ASV issues

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
TDI
2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
My asv has started flicking open and shut while the engine is running, had to disconnect the vac pipe so I can drive it.
Also noticed it's doing nothing when I shut the engine off lol

Am I right in thinking it's probably a dodgy solenoid valve?

Or is there something else I should look at?

Cheers
 

wonneber

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Location
Monroe, NY, USA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
I would tee in a vacuum gauge to see if it's getting vacuum while the engine is running.
It shouldn't.
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
TDI
2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
For anyone else having this issue I found a broken wire about 8 inches along from the plug for the asv solenoid.

Cheers
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
Good find! I believe at least half these control issues we see are electric. Many of our cars are getting close to 20 years and the small wire VW used is really small.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
Good find! I believe at least half these control issues we see are electric. Many of our cars are getting close to 20 years and the small wire VW used is really small.
Are these as small as the seat heater thermistor wires?

It's a bit scary thinking about this. I just picked up a 24 year-old Dodge Cummins (12v) because there is ZERO electronics/electrical controls to have to worry about (other than air pre-heater). That was the same with my, now dead, 93 F250 IDI. Still, these ALHs and their aging electrical systems are worth it: just need to know what to watch for.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
I can understand the ASV not functioning due to a broken wire, but flipping off and on makes me think there is something else involved. If the ECU is not sending a signal down that wire, the ASV nor the ECU have a clue the wire is broke or shorted-out.

What am I missing.

As for wires being able to carry the current. If you are familiar with the Relay 109 circuits, you can relate to this story. When I stripped the wiring harness to customize for the ALH install in my 84 Vanagon, I was surprised to find a very bad mistake from the factory. There are two Blue wires that provide current to various circuits via the Relay 109. Well, one of those Blue wires is a 4.0. The other is something like 1.0 or smaller... well, they were reversed to the locations on the fuse panel. However, there was no indication that the smaller wire had been hot or had distorted insulation due to heat!
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
Andy, that's a bit scary! Once had an old Volvo that someone had (tried to?) wired up trailer lights on and there was one add-on wire that was labeled "?"! Later found an add-on wire with totally burned off insulation further up in the dash; fortunately it didn't detonate any of the factory wiring.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Yeah, I posted a pic of the back of the Fuse Panel in my build thread showing the screw-up!

In the link below, scroll down to Post #11 and take a look at the pic. Read the narrative carefully and confirm by looking at the pic (and trust me, it was a screw-up)..

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=276798
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
So, color doesn't indicate wire size?:rolleyes:

Just fought with some trailer wiring. PO had used mostly the correct colors BUT had them going to different functions! (green was running lights, should have been for the right(?) signal, and brown, which is supposed to be the color for running lights, was going to something else-). Makes things really confusing. Kind of like having the words for the names of colors written in different colors ("RED" is written in blue ink, "BLUE" written in red ink etc, etc.).
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Yeah, in these VWs the wiring, black (and red) are hot, while brown is always for ground. Yellow/Black is used for the X circuits. X circuits are accessory circuits that are hot when the ignition is ON but are not hot during the Start Position of the ignition (lights, AC, fan, etc.).

The Relay 109 gets it's power for distribution from that big 4.0 red and lilac wire. When the ignition is turned ON, the power is distributed out through the 4.0 and 1.0 Blue wires to fused circuits.

Generally, those controls, sensors, etc., that only receive or pass a signal are 0.5 in size and I have no clue what the rationale is for their color scheme!
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
TDI
2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
I can understand the ASV not functioning due to a broken wire, but flipping off and on makes me think there is something else involved. If the ECU is not sending a signal down that wire, the ASV nor the ECU have a clue the wire is broke or shorted-out.

What am I missing.

I think the ends of the wires at the break were maybe hitting against each other causing the weird behaviour, since I repaired the wiring it's been perfect.

Super skinny gauge wire too but I've still got about a 1/4 of a complete loom in a bag under the bed, my side of the bed of course, wouldn't want to take up valuable shoe space on the wife's side! :D
 
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