no, really, my 200q windows work now

[Henry Harper <hah@srv.net>]

Since the tightening-the-ground-connection trick failed to convince those 
stubborn three windows to work, I tore into the car again this weekend. Wires 
at the driver's door switches still doing funny non-ground-referenced 
things...looking for another "under left dash" ground connection, I did manage 
to find one - behind the aux relay panel, about 10 ground connections roosting 
on a 10mm bolt. I could just barely get a wrench on it, but it didn't seem to 
be loose. Not helping. Lacking anything else to do, I started jiggling the wire 
bundle going/coming from the door. Lights on the switches go on and off like a 
pinball machine. Not good. Pulling back the pleated rubber wireway, I beheld 
several of the 20-odd wires with cracked insulation and two suspicious-looking 
brown wires actually parted. Think I found the problem for sure, this time, but 
I kind of wish it had been a faulty relay. Between hand-warming breaks in the 
house I managed to butt-splice the parted wires back together - difficult in 
the small door-hinge area, but I persevered. Now all windows work (one broken 
ground wire) and this fixed my alarm problem too (other broken wire).

But the larger question remains, what am I going to do about those other 
about-to-break wires? Might this be a safety-related wiring problem that I 
could get Audi to fix if I bitch enough? Or would windows, seat memory, and 
mirrors be "convenience" items not related to safe vehicle operation (in their 
view)? Anyone BTDT, does the door harness unplug from the rest of the chassis 
harness (like at those five plugs at the aux relay panel maybe?), how much 
would it cost, how much do you have to take apart to replace it? How many more 
questions can I come up with?

Have you checked under your door wireways lately?

Henry Harper
http://www.srv.net/~hah
1991 200 quattro, shaky wires going to driver's door, and just where are my 
steel wheels Tire Rack?
1988 GTI 16v, did I mention we don't need no steenkin' power-operated frou-frou 
accessories