# Coil pack Wiring harness?



## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

I've got an appointment at the dealership to get a tsb taken care of. But now thinking about it... why would I pay them 340 dollars to replace a ground wire. Anyone know which wire on the coil pack harness is the ground so I can ground it with the rest of the grounds?


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

I second that, except mine is on a 03 2.0 not sure what yours is.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Mine is the same. Its such a simple fix and vw wants me to pay them a **** ton of money so they can cut my ground from my coil and make a new one and directly ground it. I just need to know which wire is the ground b4 I splice. Ya, Mine is 03 as well.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

So I put my original coil pack back in my car as I replaced it with another oem unit 6 months ago. And what do you know... no more check engine light. And it runs way better, and its not misfiring like it was when I had it in the car b4 because I put electrical tape on the back of it.







We'll see in the next couple days if that was the fix or not if the light comes back on.


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

What are the codes you are getting? 
The ground wire on the coil harness is the brown wire. The TSB says to the ground wire should be cut and the coil end of it should be spliced to a new wire that runs to a ground lug underneath the battery.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (seanmor)*

I just ordered a brand new coilpack, mine should run like a champ after that. It does run a little rough with the code that comes and goes. Can't wait to swap that out and see. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

My coilpack is the original, not sure how many miles they are good for. I got 86k on the clock how about u?


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

I had 58 on the clock when my coil went bad. I dunno about my issue. I'm going to bring the coil back an flip out about how my broken coil (micro fractures on the back cause misfires as it arcs to the block.) works better than the brand new one.


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

Mine is original at 226k miles. It has some cracks around the plug wire connections but not arcing yet.


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## gbm37 (Aug 27, 2009)

What were the problems that got you to the TSB? My car (about 77K miles) is misfiring, especially at idle, and I've pulled P0303, P0351, and P0353 codes for cyl. 3 misfire and shorts at ignition coil A and C. I was going to swap out the coil pack and change the plugs and wires, but maybe I should check the ground first. I haven't seen any arcing from the coil.


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (gbm37)*

I believe open circuit codes for the ignition are indicative of a coil that needs a ground re-wiring. The intermittent open circuit will cause misfires so you would see codes for that too.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

I know there is a TSB on the ground fix, but is it under warranty or a recall? Just wondering how much dealer would charge.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

A diy thread would be awesome if someone decides to make one with pics.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

The dealer wants 380 dollars to cut the brown wire on the plug that goes into the coil pack and run a new one off of it into the grounds under the battery box. Thats all it is. TSB is something that should be fixed but isn't under any warranty


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

Holy crap!!!! That took me about 15 minutes to do. Mostly because you have to remove the battery and battery tray. How could they justify that amount?


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (nmjetha)*


_Quote, originally posted by *nmjetha* »_A diy thread would be awesome if someone decides to make one with pics.

I didn't take photos but it's very simple to do. This is how I did it though vw details in their tsb that a new wire with the proper terminal should be installed in the harness instead of cutting and splicing any wires.
1) remove battery and battery tray
2) remove harness from coilpack
3) locate and cut the larger gauge brown wire (leave yourself enough room to strip the insulation back and crimp or solder a new ground wire)
4) crimp or better yet solder a new wire of equal gauge (i don't know what gauge it is) about 2 or 3 feet long.
5) run the wire along the same path as the main engine harness bundle that runs above the starter.
6) Cut the wire with enough room plus some slack to reach the far right ground lug under the battery tray.
7) crimp a ring terminal connector like this one http://www.autotoys.com/pics/y...1.jpg 
8) remove the far right ground lug nut under the battery tray
9) slide the ring connector on the new ground wire to the ground lug. (if possible, snap the terminal connector in to the plastic clip ring around the ground lug)
10) put everything back together and clear your dtc's.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

So, the cel codes are caused by a groundwire exposure. Weird how does this happen, or could it possible be the groundwire is not screwed down tight under the battery?


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## elRey (May 15, 2001)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

No, the DTCs are caused by a weak ground... er a shared ground. The fix is to break out the ground for the coil and have it go directly to the chassis/engine.


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (elRey)*

Apparently there was a design or manufacturing flaw affecting a lot, if not all of AVH code engines. It might have affected other engine codes too but this is the one I have and is referred in the TSB. 
Basically you are bypassing the existing ground wire with a new one directly to the main ground terminals under the battery. This has fixed my open ignition circuit and intermittent misfire problems.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Nice, any links to the TSB around the web? Still wondering why no recall on this, makes no sense at all? Hope to fix mine soon.


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## konkrete (Sep 9, 2009)

*Re: Coil pack Wiring harness? (Brightgolf)*

http://www.dubtuning.com/coilpack_harness_tsb.pdf


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: Coil pack Wiring harness? (konkrete)*

That's for the 1.8t not for the 2.0 but I think the idea is the same.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (seanmor)*

Before I tackle this somewhat easy vw wire fix. What gauge is the coilpack ground wire???


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Anyone at all so, I can tackle this ground fix on my 2.0, know what gauge it is????
thanks


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (seanmor)*

Dumb question, but how much of the ground wire did you cut off???? Right next to the harness or what?


