Multiple Electric Issues

So I have been trying to track down an issue where my clock and trip randomly reset. Majority of the time when they reset is when I shut off the car and remove the key. But now I am finding more issues popping up. I get the 3 beeps for the low oil pressure, but no lights and oil is fine, this happens about every trip in the car, usually in the first 5 mins. Then when the car auto locks the doors after you drive for a bit, mine is actually unlocking all the doors. I have checked fuses and they are all fine, but when I just touched #42 for the radio, it turned off my cluster. Also I noticed I have a 5amp fuse in #37 when my schematic calls for a 10. So far I have only replaced the fuse block on top of the battery and the alternator cable, because it was insulation was gone causing it to melt the box. And I have cleaned the grounds under the battery, which I had one rusted out that instantly broke. After I did that it reduced how often my cluster would reset, but now I am back to every time I remove the key. Any ideas?

Have you had a heater core go bad or is it leaking? I bet its leaking cause massive corrosion on things.

Check ALL of your ground connections, not just those under the battery.

Oh also I forgot to mention, at night while on the highway, if I turn anything on, roll down window, turn signals, even hitting brakes, my headlights basically turn off until i stop. After this started happening, I was going to replace alternator and battery cables, then I'm planning on pulling the dash and checking all wiring

As said above, check grounds and battery connections and condition.
Also check the fuse sockets on top of the battery. Then ignition switch.

2X on checking the grounds.

"my headlights basically turn off until I stop"
With the car running measure the voltage from the negative post of the battery (not the clamp) to the brown wire (ground) of the headlights. I would not want to see more then a few tenths of a volt.

If the above voltage is low then check if you still have 12 volts to the head lights.

Does anyone have that Bentley page a little more clear and readable?

blakeb said:

Does anyone have that Bentley page a little more clear and readable?

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Clique aqui:

It's almost certainly the battery and/or charging. First thing to check is all the connects for that stuff.

I had a fan control module that wreaked havoc with just about everything in the car. Worth considering after you do the grounds as mentioned above.

I have finally got a chance to get the car into the garage. I have pulled and cleaned all the grounds and applied som dielectric grease too. The rest of my grounds all looked good, nothing loose, corroded or anything but I for my ground 609, the one by the cabin air filter, I had nothing attached to it. I have the dash all pulled now looking to see if the heater core has leaked on some wires and im not finding anything, everything is looking good under there.

If the problem persists, then ignition switch.

I replaced the ignition switch and pulled mine apart and everything still looks good on the inside. I am leaning towards it being another issue

Google “Coolant Migration”
It might pertain to the earlier cars but some of the coolant balls would leak, unplug the wire harness at the ball and trace the wire see if you see any coolant in the harness at all


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Probably not the problem here, but I agree with the 'bad ground' suggestions.

On my '97, I have a corroded connector to one of the taillight assemblies (from a leak years ago, taillight replaced). This requires periodic dis- and re-connecting. Problems that connector has caused have included:
a) turn signal not working when I step on the brake - that makes sense -taillight
b) engine refusing to shut down in reverse gear (manual tranny). Backup light interfering with shutdown solenoid. When my local (non dealer) VW shop owner zeroed in on that one (by phone) I knew I had the right guy for working on my VWs!

Sorry- off-topic, but it does reinforce the idea that VWs can have electrical problems - broken wires, bad connectors, etc - It was the same on our 95 Passat. Still holding my breath on the 'new' (2012-13) cars!

I dont believe its a coolant migration issue. my cluster connection pins look brand new and I have had eyes on my heater core and no leaks coming from it either.

blakeb said:

I dont believe its a coolant migration issue. my cluster connection pins look brand new and I have had eyes on my heater core and no leaks coming from it either.

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Ok
Just a thought


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blakeb said:

Majority of the time when they reset is when I shut off the car and remove the key.

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Had to re-read the original post.

Does the time reset when you shut the car or when you remove the key?
I'm thinking when you remove the key.

When you remove the key do the dome lights come on and are they bright?

The radio (also mentioned touching the fuse) and the dome lights both ground to the body.
Check the ground behind the dash and the one behind the drivers left kick panel.

Try removing fuse 14. Interior lights, central locking system (10A).
See if the clock resets.

wonneber said:

Had to re-read the original post.
Does the time reset when you shut the car or when you remove the key?
I'm thinking when you remove the key.
When you remove the key do the dome lights come on and are they bright?
The radio (also mentioned touching the fuse) and the dome lights both ground to the body.
Check the ground behind the dash and the one behind the drivers left kick panel.
Try removing fuse 14. Interior lights, central locking system (10A).
See if the clock resets.

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clock and trip both reset, when the key is removed after the car is turned off. so car is not running, key can be inserted and removed and it doesnt reset. only after turning off the car and removing the key and right as the key leaves the ignition, they reset. I haven't noticed any difference in the dome lights. Car is driven about 95% during the day, but I currently have it disassembled to find the issue. I've already checked and cleaned those grounds and there wasn't anything that looked obviously wrong with them. If I remember right, when I went through all the fuses to rule that out the only fuses that reset the clock/trip was #15 and when I touched #37 radio and not remove it.

Just touching fuse#37 caused a reset?
Wiggling/touching shouldn't do much, I think.
Substitute a new fuse?
I'd check the back of the fuse block where the wires insert-looking for loose/corroded/broken wire or terminal, also DeOxit or similar on that fuse connection.

yes, just me touching the fuse going to pull it caused a reset of the cluster. I replaced that fuse and #15 and a few others that looked a little corroded too. I looked over the fuse block and it looks fine but I will do a thorough once through

blakeb said:

yes, just me touching the fuse going to pull it caused a reset of the cluster. I replaced that fuse and #15 and a few others that looked a little corroded too. I looked over the fuse block and it looks fine but I will do a thorough once through

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^this makes me think you still have a bad grounding issue. Might be corrosion or partial break in a wire if the terminal sites look good. You need to look carefully.

ToxicDoc said:

^this makes me think you still have a bad grounding issue. Might be corrosion or partial break in a wire if the terminal sites look good. You need to look carefully.

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I've redone all of the grounds, only had one rusted under the battery that I fixed a few months back. The only other issue with the grounds that I saw was that I did not have any wires going to the ground by the air cabin cleaner.

blakeb said:

I've redone all of the grounds, only had one rusted under the battery that I fixed a few months back. The only other issue with the grounds that I saw was that I did not have any wires going to the ground by the air cabin cleaner.

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You ran new wire or cleaned up the end? That's what I mean - you can have a good end/terminal connection but still a poor ground wire. Also check any harness plugs for corrosion too.

No, I am cleaning up the terminal end of the grounds with a wire brush, cleaning the contact point on the body and the terminal nut, putting some dielectric grease on each point of contact and bolting it back up.