VW Golf Mk2 Owners Club

Technical => Technical => I.C.E & Electrical => Topic started by: JacksonBrownPants on December 01, 2024, 11:41:17 AM

Title: Need some advice after today’s series of events
Post by: JacksonBrownPants on December 01, 2024, 11:41:17 AM
Came out this morning to find passenger side indicator lights were all on. Not flashing, constant on. Car started fine but cut out, restarted with a little pumping and was idling fine. Thought I’d flick the indicators and hazards to see if it booted the lights up the arse and got them working but instead that caused ALL of them to become stuck constant on.

Figured I’d solve it later so started driving and thought I could smell electrical burning so pulled over to investigate under the bonnet and the engine stayed on with the key out. Not much I could do at the side of the road so I stuck the key back in and drove home (30 minute drive). All other electrics are working, and by all I mean the only other 3 electrical things on the car - Stereo, wipers, heater.

By the time I was home the indicators were working fine again, all other lights were working as normal, no warnings on the dash and the car stopped as usual on my drive and restarted again without fault. Everything looked good. Until I got out the car and shut the door.

With the car off and the door shut, my battery light is on, coolant light flashes a few times then stops and my oil light is flashing. Open the door and they go off. Start the engine and they go off.

I wonder, flick the interior light from auto to off and this stops the warning lights when I close the door.

The seats are somewhat damp after a night of heavy rain so I’m assuming water has got in somewhere, but I can’t narrow it down to where. That, with all these random electrical faults leads me to believe I’ve got a water related short somewhere but how on earth do I identify what exactly is the root cause without ripping off panels and lining?
Title: Re: Need some advice after today’s series of events
Post by: scs on December 01, 2024, 02:38:00 PM
Without any personal experience it sounds like water getting on the fuse box. This is a common fault.
Title: Re: Need some advice after today’s series of events
Post by: Monkey on December 06, 2024, 08:43:36 AM
Without any personal experience it sounds like water getting on the fuse box. This is a common fault.

Agreed, take the bottom dash panel off and see if there is any water up under the fuse box.

While it seems like a daunting task, fuse boxes are cheap and it's not too bad a job.

I'd also be checking the drains in your scuttle panel, make sure water can get away freely.