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Hey hey... I did mine yesterday. I bought a new coilpack plug and a section of wire with the spade plug that goes into the coil plug for $15 from the dealership. I got an extra one with the spade and wire attached. I can take that, put a butt connector on it, heatshrink it, and put a ring terminal on it and heatshrink it for you so you can do what I did. Just send me $20 an I'll send you the wire the same length as I did mine. BTW the wire is 12 gauge.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

Hmmm if I go to the dealership what do I ask for, or do you have a part number or pic of this concoction? I don't know if sending a stranger $20 is the best idea.
thanks


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

I threw the receipt out, but what I did was go up to the parts counter. I asked them to pull up the diagram of the coil pack. I said i needed to get the 12 gauge wire with a new spade to replace a ground in it. He went out back, came back with a couple different wires, what you want is the medium sized one in the computer. Its a yellow wire with a spade end (the one that goes into the coil plug. I bought two of them. Then I bought some 12 gauge wire at advanced auto. A package of weatherproof heatshrinkable butt connectors and ring terminals. You pull the coil plug off... look inside, push the purple piece out of the plug. Then you push the spade out with a small flathead screwdriver or you can pull the wire carefully. You crimp and heatshrink the wire with spade to the spoiler of wire. Run the wire through the wire loom to under the battery box. Cut the excess wire. Then you crimp and heatshrink a ring terminal on the end, loosen one of the grounds, install the new ring terminal and tighten the ground back up. Put the purple part back into the coil plug and reconnect the coil pack. Oh forgot to include removing the battery/battery box part in there. But thats pretty much it. CEL free and the car sees to have a tiny bit more acceleration.


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## Radguy (Feb 27, 2003)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

Thanks guys gonna try this tomorrow. I've been fighting this problem for a while....after changing the spark plugs wires and coil...the problem still seems to come and go. I was actually starting to think it might have been a fuel issue. Hopefully tomorrow the problem will be fixed!!!


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Sounds confusing, I am gonna try it also.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

haha so easy... you could simply cut the brown wire, butt connector it to a 12 gauge peice of wire, and run it to the grounds under the battery box... simple as hell. I just went and did it to spec...


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*









Sorry, but I have no idea where my ground wire is that is the harness above. HELP


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Thats the harness. You pull the top cover of it off, find the brown 12 gauge wire, and proceed as stated above.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

I see that little clip opens up on that connector, thanks will do this tomorrow. Too bad there wasn't a way to remove entire wire out of the inside, or is there? I will just cut and butt connect it. Kinda odd to run it straight to the battery, not sure where that brown wire really goes inside that plastic covering all the wires, oh well.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

I told you there is a way to take it out. The purple piece on the inside of the plug sides out the side. then you pull the brown wire. That why I offered to sell you the wire with the connector that slides in place of the brown wire. And the wire doesn't go to the battery, it goes under the battery box, you remove the battery and the four 10mm bolts that hold the box down. You will see a couple nuts holding some wires down. You put the wire from the coilpack on one of these. make sure you do it right, with heatshrink butt connectors and heat shrink ring terminal. 


_Modified by Brightgolf at 8:40 AM 9-20-2009_


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Yes, I know it goes under the battery tray. Wish I knew what this wire with the slider connector was. I will see, maybe the hardware store sells something the same otherwise butt connector.
thanks


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

One last question, what do you do after the brown wire is out? Can you pull it from where it goes or it just sits there not connected to the harness?


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Mine is just sitting there not connected to anything. If you want to waste the time pulling it out of the loom go right ahead.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

Any way you can send me a pic of what I would be getting? I got the plastic shell off the harness, found the wire and there is not a lot of room to work with. Your idea seems more permanent and better. I don't want to screw up something.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

I would be sending, The vw 12 gauge wire from the dealership with the spade connector that slides right into the plug, probably like 3 feet of 12 gauge wire crimped and heat shrinked to it, and a ring terminal end that you can crimp/heatshrink on your own when you determine how much of the wire you need to use so you don't have a ton of extra wire in there. Its up to you if you want it, I could put it all together quickly enough.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Let me see if my dealership has one these spade connectors you are talking about, and then I will see if I can put it together or have you send it all I guess.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

They don't just sell the connector, it comes with a short length of wire.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

Mine does not have the brown ground, it does have a blackish wire with a brownish strip. Is that the one???


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Its the thickest one on the harness if that helps, don't wanna cut the wrong one.
thanks


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

wire 1 and wire 6 are the largest and both the same size. I'll take a look and tell you which number to cut


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

The purple piece pops out easy I hope or does it slide out the side like on the TSB for the 1.8s?


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

slides right out the side


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Better yet, does the connector and wire have a part number on it somewhere. I get vw parts discount through my dad. I will go on my lunch and see if they can pull it up.
thanks


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

I am getting closer I think, is this what I need?????????:









This pic shows where the purple part slides out:


















_Modified by nmjetha at 7:33 AM 9-22-2009_


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Thats a crap ton of wires, that'll cost you a fortune to buy the whole harness and is not needed. You just need the one wire that goes into one of the slots. the one that goes into #1... all you have to do is push the purple slider out the side, pull on wire #1 and it comes right out... you put the new wire with the spade end on it into the slot, push the slider back, and crimp and heat shrink.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Spade end like this:
http://www.thecableco.com/prod...4.jpg


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

This should help me right?
http://14point7.com/Widebands/...7.pdf
http://14point7.com/Widebands/...7.pdf


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

http://14point7.com/Widebands/JAW_1_03/JAW_FYI.htm


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

no... its a vw only plug that goes into the slot... pull the connector off and look inside the holes...


