Electrical Problem, Fuse #14 blows

[eMTea]

Hi!

Ever since i bought the car (5 weeks ago) there has been several small eletrical problems.
But for a few days ago the instrument lights dissapeard.
The AUX instruments still lit up. (but they only work when light switch is on, all 5 weeks) so i guess they have been connected seperately.

I've attached some photoes of the mess i found behind the AUX instrument panel:

1 - All GND poinds from AUX instruments harness connected with a black aftermarket wire, and it dissapears up in the dash.
2 - Several small wires from the AUX hareness is connected with a red aftermarket wire, dissapearing in the dash (probably connected to "parking lights" since the instruments are still working, when fuse #14 i blown and I turn on the lights)
3 - Loose cable, red/blue, probably 12v feed to the cigarette outlet (not connected in opposite end either.)

4 - Oil temp / Oil pressure probes.
5 - 6 cut wires from a 6pin connector (fixed to a steel bracket)
6 - 10 pin red connection, some cut wire (soldered and foxed)

Questions;
a - Could not find anything you would refer to as "instrument light booster", is it disconected and removed?
b - What is the 6pin connector "#5" for?

I hope someone out here in this lovely forum know this, i guess some of you have had these problems as well

BR- Magnar, Norway!

[Evilgoat76]

WTF!?

WHY?

I think S2central.net possobly has the correct wiring diagrams.

[JMLAudi]

Fuse 14

Hiya mate

check your glove box light switch on top of dash...if it shortin out you will lose dash lights/number plates lights/and few other items check fuse box cover


i put to much items in glovebox....pushes up switch and shorted wires blowing fuse 14



my 2 cents

cheers
john

[eMTea]

In this operation I also removed the glovebox, and that switch and cable is loose and seems ok.

Maybe i can find the chematics, but I was hoping someone who have removed the panels, also photographed the connections, so I can see how it should look like.

The black 6pin connector, #5 in my pictures, does it usually belong to the "instrument light booster"?

Tomorrow i will check the licence plate lights.
I have also found a partly melted 6pin connector, right above the battery in the trunk, I wonder if that could have something to do with the wiring to the rear hatch.

[s2avant]

That looks like a challenge but we like a challenge. It's a pity you're in Norway or I'd take a look and sort it. Still we sort out what needs to be repaired.

Can you list the wire colours/pin numbers and connector part numbers? From that, with the help of the schematics and the family album, we can sort out what goes where and what is missing.

[Evilgoat76]

Can you get us a pic of the trunk connector? Sure someone can get a pic of how it should be after we know which one. Theres a couple of relays in there so it could be any of them.

I've hed to redo the harness on the boot lid so have a look under that rubber boot by the hinge and see whats been done.

[eMTea]

That looks like a challenge but we like a challenge. It's a pity you're in Norway or I'd take a look and sort it. Still we sort out what needs to be repaired.

Can you list the wire colours/pin numbers and connector part numbers? From that, with the help of the schematics and the family album, we can sort out what goes where and what is missing.

Awesome!

The pin numbers/colors are the following:

Input (from cars harness)
1. red
2. brown
3. white
4. red\yellow
5. grey\red
6. red\brown

Output (my loose plug)
1. red\blue
2. brown
3. white
4. red\yellow
5. grey\red
6. red\brown

I could'nt find any number, directly on the plug itself.

Can you get us a pic of the trunk connector? Sure someone can get a pic of how it should be after we know which one. Theres a couple of relays in there so it could be any of them.

I've hed to redo the harness on the boot lid so have a look under that rubber boot by the hinge and see whats been done.

I can take a photo of it later today. I guess it's the "T 6b".
But the plug is not totally melted, I can still see all the wires and it might be working correctly, but I can not separate the connectors.
Someting inside it could have been melted causing a short circuit, but I'll try to find out.

[eMTea]

Anyone who knows what the black 6pin connector behind the AUX instruments are for?

[s2avant]

It looks like it might be the loom connector for the centre console wiring loom. If you look on the attached picture Item 34 and 35 are 6 pin plugs.

