Breezy_Pete

More likely a problem with the drivers side motor module, in my opinion (if it isn't just wires with open/short circuits). I might possibly have one of the right part number you could test to see, let me know what's written on yours.

The window motors themselves contain the electronics modules. On earlier cars (post facelift mk1 to pre-facelift mk2) they had no data (LIN) connections to anything except each other across the car, but from facelift mk2 they also connect into the BCM. Not sure whether BCM or the driver's side module is the LIN master controller, it was the driver's side module in previous versions.

Another thing to bear in mind is that you may have a fault with the window motor module, despite it working sometimes/briefly. The type in your car is generally pretty cheap to find se condhand, but match part number exactly and preferably manufacture date as close as poss. to yours as parts list shows a few variants with (I speculate) different software versions.

It's the white connector, I've just found out.

Yep, that's it. Not sure if both of those connectors are 73 ways or not. Wiring diagram calls it 73b, as if there might be a 73a, but doesn't say anything about connector colour. Maybe best to find pin 17 on both of them, and see if the grey/white wire from pin 5 at the A-pillar gets to either?

Thanks all for the kind words and good ideas. One of my customers recently did also suggest that I should branch out and sell on ebay, Facebook etc. saying it had been quite hard to find me via here. I've only ever bought stuff, never sold, on eBay, but I have seen services offered so it could well be viable, but... There are quite a strict set of rules governing use of this section, intended to make sure the forum benefits, not just myself, fair enough. I think they expressly forbid various things like having a website dedicated to the same product, but I'm not sure how rigid they are. It may be time to stump up a bit of cash to become a forum sponsor or registered advertiser which would open things up to easier communication, maybe. I'll try to chat with @ColinD at some point when he has time to see what the options are.

If there are question marks about some of the wiring coming off the A-pillar connector, a good one to check for continuity is the grey/white wire that does the communication between window motors on each side of the car, and the BCM. If that is disrupted/shorting somewhere it might explain window woes. It goes from pin 5 of the 16 way connector at each front window motor to pin 5 of the door disconnect/A-pillar connectors each side, then also within the main dash loom, to pin 17 of a 73-way connector at the BCM.

As long as it connects to some metal somewhere it'll do the job.

Have just replied about that on your other thread.

If pin 16 of the A-pillar side of the door connection goes to chassis earth/battery negative, then that is OK. It meets with another earth wire somewhere within the loom behind the dash, and ends up at an earth bolt on the transmission tunnel.

Exposed copper on an earth/ground wire shouldn't generally be any problem, unless there's exposed copper on another wire that could short to it. On its own, if it shorts to metalwork, well that's earthed anyway, so shouldn't matter. But bring me up to speed on the general situation,please; you were talking about fitting another loom last time we chatted, has that happened? If this is another loom, is it the same part number including letters at the end?

I wasn't suggesting that he was wrong, just checking what exactly he'd tried.

You tried it? without opening door?

If you don't open the door, I think I'd expect the window controls to remain active for 10 minutes after engine off. Check whether that's true on your car.

Yes, my mistake, thanks. 100 other things got in the way of me doing the experiment. I think I misunderstood what you had initially tried here. Earlier when you talked about whether the gearbox speed sensor was doing speedo or not on your car, I thought maybe you'd disconnected it and found that your speedo still worked (despite ABS being nobbled), but odometer now didn't (or something). You never touched the gearbox sensor though, right? Both our cars (my 53 plate Polo, her 05 plate Fabia) just have the dummy in place of gearbox sensor, so must use ABS info.

Seems likely that internal resistance is the parameter that makes a difference. Affects the voltage available when under full load. Unloaded voltage doesn't tell you about this.

Might have a play about on my Polo later, though it has no gearbox speed sensor.

1991 Mk2 Golf, 1.6 carb. Consistently did high 40s mpg on my A-road commute of the time, never failed to get me where I wanted to go. Owned for quite a few happy years. Needed a bit of understanding to get and keep it running well, which led me to www-based car repair, clubgti.com, the inspirational 'rubjonny' and was the (late) start of my interest in car mending around 2000.

Is it just key in door central locking or radio remote too? Does the lights left on buzzer work if you open the driver's door with lights on and keys out of ignition? Pre- or post-facelift car? This makes a difference to the type of window motor modules fitted and whether the key-turned signal from the lock does or doesn't go through it.

The strip fuse, or..? I think there are two others, fuse 7 in engine bay and fuse 25 in cabin. Not sure what 'subdivison of labour' there is, but at a guess (based on the fault description 'return flow pump" that comes when strip fuse cracks, I reckon it might be as follows: 40A strip fuse - return flow pump power 30A blade fuse - all the 'brain' electronics and flow control solenoids 5A cabin (ignition only) fuse - probably just a 'wake up, he's going somewhere' signal. In other words, parts of the ABS system may still be alive and working, except the ability to actually reduce the brake effort via the pump (the noticeable one).

'Fraid I can't remember whether dipstick was in or out when that photo was taken. Vaguest of recollections that it stuck out a bit beyond, but not sure.

OK, so a mk2 Fabia, but same applies. Don't think I can assist any further.

J285 is cluster.

What year is the car? As I said, rpm data gets to cluster by CAN; VCU has CAN connections to every other module that uses CAN.