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Going to the dealer later today, hope they know what I am talking about? If you can somehow get the part number(s) of what you got I'd appreciate it. Otherwise explaining what I need should work.
thanks


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Just ask them to pull up the harness that goes to the coilpack and explain that you need one of the wires that goes in... should be good enough


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## ChEeZJeTTa04 (Jun 1, 2007)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

I think this might help....had to search my bookmarks. Scan the car and it should have something like Cylinder 1 Ignition Circuit: Open Circuit, of course all cylinders will be saying that in VAG.
http://forums.fourtitude.com/z...12519 
000 979 225 & 000 979 230 are wires
111 971 940 A & 357 972 741 B are seal and butt


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

How about this wire? Now there seems to be 3 diff. ones. The one I got is not 12ga. I am fairly sure.
1J0973726 I got.
http://www.worldimpex.com/part....html


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

that looks about right, mine the exact same size as the wiring I changed


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Either way, I am gonna go back with the part numbers above and see what they are. I need the rubber seal and butt connectors yet. I was in a hurry at the time. Its weird the codes are there but the cel only comes on and off rarely. Can't wait to get this over with. The wire I got is not 12ga., so there must be another one.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

So, slot 1 is the ground on an 03 2.0 AVH harness?
thanks


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

That is correct sir!


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

Ok, which one is the ground?


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

According to this I would say its the blackish thick one. HELP!


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Chart kind is confusing. If its brown I would say slot 6 next to the green/green wire.


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

It seems my end wires are opposite this chart I don't know.


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## ChEeZJeTTa04 (Jun 1, 2007)

its brown


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## nmjetha (Apr 24, 2009)

Done, runs like a champ. Should be good to go. 
thanks for all the help


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (nmjetha)*

Good to see you got it worked out!


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## Jynyatec (Feb 25, 2009)

Does anyone know if this applies to 99.5 with AEG 2.0. I am having the same issues?


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## seanmor (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (Jynyatec)*

I don't think the TSB applies to AEG but it probably couldn't hurt to re-run the ground.


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## Jynyatec (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks. When I get off work I am going to try and see if it solves my problem.


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## Brightgolf (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: (Jynyatec)*

what do you mean same issues? this tsb doesn't involve misfires... its just a check engine light.


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## ChEeZJeTTa04 (Jun 1, 2007)

*Re: (Brightgolf)*

so i got the wires from the dealer and made some progress. I couldn't remove the wire from the connector so I just cut the wire and used 2 butt connectors to connect the ground wire to the 2 wires I connected together. I was in a rush and broke the purple piece but it didn't matter bc I think all of the wires were glued in.
So far no CEL and I drove it like I stole the car......its funny now when my A/C cuts on the revs jump up... Car gets slow so I guess its back to normal http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## blauerruck13 (Apr 25, 2010)

*Do NOT cut the wire on terminal 6*

If you look at the diagram the terminal for the ground or "earth" (brown) wire is labeled T6a/1

T6a = the designation of the actual connector itself
/1 = the pin/terminal number of the wire in question

So you'd want to cut the (brown) wire coming out of terminal #1 of the connector.
On my 2003 jetta, this wire is ORANGE :facepalm:, _but_ it is still coming out of terminal #1


Also because there seems to be confusion, the black wire with purple stripe is the constant power feed into the coil pack. The color in the diagram is labeled sw/Il

sw = black
Il = violet

As there are so many freakin engine codes for vws, make sure you have the correct wiring diagram and double check it before you cut.

A side note on butt splices: The _proper_ way is to solder/shrinkwrap in a splice. Using the crimp style butt splices are effective but over the long term may weaken the wire and promote corrosion. Buy hey man, its your car, do whatever the hell you want.


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## bekjetta (Oct 1, 2012)

*This did not work for me*

I had the tsb ground wire done by the dealer when the car was still under warranty to solve the CEL and open ignition circuit codes. It helped for a while but for the last several years I constantly get the P1355, P1358, P1361, P1364 codes shortly after I clear them. Car runs fine though, and I have removed the battery plate and checked the wire and tightened the nut but the codes continue. It's original coilpack, nothing aftermarket on the car. Has anybody else had this tsb NOT work?


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## Maxx726 (May 30, 2012)

does this effect the 1.8t engines too? I have replaced the harness and only have the ground on top of the valve cover and has open circit codes/misfires, and 1.8t has a different coil pack wiring than the 2.0 please help have been trying to solve this since i replaced the harness a week ago..


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## Maxx726 (May 30, 2012)

anyon?


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## sneedham6 (May 9, 2010)

Actually just tried this repair and it didnt fix my faults........is it possible one of the other ground points under the battery might work better?


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