussy, but dashboards are quite busy generally. I'm going to re-make though, having gone through this much effort I want it to be as perfect as I can make. Thinking carbon fibre, with leather inserts for the panels etc. could do with designing in some storage either a glove box or somewhere to put a stereo for when I can afford one! Definetly want to have a few gauges directly in the drivers line of site, and have the main display central though Will try to learn sketchup over the weekend, Will try your suggestions regarding the wiring, Thanks man
By bridging those wires did you mean to link them together by another wire? I tried that if that was what you meant and still no joy. I didn't have chance to trace the yellow/black from the ignition switch as it was getting pretty dark! I now have a new problem though, when I took the dash out so I could measure up for a re-design, the sidelights came on regardless of if the switch was pressed or not! and if the ignition is switched on the hazards come on! I've insulated any loose wires away from others, but is this just a short somewhere? I disconnected the battery anyway to be on the safe side. Ahh wasn't intending this thread to be so epically long!
