[Vwdiesel] Wiring Issues Behind Fuse Block

[MLightner]

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>Message: 2
>Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:14:50 -0600
>From: Bryan K Walton <bryankwalton at machlink.com>
>Subject: [Vwdiesel] Wiring Issues Behind Fuse Block on '84 Rabbit
>To: VW Diesel Fans <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
>Message-ID: <20061215211450.GB7241 at machlink.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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>
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(snip)

>4. So at this point, I assumed that the problem was my upshift light
>control unit.  I bought a replacement unit and put it in.  But with
>the new upshift light relay, the upshift light stays on continuously.
>Hmmmm, something isn't right with one or both of the relays.
>
>5. I put the old relay back in.  (I'd rather have the upshift light
>working part of the time, than have it lit up all of the time).  Back
>to the Bentley, it says that with the engine running, I should be
>getting current to the corresponding terminal on the upshift light
>relay at the fuse box.  I don't -- or at least not when I checked it
>this one time.
>
>So now I'm under the assumption that the problem is either a short
>in a wire somewhere, or in the connection between the wire and the
>back of the fuse box.  Shooting in the dark here, I'm going under the
>assumption that some water has seeped in there sometime in the past
>and done some corrosion.  I'd like to take the fuse box off and look
>around back there.  Perhaps clean some terminals.  What am I going to
>find behind the fuse box?  I'm very afraid of pulling the fuse box out
>and in doing so, accidentally loosing connections to other wires.  Can
>somebody describe for me what I'm going to see back there?  How do the
>wires connect to the fuse box?  Can they easily be removed and
>reinserted?
>
>Thanks!
>Bryan
>
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I don't know anything about the upshift light, but I have delved into 
whats behind the fuse blocks on a couple different VW products.  The 
ones I've seen have what I think are called female spade connectors that 
plug onto their male counterparts on the back of the fuseblock

. On a couple of occasions I found loose spade connectors which could be 
tightened up by slightly crimping them so they were a tighter fit where 
they plugged onto;  I also found one where the spade connector had got
hot enough due to the lose connection to partially melt the insulation 
on the wire and blister the fuse block itself a little bit, the heat had 
also made the connector dead soft so it couldn't be tightened up, a new 
spade lug took care of.that (though I doubt the circuit you're working 
on would have this kind of problem).

Then there was the '70 model bus on which the fuse block split almost 
into 2 pieces longitudinally, a couple tywaps sufficed to hold that 
together once I realized what the problem was.

If you take the fuse block loose from it's mounting point, just be 
careful to note that, 1),  There are no wires already hanging lose from 
the back of it, and that, 2),  if you cause any wires to come loose, you 
know where they need to be plugged into  : ) .  If your problem is a 
corrosion issue, then it's possible that unplugging and replugging of 
those terminals may be all that's required to straighten it out. Unless 
you're very careful, it may be best to disconnect the negative terminal 
on the battery, as there are places on the fuse block that are always 
hot.  Of course, your mileage may vary, please do let the list know what 
you find.

Mike