Please help before I drive my car off the cliff!

My 2005 Fabia 1.4tdi is having several electrical probs. After my kid was found messing with the electric window switch lots of the electrics have packed up inc. windows, mirrors, blower, both fog lights, the air con and the rear wiper. My MPG computer also resets every 2-3 hours. I checked all the relevant fuses and main earths on battery box - All looked fine so I took it to local garage with VAG diagnostic - the only thing that showed up was that the radio antenna was open circuit.

I have had the problem for 1 month now and on very rare occasions I get the use of the electric windows back (for a few minutes) but nothing else. I can also open and close my windows using the key in the door technique.

I have searched the internet for similar problems with Fabia's, Polo's and Ibiza's but can find nothing. I am thinking of changing the convenience control unit but only because I have no other ideas!

If anyone can throw any light on the problem please do as I'm getting a bit desperate and really, really don't want to go to Skoda!

Cheers

Find someone local with vcds to scan the car for faults.

Thanks for the suggestion Gadgetman. Can you tell me what the difference is between VCDS and VAG com?

Thanks for the suggestion Gadgetman. Can you tell me what the difference is between VCDS and VAG com?

Only the name. It was changed from VAG COM to VCDS, due to a certain car company taking exception to it.

Celtic tuning were king enough to run a VAG com diagnostic for me which only showed an open circuit radio antenna - Does anybody know if there is a diagnostic tool which 'probes' further and might find something?

Have you tried disconnecting the battery? Might reboot something.

I disconnected the battery overnight on advice from the guy at Celtic Tuning but to no avail. I wonder if I'm going to need an auto electrician for this one as I'm running out of ideas.

Feeling pretty gutted as this is the first 'decent' car we've owned - It's only done 55k miles and has FSH mainly form Skoda.

My guess would be the X-contact relief relay under the dash, above the pedals, or the ignition switch.

The relay is in position 11 which is the 2nd relay on the bottom row.

Thanks for that. I'll go and have a look now as I've got the dash all off this morning looking for the convenience control unit.

I've seen that relay mentioned in the wiring diagrams in Haynes manual - could it be the relay that shuts off stuff when the car is started?

My 2nd, possibly daft, suggestion. Disconnect the window switch(es) that was(were) being played about with and try everything else. If no go, disconnect the battery again with the switch disconnected, reconnect the battery still with the switch disconnected and try again.

A further thought is to pull the fuses individually on each circuit and try the other items.

You may be able to find which item/circuit that causing the problem.

Thanks for that. I'll go and have a look now as I've got the dash all off this morning looking for the convenience control unit.

I've seen that relay mentioned in the wiring diagrams in Haynes manual - could it be the relay that shuts off stuff when the car is started?

It's a common error for this relay or the ignition switch to fail intermittantly.

The heater blower circuit path is very simple.

Battery

Main electronics fuse (110A at battery) - if this had blown you would have nothing

Relief relay

Fuse just for blower motor - if this had blown it would just affect the blower

Blower motor

Earth - the fogs have a different earth to the blower motor

The relay is coil is fed direct from the ignition switch.

rwbaldwin you are a legend!! Pulled out the relay and tested it - nothing. Pulled one out of my Iveco campervan and put it in and everything works. Thanks very much. It will be good to be able to see where we are going and not have to use the force to avoid obstacles!

Better go and put the car back together. Thanks again.