Re: Smoked UrQ taillights - Question

[Huw Powell <human@nh.ultranet.com>]

>         i have now worked on the connectors in two 83
>         urq's.  both of them had a partial failure in
>         the wire to plug interface area for the ground
>         wire.  this is in the left side, drivers side,
>         as that is where the wires meet a plug which
>         splits into each side of the car.  it uses the
>         plug to do this, putting a lot of load on that
>         connection point.  lightly melted plugs and
>         sagging contacts are what i have seen in both
>         coupes; a little tweaking and cleaning restored
>         proper service.

something I just discovered on my coupe - that left side connector is
actually a two piece affair.  Slid apart, it is a lot easier to
"respring" the contacts.  My right side (and center...) brake light has
actually worked consistently for a week now.

> 
>         i think a larger draw could easily push this
>         weak spot past the limit.  someday i am going
>         to wire around this point because i would like
>         to slightly increase my light output.  in your
>         situation i would do the same.

the gorund is easy, there is a 1/4" tab on the light cluster to add a
better ground.  Until last week's discovery I had planned to use some
spare 4 pin connectors and redo that section of the harness.  I'll worry
about it when the darn things fail again, now.

PS, the 87.5 had a one piece left side connector - and does not depend
on the insertion of the light cluster male pins to make contact with the
wires to the right side.  Not sure if it's worth splicing in or swapping
for the old one though.

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.thebook.com/human-speakers

82 Audi Coupe; 84 4kq; 85 Coupe GT
http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~human