# 82 Rabbit Convertible with lots of electrical problems



## jorgenjer (Jun 26, 2008)

*82 Rabbit Convertible with electrical problems*

I will be having the dashboard off and chasing electrons with my multimeter







so I thought I'd put out feelers for advice. I do not have the fuse-box diagram for this car, if anyone has it a pic would be AWESOME, I'm betting it was on the inside of the cover I'm missing. That said, here are the electrical problems.
Headlamps work on high-beams but not low-beams. Used to be the right worked high and the left worked both. Now only high-beam, and I've tested the lamps, it's definitely some sort of wiring issue.
Horn doesn't work but I hear a click somewhere under my dashboard when I close the connection.
Left front marker light (small yellow rectangle on the front bumper, driver side) blinks for turns but does not glow constant for running lights or when headlights are on. right works fine.
Heater fan does not come on. Vacuum driven air-channel switches for hot v/ cold and defrost v/ AC still work fine.
Windshield fluid sprays really weak. This is probably mechanical and not electrical, but I thought I'd ask.
Passenger door open will trigger dome light but driver's side will not, however with the switch mechanism removed from the door frame it easily turns on the light.
And last and hopefully least important, sometimes the instrument cluster in the dashboard produces a buzzing (really fast clicking) noise and the turn signal indicator light will flicker. This will cease when some amount of power is being directed elsewhere, like when the windshield wipers are moving, or the turn signal is blinked on.
If anyone has some suggestions, I'd really appreciate them.


_Modified by jorgenjer at 11:08 AM 9-23-2009_


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## jorgenjer (Jun 26, 2008)

*Re: 82 Rabbit Convertible with electrical problems (jorgenjer)*

Update: the horn failed because of a blown fuse. I replaced the fuse, tried the horn, and after causing the engine to stall just a little bit it blew another fuse (all in about a second or two). Got to find... a short probably
The headlights: passenger side is apparently intermittent. Works for me but didn't work yesterday. The driver's side is not working at all and didn't work before. I will check with my mechanic and find out if he's sure it didn't work on either side.
The heater/AC fan was another blown fuse. Not sure why it blew a fuse but it didn't blow it again yet.
Not going to bother with the door today unless I get the headlight sorted early.


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## boxylooks27 (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: 82 Rabbit Convertible with electrical problems (jorgenjer)*

damn we kinda are in the same boat . my heater doesnt blow at all. you are lucky was only a fuse. my blower works when i jump this thru a 12v battery but i have to find where is the problem. probably a wiring ****


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## jorgenjer (Jun 26, 2008)

*Re: 82 Rabbit Convertible with electrical problems (boxylooks27)*

Update: I definitely have a wiring fubar in my situation. I have not made my horn work yet. When I try the horn it will blow the fuse immediately. The fuse that it knocks out will also stop the heater blower from running.
I may be no closer to a solution on the headlights. I had the passenger side lowbeam coming on, but starting the engine perhaps knocked something loose because now again no lowbeams at all, and no driver's side marker lights. I did find that my headlight switch was heating up, and because of that I am replacing that part, but no telling if that will repair the issue.
on the upside, my washer fluid sprays better than ever
One problem I've run into is the only wiring diagrams I have for this car are not for this car. They are for the 82-84 hardtop rabbit and for some unknown reason do not include the horn or the AC system. They also don't include the cigarette lighter socket.
If anyone has wiring diagrams for the 82 rabbit convertible including these features I'd love to have them.


_Modified by jorgenjer at 7:20 PM 9-24-2009_


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## Lysholmedlago (Nov 8, 2008)

*FV-QR*

Honestly guys if you have the time just swap out the mk1 wiring with CE2 from a later model. You can spend hours tracing out the short and testing all the wires for continuity or spend the same time upgrading.


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## ShaggysGTI (May 15, 2009)

Trace your horn wiring to the horn, it may be grounding out on something. Maybe the horn is bad or has water on the inside? Have you tried using the horn outside of the car?


