Electrical Issue :(

[Ethan1996]

Okay so i had an issue a while back where the headlights wouldn't turn on or off, they were just stuck on a faint dim light, that was a fun drive home!

Never had that issue since, but it has recently been having difficulty turning the headlights on or off? You turn the stalk to on, nothing happens, so you turn it off then on, nothing happens, etc until eventually they turn on. The same happens turning them off too.

Getting a bit annoying now so I just leave my headlights on all the time and never turn them off! Luckily they turn off fine when you turn the engine off and open the drivers door.

Any clues what it might be that's causing my problem?

Many Thanks

 

[AlexW]

I'd check all the earths, everywhere (clean them up), followed by engine bay fusebox for corrosion, followed by the relays next to the UCH.

Roughly. Hard to just tell you exactly what to do though.

 

[Ethan1996]

I'd check all the earths, everywhere (clean them up), followed by engine bay fusebox for corrosion, followed by the relays next to the UCH.

Roughly. Hard to just tell you exactly what to do though.

Looked in the engine fusebox and didn't notice anything, can you take the board out and look underneath easy? Didn't want to just tug it!

Where about are all the earth's?

Thanks

 

[GrahamS]

There will be earths everywhere. As yours in a MK3 I'm not sure but the ph2 has atleast 3 the dash and the same again in the engine bay. There is one behind the headlight on PH2 or around that area.

You shouldn't need to take the board out unless you find out it's a broken wire. Just take out the individual fuses/replays and put electrical contact cleaner on them, maybe a little wire wool.

Door thing doesn't make sense to me. Have you tried another stalk?

Headlights don't go through the UCH so it's just a case of the switch completing the circuit.

 

[Ethan1996]

There will be earths everywhere. As yours in a MK3 I'm not sure but the ph2 has atleast 3 the dash and the same again in the engine bay. There is one behind the headlight on PH2 or around that area.

You shouldn't need to take the board out unless you find out it's a broken wire. Just take out the individual fuses/replays and put electrical contact cleaner on them, maybe a little wire wool.

Door thing doesn't make sense to me. Have you tried another stalk?

Headlights don't go through the UCH so it's just a case of the switch completing the circuit.

Ah right, ill try and pick up some electrical contact cleaner ASAP and try that out, what am I looking for with earths? Is it just a cable that I assume is bolted on?

For the door thing, on Mk3's (Never owned a Mk2) if you have the headlights on and turn the engine off, the lights stay on until you either turn them off with the stalk, or open the drivers door to get out.

Not tried another stalk as don't have one, might look at getting one though if nothing else solves it!

Thanks

 

[GrahamS]

ahh okay. Sounds like the lights do go through the UCH then if they are meant to turn off with the door opening.

I'm putting money on switch.

An earth will just look like a cable that's bolted onto the body like this (freshly taken)

 

[Ethan1996]

ahh okay. Sounds like the lights do go through the UCH then if they are meant to turn off with the door opening.

I'm putting money on switch.

An earth will just look like a cable that's bolted onto the body like this (freshly taken)

Ah okay thanks for that ill check them over and just scrub them a bit with a wire brush/wire wool and electrical contact cleaner when I buy some? By the switch, do you mean the stalk?

Thanks

 

[GrahamS]

yup

 

[Ethan1996]

yup

Is the stalk easy to replace/change over? Might try and get one of them

 

[GrahamS]

never done it on your car but previous cars its been easy.

Wheel off, squib off, stalk unit off

 

[Ethan1996]

I'd check all the earths, everywhere (clean them up), followed by engine bay fusebox for corrosion, followed by the relays next to the UCH.

Roughly. Hard to just tell you exactly what to do though.

ahh okay. Sounds like the lights do go through the UCH then if they are meant to turn off with the door opening.

Hmm got a problem now where the drivers side window opens/shuts maybe two out of ten times pushing the button? And, I'm not sure if its me looking for issues or what since the headlights keep going weird, but I swear the windscreen wipers keep going off when they're on their slowest setting/the pauses go short to long and back alot. Could this be a UCH fault?

Cheers

Thanks guys