[s-cars] Fire in Aux Relay Panel II - Help Requested

[Dave Ellis]

Hi Fred,

Hit it on the nose about the remote key.  Re-synced it and it's working 
fine again.  The inside of the car *really* stinks.  Looks like splicing 
new wiring in is going to be fun.  There is no slack at all in the 
wiring and it's going to be tight to work in.

Dave


Fred Munro wrote:
> Dave;
> 
> This relay is a common problem in the UrS cars. I haven't heard of them
> catching on fire before, but they do fail and cause a continuous current
> drain that will kill the battery if the car sits for a few days. That
> happened to my UrS4, and I disabled the circuit by pulling the circuit
> breaker for the auto window close.
> 
> This relay doesn't affect the normal power window operation; it's function
> is to autoclose any open windows or the sunroof when you lock the car. It
> has nothing to do with the IR locking system.
> 
> Guys, this is a heads-up for those with auto-close relay issues. Looks like
> the end-point of this relay failure can be a fire, so it might be prudent to
> pull the breaker or the relay if you don't use the auto-close feature. Of
> course, if you can't remember to close your windows....
> 
> Dave, try Chris at Force 5 Auto. He always has a few UrS cars under the
> knife and should be able to supply the parts you need. The Audifans
> Marketplace seems to have at least a couple of UrS cars listed as being
> parted out, so that is another source of parts.
> 
> A downside to always using the remote to lock and unlock the car is that the
> lock cylinders corrode and seize up from lack of use. The fix is to remove
> the lock cylinder, take it apart, clean up the pins, cylinder and housing,
> lube it well, and put it back together. It's a bit of a PITA because you
> have to remove the window carrier to get the lock cylinder out (actually, to
> get it back in, you can get it out with the carrier in place if you are
> creative). I'm not using my remote this winter and making sure I use both
> locks because I went down this road with the UrS4 and don't need to see that
> scenery again. I actually took a set of photos with the intention of writing
> a "How-to" but never did get around to it.
> 
> Try re-coding your IR system using the Bentley procedure - it may have lost
> the coding when the battery was disconnected. Leaving the car idle for a
> week will also shut down the IR system (to reduce battery drain) and you'll
> have to recode it.
> 
> HTH. Glad you were able to save the car - quick thinking!
> 
> Fred Munro
> '97 S6
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Dave Ellis
> Sent: February 2, 2008 5:59 AM
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Subject: [s-cars] Fire in Aux Relay Panel II - Help Requested
> 
> 
> 
> So I go to leave late from work last night and I'm greeted with a faint
> burning smell in the car.  Start the engine and the cabin quickly fills
> with toxic smoke, and I can see flickering light reflecting from flames
> somewhere in the driver's side foot well.
> 
> Nice.
> 
> After using an extinguisher and frantically unbolting the rear seat to
> disconnecting the battery, I spend the next hour and a half
> disassembling the kick panels outdoors while it snows heavily, with wind
> drifting snow into the car while I try to work.  In the dark.  Fun (not!).
> 
> Turns out either one of the relays or relay sockets in the driver's side
> lower kick panel caught fire, completely burning through socket, relay
> plate, most of the way through the relay, and a few inches down the
> wiring harness.
> 
> The patient is a '93 S4.  So now I need to track down a replacement
> relay, relay plate, relay socket, and preferably a few inches of wiring
> attached to the socket to splice into what's left of the wiring (I had
> to cut out the burnt sections to avoid a short, about 3 inches worth).
> 
> Here's what I was able to find out about the relay:
> 
>    From the top of the Relay (what was left of it):
>    ------------------------------------------------
>    218 (in white letters on top)
>    89 99 70
>    12V 20/50A
>    895 951 254
> 
>    Bentley Manual:
>    ---------------
>    Auxiliary Relay Panel II
>    Relay Position 3: "Automatic Window Closing Relay, J261
>    Page 97-9, and Wiring Diagram (no page ref)
> 
>    ETKA 7:
>    -------
>    Illustration 937-70, POS 8
>    Part Number 8A0 951 253 A
>    Description:
>      "contact close relay for electric window regulators
>       for vehicles with comfort wiring.  Relay Location: 3"
> 
> 
> So what else does this do besides the "one touch down" feature for the
> front power windows?
> 
> A possibly related problem I need to track down is that the infra-red
> remote key now no longer appears to work.  Can't lock/unlock the doors
> with it.  I don't know if it's related or not, but I'm also unable to
> lock or unlock the driver's side door using the key in the lock.  The
> lock mechanism is either jammed or frozen.  The lock/unlock button on
> the interior doors still works though.
> 
> I can't say if the mechanical lock has ever worked.  Had the door
> replaced two years ago after someone backed into it in a parking lot.  I
> can't remember ever actually using the key in the lock since then.
> 
> Anyone know how this burnt relay might affect the remote locking feature?
> 
> Any ideas why this particular relay would have suddenly decided to burn up?
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions or insight you can offer!
> 
> Dave
> 
> '93 UrS4
> '99.5 A4 1.8t
> 
> 
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