Re: '81's electrical woes...annoying its owner

["Dave Novak" <toastworks@hotmail.com>]

>     Hmm, this is totally unfamiliar to me.  Only thing I can think of is
>fuel pump relay (on my car) but I cant see it dying based on the amount
>of fuel you pumped into the cylinders.  You have idle stabilizer stuff?

No, there was no idle stabilizer on the old 1.7 (not in car anymore), but 
there is on the CIS-E 16v (and it works just peachy).

>     Bad coil?  Swap one out from a friends car, if you know anyone with
>an older VW.  Check the continuity of the wires that goto #1 and #15?
>Replace any of the sparkplug wires?

Tried that. Got a brand new one, and still nothing. I seriously think the 
problem is before the coil. Like, the wires in the cabin of the car, cause 
I've done all kinds of tests on the stuff in the engine compartment. And it 
all checks out fine.

>     Brian Honnold, HAHAH, there is part of your problem  =p  VROOM
>VROOM!!
>J/K...

I knew he was secretly trying to screw me up! haha! Seriously, tho, brian 
did help out a lot.. and I thank him for that. <sniff, sniff>

>     Hmm, ground strap to the tranny case from the battery?

Grounds are secure in the engine compartment. I spend like hanf an hour 
sanding all connections down to bare metal to make sure. hehe..

> > Normally, when the key is off, the parking lights, emergency flashers,
> > cigarette lighter, etc works. Normally, when the key switch is turned 
>on,
> > the fuel pump primes, computers turn on (idle stabilizer works), I can 
>use
> > the blinkers, headlights, windshield wiper, etc. Standard scirocco type
> > stuff.

Well, this was when the key was on. Like, the ignition was on, and as I 
moved some wires around, stuff went off, then on again.

>     defogger or flasher loom shouldnt have anything to do with that
>stuff.
>Focus on the wires to the ignition switch.  If you have multimeter you
>can test continuity while jiggling the wires around.  If it goes open
>then
>you know you have a problem there.

I was thinking that. I'm gonna hafta set aside a whole day and check the 
continuity of every single wire in that area. Yuck.

> > Can I scan the diagrams from an '81 Jetta and send them to you?
>     Yes you may, by all means, send them!

Ok.. I shall then, I'm not home now, but will ASAP.

>     The relay clicking on and off is rather bizarre.  Trying to think of
>relay that gets power without ignition...  Load reduction relay?  I
>would
>check main power wire from battery to fuse box (H terminal) to make sure
>its not down to a few strands or corroded.  Hopefully something comes
>of this email, other than my joke about Honnold  =p

Like I said, the relays would click as everything died and then click back 
on as everything again came to life. AS IF I were turning the ignition key 
on and off. Understand what I'm saying?

The relays that do come on are the Load Reduction Relay, and the Fuel Pump 
relay from the best I can tell.. cause, of course, the Bentley is wrong 
about my car. It's like a combination of '81 and '82 model years.. the 
electrical I mean. It's odd.

I'll get those scans to you.

-Dave

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