rear cargo light? and others...

Mon Oct 16 14:16:27 EDT 2000

Here's the low down on the rear cargo bay light for all you Wagon/Avant
afficionados. The detail here pertains to my 87 5KCSTQW, but is likely to be
the same for other type 44 wagons/avants.

Yes the rear cargo light is designed to light up when the rear flap (clam
shell) is opened. One side of the lamp is tied to unswitched 12V. The
3-position light switch itself supplies grounding options to the other side
of the lamp. The center position is always off, since it isolates the lamp
from ground. Thus the other two positions supply either continuous ground
(always on) or a switched ground through the switch in the driver's side
rear flap latch mounted in the flap. The switch is normally closed,
providing a ground path that lights the cargo bay when the flap is open. A
pin in the other half of the latch mounted in the cargo bay floor engages
the switch, opening the contacts when the flap is closed, turning off the
light. The switch itself is rather fragile, so treat it with care should you
choose to remove the spade lugs carrying the ground signal wires. 

The switched ground signal is the interesting one here. The wire is
brown/black and runs from the switch through the pasenger side wire path
tube near the hinge into the area under the modesty panel that holds the
cargo bay light itself. If you remove the modesty panel, you expose the 3
wires going to the light. First test the latch switch. I cleaned the
contacts with my knife, but I think they were doing pretty well after 14
years. After testing for continuity and interruption by simulating
depressing the switch, you have verified that the switch is working
properly. If not, you might be able to replace it. It has its own part
number (443 947 561 C), but it didn't seem like there was an easy way to
remove it from the latch. Next test for continuity between the ends of the
brown/black wire. Mine was broken where the wire passes through the tube at
the hinge. I jumpered around the break by soldering in a new length of wire
and then threading the new length of wire through the tube and soldering it
into the original wire going to the switch. Test again for continuity,
thread the wires through the modesty panel, attach the modesty panel to the
car roof, attach the wires to the light's switch, insert the light into the
modesty panel and switch away to your heart's content. 

Paul Meyers 
Gray 87 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs 145 kM, needs loom transplant 
Pearl 88 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs bilsteins 125 kM 2pc-em k24 turbo 
Metallic White 87 5KTQW eurolights bilsteins 191 kM daily driver
Blue 86 5KCSTQ parts car 

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas J. Donohue, Jr. [mailto:donohue at netconnx.net]
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2000 3:45 PM
To: Paul Meyers
Cc: quattro at audifans.com
Subject: Re: rear cargo light? and others...

Paul, and all who have responded.  I did locate the light switch at the
trailing
edge door jamb...if it had been a poisonous snake it would have bit me!
Apparently it is history, though, because it will not activate the interior
light from that side.  The cargo compartment switch is a bit more
subtle...it is
recessed in the left side latch mechanism on the hatch itself; it, too,
seems to
be toast, since I can turn the light on manually but fiddling with the
switch
does nothing.  There is a metal protrusion on the bottom of the hatch
opening
which controls this switch and it has apparently been seating off center, as
the
plastic that surrounds the actual switch is quite worn on the outside edge.
Perhaps I will need to realign the hatch before I install a new switch.
Anyone
know of any sources for these switches other than the dealer?  As always, I
prefer to deal with my local dealer only as a last resort!  Thanks, Tom
Donohue

Paul Meyers wrote:

> There was a switch. If it's missing, it's been removed.
> Paul
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas J. Donohue, Jr. [mailto:donohue at netconnx.net]
> Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 3:54 PM
> To: Marty Hadden
> Cc: paul.meyers at citrix.com; wbr90 at yahoo.com; quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: rear cargo light? and others...
>
> Still on the subject...my passenger door will not trigger an interior
light
> on
> the 91 Avant either and I can't seem to find a switch.  The light will
come
> on
> when the driver's door is opened or the ignition key is removed.  Anyone
> have
> any thoughts?  Thanks.  Tom
>
> Marty Hadden wrote:
>
> > While we're on the subject of lights and doors... My Avant gate does not
> > trigger the light, either... when I bought it, I thought that it
should've
> ,
> > though... strange, it doesn't.
> >
> > Another question... My 87.5 would trigger all doors' lights, when one
door
> > was opened... the 86 Avant only triggers the dome and floor lights in
the
> > front, but no other door lights.  Was this something new on the 87s, or
is
> > my 86 just messed up?
> >
> > I am also now thinking that you could run some wire from the front dome
> > light back into the cargo light, to have it operate the same as the
front,
> > but it still wouldn't solve the liftgate-up problem...
> >
> > Marty H
> > 86 5KS Avant 133k mi
> >
> > >From: Paul Meyers <paul.meyers at citrix.com>
> > >To: "'Keith Lawyer'" <wbr90 at yahoo.com>,        "'quattro at audifans.com'"
> > ><quattro at audifans.com>
> > >Subject: RE: 200 avant rear cargo light?
> > >Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 14:18:53 -0400
> > >
> > >I can't speak for a 200A, but my dadblasted 5KTQA works the same way.
It
> > >sure looks like it ought to come on when the lift gate is opened, but I
> > >don't know how to wire it to make it work. No position I can find
allows
> it
> > >to light when the gate is opened.
> > >
> > >Paul Meyers
> > >Gray 87 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs 145 kM, needs loom transplant
> > >Pearl 88 5KCSTQ 1.8bar eurolights fuchs bilsteins 125 kM 2pc-em k24
turbo
> > >Metallic White 87 5KTQA eurolights bilsteins 192 kM daily driver
> > >Blue 86 5KCSTQ parts car
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: Keith Lawyer [mailto:wbr90 at yahoo.com]
> > >Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 1:59 AM
> > >To: list quattro
> > >Subject: 200 avant rear cargo light?
> > >
> > >
> > >Ok, simple question regarding '89 200 Avant:  Is the
> > >rear cargo light supposed to come on when the rear
> > >liftgate is opened?  Because mine doesn't - and I see
> > >no sign of a switch anywhere to tell the light to come
> > >on.  Of course I'm ass-uming there has to be one
> > >because the anti-theft system is also supposed to know
> > >if the liftgate is opened.
> > >   The light will come on manually but will not come on
> > >automatically regardless of the position of it's
> > >switch. . ?
> > >   On a different note, fixed a "drooping" visor today
> > >by pulling it and installing some heat-shrink on the
> > >visor pivot shaft, for lack of a better term.  Not
> > >sure how long the heat-shrink will hold up but works
> > >for now (shrug).
> > >
> > >Much thanx,
> > >Keith L.
> > >Running: 1 I4, 2 I5's
> > >Parts: 3 I5's
> > >
> > >__________________________________________________
> > >Do You Yahoo!?
> > >Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere!
> > >http://mail.yahoo.com/
> >
> >
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