Which relay is doing that clicking?!?!?

[Gerard <gerard@poboxes.com>]

Hi!

For the passed few weeks I have been having some funny behaviour
from my "over-funny-behaving" 200t. The temperature used to be
just below the 90 celcius mark, but about 3 weeks ago the following
started to happen:

	1. in traffic for a few minutes after driving on the highway
	   for less than 10 minutes (from cold start), temp climbed
	   to 100 celcius on cold rainy day
	2. afterwards, on the same day, my autochecker indicated
	   faulty taillights and burnt out brake light, but all
	   lights were working and the only noticable faults were
	   the 3rd brake light coming on when the headlights were
	   turned on and the auto tranny release solenoid (the click
	   you hear when pressing the brake pedal) also released with
	   the headlamps were put on.
	3. the headlamp thing hasn't happened again, stopped doing it
	   when I pulled into the driveway of the auto electrician
	4. now, after getting into traffic for even less than 2 minutes
	   the temp gauge goes for 100 celcius and seems to be regulated
	   there. The only way to bring it down is get onto the highway.
	5. once at that temperature, turning the car off and restarting
	   results in some furious switching noises from under the
	   dash, doesn't always happen though and can sometimes
	   happen at complete cold morning starts
	6. sometimes, after starting off after the car was as 100
	   celcius, but having been left to cool off a bit, the
	   clicking starts up when the 100 celcius temp is reached
	   again
	7. a few weeks back, when my knock sensor died and my intake
	   temp sensor when bang, I drove home and pulled the codes,
	   when the hood was open I noticed the radiator fan
	   acting funny: on for a second, then off, then on, then off,
	   and then just off. When the car is hot and I park it or when
	   in traffic I can hear and feel the fan coming on at 100
	   celcius.

I obviously suspect a faulty sensor in the cooling system or a stuffed
thermostat. The previous lighting faults could have been related to
a bad earthing point. What I'd like to know is:

	1. where are the major grounding points on the 1990 200t?
	   Is there are grounding point at the radiator end of the
	   engine bay? My secondary h2o pump does leak coolant all
	   over the ABS pump and I am thinking it has done some
	   injustice to electrical stuff below the pump.

	2. which relays under the dash are associated with the
	   operation of the various parts of the cooling system?

	3. is there some way I can identify which relays are going
	   berserk while driving? The furious clicking sounds don't
	   always only happen when the motor is hot, sometimes I can
	   pull away from a complete cold start and I will get furious
	   clicking from under the dash.

	4. anyone reckon a VW auto electrician would spot why this
	   would be happening if I drove the car in while the clicking
	   was going on? No? I thought as much. If I took it to the
	   agents they'd want the car the whole day, that would mean
	   they'd probably never see the problem at all.

Don't suppose anyone has experience such behaviour? I am suspecting the
relays under the dash I perhaps trying to activate the fan or something
but are getting a bad earth or something and turning on and off.

G.
-- 
"a thousand miles from here, there is another person smiling"
1990 Turbo (200t, MAC13A ECU, 1.4-1.6 bar (1.8 bar with faulty WGFV!),
            FWD auto, built-in tap-dancing relays [no extra charge!])
name   : gerard van vught
tel    : +27-21-696 0331 (h) / 082 923 9609 (cell)
url    : http://www.poboxes.com/gerard/
e-mail : gerard@poboxes.com  / han.solo@galaxycorp.com