OK - I'm confused. My radio died whilst traversing a flooded road yesterday so I assumed something got damp and fuse 45 had blown. Yet it's actually OK, and even swapped with another fuse - radio still dead, and all 4 gauges dead (which get their power from the same source)

Any ideas where I can go looking? Going to vagcom the car now for any clues, but not holding my hopes up.

Could be like you said cable could be damp/wet dose your head unit have it's own fuse?

Checked the 10A fuse on the radio, and that was fine. It's currently hanging out the dash whilst I await my mate to bring home a voltmeter from his garage tonight. Damnit!

Trying mentally to think how wet could affect it, and the only clue is my sensor for the oil temp is on the sump, but that's sealed off as far as I know. Wondering whether anything under the bonnet got a bit too wet, but my logic cannot think what it might be....

Is the fuse in the headunit ok? Im assuming it will be as the gauges dont light up either. Need to see if you have a live a the headunit (assume not) and then work back to the fusebox. VAG COM more than likely wont help you ans it wont be linked to self diagnostics.

Is the fuse in the headunit ok? Im assuming it will be as the gauges dont light up either. Need to see if you have a live a the headunit (assume not) and then work back to the fusebox. VAG COM more than likely wont help you ans it wont be linked to self diagnostics.

vagcom didn't although it did flag up a new intermittent fault about an implausible signal in section 46 - car seems ok so not fussed. I think the switched live is fine though as other elements which turn on/off with the ignition are working fine.

Will set to work with the voltmeter. It's worth mentioning that when it died, I was not actually going through a flood. I was merely driving along in the heavy rain / puddles.

I'm wondering whether any damp got in to the fuses/wiring that sits where my battery used to be, but I can't see how as the arch liner / battery cover remnants cover it pretty well.

vagcom didn't although it did flag up a new intermittent fault about an implausible signal in section 46 - car seems ok so not fussed. I think the switched live is fine though as other elements which turn on/off with the ignition are working fine.

Will set to work with the voltmeter. It's worth mentioning that when it died, I was not actually going through a flood. I was merely driving along in the heavy rain / puddles.

I'm wondering whether any damp got in to the fuses/wiring that sits where my battery used to be, but I can't see how as the arch liner / battery cover remnants cover it pretty well.

Water itself would not blow a fuse, but might short out some electronics which could blow a fuse.

Radiotwo

Have you checked the main fuses on top of the battery altought i always thought if one of the strip fuses blew the whole car would grind to a holt

is power getting to the fuse?

Power is getting to the fuse. It's very odd and one which has flummoxed even my mechanic mate. Might end up getting a new pioneer loom, and re-doing the wiring for the gauges, as it's a bit of a mess in places.

Do they all share a common grounding point? Could be that.

Have you physically changed the fuse for another? or checked the continuity on it? sometimes they look ok but are gubbed.

I did swap the fuse out. One result of the voltmeter testing was that the radio loom was a bit foooooked anyway, so going to be getting another one. When the wiring which supplied the gauges was given 12v, they all came on, but the EGT gauge shot up to the maximum setting which I think means it's not earthed. The car is going in for "maintenance" over the next couple of days and I'm borowing a motor for work next week. All being well, the wiring will be gutted out and re-done, the control box for the EGT gauge will be looked at (as it's in the engine bay) and the hole on the side of my car, and the split in the back bumper, repaired.