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## ShaggysGTI (May 15, 2009)

Also, update your battery grounds, as well as your charging wires. Thicker gauge wires, and whenever said ground meets metal, make sure it's bare metal and a good solid connection. That helped me the most.


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## jorgenjer (Jun 26, 2008)

*Update*

So, not sure how I would update the wiring. I really would not know where to start.
A misguided mechanic had run a jumper wire from the ground wires for my AC system to a grounding wire coming out of the fuse block. I disconnected this and suddenly the "horn circuit blows fuse and blower doesn't work" problem went away. The horn still didn't work. Tested the wires and 12V came through reliably on the multimeter. Replaced horn. Contemplated a location that wasn't at the bottom of the engine compartment, exposed to all the water and road salt spray from the tires, but didn't feel like running longer wires to mount somewhere else. Maybe when winter kills the connectors on this horn I will take the time to do it.
cleaned the connectors on the back of the fuse block, reseated the plugs back there as well, now I'm back to passenger side works on low-beam and both work on high-beam. All the other colored lights work now except the driver's side front blinker/marker light only works on blink.
My plan from this point? two jumper wires from the passenger side lights to the driver's side lights. grounding is confirmed working all around so if I can carry current across from the passenger side to the driver's side I will have a full working set of lights.
Alternatively, if anyone has a new or known working fuse box for a 1.7L 1982 VW Rabbit Convertible.... I already checked and I can't get one new but I could certainly do the work of trading over plugs one at a time.
New headlight switch will be here tomorrow. Now I'm really thinking it may not make a difference. I'll still be letting the mechanics change out my brakes. I just don't like changing brake pads, especially in a drum-brake situation. Who knows, I could still have asbestos brakes as old as this car is. It doesn't really have a lot of mileage, at least showing.


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## jorgenjer (Jun 26, 2008)

*Re: Update (jorgenjer)*

I have some idea why that Jumper wire was there. Without it, my AC, over time, may have melted the plastic body of the fuse it was using. This may have been bad fuse placement though, since the fuse certainly didn't burn out. melted fuse is still bad news though.
Now I have a new problem. Tach, warning lights, clock, temp gauge and fuel gauge are now not working. They were working right up until I put things back together. I think I might've tugged out a ground for the display cluster. I'm afraid that maybe it's the flimsy blue circuit board on the back of the instrument cluster though.


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## DropTop81 (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Update (jorgenjer)*

Ground Ground Ground....
I have an 81 Convertible. 
If you pull the instrument cluster, behind it to the left a little, on the top of the dash housing is a round plate with several male spade connectors. This is the central point of ground under the dash. 
You can remove the plate and clean it with sand paper, and the dash metal where it connects as well. You may want to replace some of the female connectors that connect to it as well. I have worked on several Rabbits from 77 on up, and found that cleaning and replacing connectors here saved me a lot of grief.
Also your headlight delima may be a problem with the headlight switch and the four way flasher switch as well. The headlight switch feeds power to the flasher swithc, I think it's a Red and white wire, not sure as I am sitting in a Hospital room right now, and don't have a service manual with me...lol
You need to invest in a Bentleys Manual for your car. the wiring diagrams are priceless!
You can trace with a DVM all you want, but if you don't have the schematic, your just left chasing your tail in a VW








My E-Mail is [email protected] if you need someone to bounce things off of. I have been through the fuse box delima and the lighting as well.


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## emcquillen (Jun 24, 2011)

*Consider the fuse block*

I have an 82 Convertable had very similar problems, including burned fuse bodies. Evidently, rain water gets into the dash area and drips onto the fuse block, causing the block to short out internally. There is a circuit board inside that gets corroded. I replaced mine for a little over $100 (found new block online) and a few hours labor. Everything now operates normally, no fried fuses. Hope this helps someone.


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## dl_sledding (Feb 8, 2010)

Since ppl are adding to an old thread, I'll throw my $.02 in...

Anytime you are cleaning grounds or other connections, especially in hard-to-reach places that took 2 hours to dig into, use some dielectric grease on the connections. It will make all of the difference in the world to prolong the life of the connection, so you won't have to do it again. It's a very inexpensive and often overlooked insurance policy.


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