[Vwdiesel] 81 Rabbit electrical woes

[Roger Brown]

Rolf Pechukas wrote:
> hey gang
> I'm having all sorts of relay/fuse problems lately - it all seems to  
> come down to a leak at the antenna which allowed water to get to the  
> back of the fuse/relay panel
> several blown fuses, a short somewhere in the reverse light circuit...
> but most important:
> glow plug circuit is fritzing out
> just did a quick diagnostic
> current situation:
> I am not getting ANY GP action that I can discern at all, resulting in  
> VERY hard early morning starts
> IF I wait more than a couple hours during the day, gets hard to start  
> also
> 
> with the entire GP relay bypassed, I am putting direct 12v to the bar
> reading +13v at all 4 plugs
> did this today early AM for 30 sec and still absolutely no effect
> very hard start (i.e. 90 sec cranking - BAD for starter, etc
> normally chick-vroom)
> so how is it that ALL 4 GPs failed simultaneously?!
> I am guessing that the rain to the fuse box somehow screwed up the  
> relay so that GP circuit stayed open continuously and all 4 burned out
> sound likely?
> can't account for it any other way
> shouldn't putting 12v to the bus fire up those plugs?
> but no dice!
> 
> anyway, I clearly need to replace the panel
> in the meantime, I have new GPs + relay on their way
> I am planning to bypass the box anyway and put a manual switch on the  
> dash - I prefer this anyway
> but any thoughts on this situation?
> 
> looks like I need to remove IP to replace GPs
> true?
> good idea to do a timing belt at the same time?
> any feedback appreciated
> 
> thanks!
> 
> Rolf in MA

No need to remove the pump, just a long handle combination wrench and some nimble fingers 
will work.  Also be sure to have a long magnetic pickup tool handy to grab those little 
bus bar nuts that always seem to fall off.

You can get hard starting with one bad plug and with 2, very hard to start the engine if 
it is at all cool.  Are you getting any sparking when you touch the battery cable to the 
glow plugs?


-- 

   Roger