I wonder if they have removed the whole loom then bodged it back together with various different wires. I need to look at the schematics (I haven't had a chance to dig them out and can't look at S2central while I'm at work)

Ben

[eMTea]

I can take a photo of it later today. I guess it's the "T 6b".
But the plug is not totally melted, I can still see all the wires and it might be working correctly, but I can not separate the connectors.
Someting inside it could have been melted causing a short circuit, but I'll try to find out.

Here is a photo of the connector above the battery in the trunk, the thick brown wire is melted about 1-2cm out in each side of the plug.


As far as i can figure out, this is the "T 6b" connector, and includes rear fog light, reverse indicators, and licenceplate lights. Is it possible to buy these on the aftermarket, or should i just cut and replace it with something familiar?

It looks like it might be the loom connector for the centre console wiring loom. If you look on the attached picture Item 34 and 35 are 6 pin plugs.

I wonder if they have removed the whole loom then bodged it back together with various different wires. I need to look at the schematics (I haven't had a chance to dig them out and can't look at S2central while I'm at work)

Ben

OK, but what do you mean with center console?
Ashtray lights, cigarette lighter?

The "Diff Lock" panel is still lit up (at least the button itself) and it has its own harness.

[s2avant]

Sorry, centre console is the trim surrounding the earlever which has the guages, cigarette lighter etc in it. The loom for the centre console connects the aux guages, cigarette lighter and ashtray lights.

As you say, the difflock panel is attached to the ABS harness and is completely separate from the other things in the centre console area.

With the loom missing for the guages etc you will probably find that too much current is being drawn and that is what is blowing the fuse. The loom is expensive though so it may be possible to build a loom that will get it working properly again.

As for the t6b connector, if you can find the number on it (it will be very small so you may need a magnifying glass) then they can be ordered separately.

Ben

[eMTea]

Ok, I think you misunderstood me a little bit.
The gauges are connected to an aftermarket supply, dissapers in the dash, but is connected to parking lights probably, because the AUX gauges come on when i turn on the lights, not the ignition.
So the the white 6pin connector (now connected to the aftermarket supply and oil temp\pressure probes) should be conneted with the 6pin plug (#5 in post 1) along with cigarette lighter and ashtray light?
Are you able to find it in any schematics I would be really glad!

BTW: After i photographed the trunk plug, (i moved and separated the wires for better photo) fuse #14 does not blow anymore
I think I will just cut the plug off, and connect them with shrink connectors.

[s2avant]

I will see what I can find on the schematics. They should be on S2central too.

As for the fuse, it is probably a wire shorting out in the tailgate. have you pulled the rubber boots back where the wires go into the tailgate to see if any wires are damaged?

Ben

[Evilgoat76]

Ahh, light dawns.

Open the boot, looking into the boot on the left side look at the corrogated rubber boot that goes from the hinge into the door. Pop a fuse in, fire up and give that some hassle, open and close the boot, squeeze it and move it about, odds on the fuse goes again. Watch the lights on the boot lid AND the dash.

The wires in here go brittle and break, in my case I got the washers jamming on, intermittant rear demister, all manner of foglight weirdness then the alarm going off when I opened the lid. Removing that boot found almost all the wires chafed and shorting and a couple broken entireley.

Had this on the 80, 90, my S2 and I think theres a touch of it going on with the 100 too (foglights sometimes come on when I open the boot)

Its not too much hassle to get in there and inspect but theres not a lot of room for repairs. Bothe the S2 and 90 were done by soldering as close to the damage as I could and using silicon hi flex instrument cable (we used to use this stuff for crash test rigs) and remaking the wiring in the hinge tube. Theres not a lot of space in that tube, others may have their suggestions. Either way its a known issue.

[eMTea]

Thanks for the nice last posts guy's but the fuse is now ok, after i photographed the plug and separated the wires going out of the plug.

But now I found a bigger problem than ever before... Inside of the dash, approx right behind the ignition key (LHD car) i found this:


A total of 19 cut wires
The good news is that lots of the colors corresponds with the 6 wires from the black 6pin connector, and the 9 wires from the AUX instruments.

I also found out that the 6pin connector's loom (#5post1) is not going up behind the dash, it goes down by the tunnel and along with the floor under the carpet. hmmm...
No heated seats in this car, only RS2 electrical seats, but they are connected separate from all other..