Boston Driver

My guess is that helped identify the issue, but then the original poster never checked back in because problem was solved.
Electrical gremlins are the worst. Just too many things to check. Had a fuse 14 issue myself, but for me, unlike the rest of the posts, mine was not the seat puddle light but instead a pinched wire for the driver visor. I only found that because I just went back and thought what work was recently done to the car, and for me it was some wiring for the radar detector up the A-pillar. That's why I was saying maybe something with your headlight switch harness, but maybe something with your recent battery replacement...

Dr.Aronis

I could not find the short.

I drove it to work today, runs fine.

I checked the battery voltage and it was 12 V. With car running it was 14 volts and I could not see any A/C voltage at the battery.

Getting at the alternator to properly check out the voltage regulator is a problem.

So tonight after driving home in the snow storm, I just put the drivers side panel back on, buttoned things up and SCREW IT. Drive it as is.

Mike

Harleyguy

VAG Com scan should tell you about the alternator. Static (not running) battery voltage should be more like 12.4 volts. Running should be 14.2 volts. You may have a burned out diode in the alternator. Make sure all the connections are secure especially the battery terminal connections. I once had a slightly loose connection at the battery and although not readily apparent, it caused the alternator to try to put out full charge all the time. Burned up the alternator in short order. Never overlook the simple stuff!

Dr.Aronis

Thanks (the actual voltage was over 12 and over 14 LOL.....) I checked those connections before.

Vag shows several intermittent problems but this cluster concerns me. I have a brand new AC compressor in my garage ready to go......had 'no a/c after engine pull, turned out that the connector to the a/c was disconnected, worked fine rest of summer, really can't "Test" the A/C now since it so cold. Front Window defroster works fine, I replaced 30 amp fuse to Rear Window Defroster this afternoon, have not tested that yet.)

01273 - Fresh Air Blower (V2) (Blower works fine)
17-10 - Control Difference - Intermittent
01317 - Control Module in Instrument Cluster (J285) (all instruments appear to work accept for the Volt Meter)
49-10 - No Communications - Intermittent
00975 - Heated Rear Window (Z1) (noticed this a month before my battery issue came up, finally got around to replacing the fuse, to be tested)
39-10 - Output won't Switch or Short to Ground - Intermittent
01206 - Signal for Duration of Ignition Off Time
27-00 - Implausible Signal
01188 - Electrical Connection between Control Module and Magnetic Clutch
57-00 - Electric Circuit Failure

Something is messed up.

I wish the Bentley Manual had more information on the actual circuits.
Mike

Harleyguy

You may have already done this but try Google searching each code. You can often get better explanation that way. You could try resetting codes then scan again to see if any go away. Sometimes a hard reset will clear some codes. ( disconnect battery for 30 minutes then re-connect.)

Dr.Aronis

yes, I scan and clear, some came back. LOL.

Harleyguy

That's the idea. It narrows down the possibilities.

Dr.Aronis

additionally.....I did not notice until this week, the clock resets each time also.



I am not sure where to go from here.....rewire the entire car?

Mike

Dr.Aronis

New issue.

I did not find the above fault yet, but last week I again lost headlights, turn signals and wipers.

The last time it was a short between two wires in the connector to the headlight switch. I fixed that. All was fine with that for a few weeks. (the other "fuse" and no volt meter and battery light is another thing).

I checked the connector again and there was no short. The fuses for those systems are ok.

I figured out which wire is which in the headlight switch connector, and determined the wire that was shorted before was not the ground as I assumed, but a positive coming off the J59 load reduction relay (pin 1/ Xz) shorted to the power going to the fog lights (pin 2/Xr). So now those two have no power with the car running. There was only power at pin 15/30 which is a direct connection to the positive terminal and from the diagram provides power to the parking lights (and all four parking lights light up fine).

The thing I could not figure out from the diagrams is how the windshield washer fits into this. I will have to look at that diagram for a little while longer to see where they connect, but I cannot determine the positive power input to that circuit (yet) and suspect it too comes from the J59 relay.

I opened up the dash again and replaced the J59 relay ($36.) and that did not fix the issue.

I'm going to have to start taking the wire harness apart to trace the actual wires back to the J59. There was 360 mV on it not the expected 14.V. I have to do some more investigation to how that relay works and what system turns in on and off.

Any thoughts?
Mike

Harleyguy

I don't have a wiring diagram in front of me, but.... I believe the fog light circuit would only show current if the headlights are in the on position. The w/s washer figures in because of the headlight washers. They only activate when the headlights are on. Have you looked into replacing the headlight switch itself? The short circuit could possibly have burned up some of the switch contacts. If you can find a detailed enough switch diagram you can test it for functionality.