Felicia Steering column shroud - head/dipped stalk

[Sympol]

Hi,

 

Another problem with the car is that I have only dipped main beams. Moving the stalk on the steeruing column forwards doesn't do anything, but pulling back on the stalk does activate both main beams and the indicator lamp in the instrument panel. I'm assuming that as the main beams work in this mode, the problem is likely to be the stalk itself.

 

I have removed the lower steering column shroud, but cannot see a way of getting to the stalk without removing the upper shroud, and this has got me beat just now.

 

Any helpful tips on gaining access to the stalk and/or tests I can do to ensure that is the problem? As the main beams do work when flashing the headlights, I've assumed both globes are OK and the fuses, but I've checked these just in case - all seems fine.

 

Any help greatly appreciated

 

Thanks, Sympol from Sweden

[RicardoM]

The (high beam / dip beam / side lights) combo switch is a common faulty part.

If you can't take out the upper cover of the steering wheel, look under the steering column. You'll see 2 metallic brackets hold by 4 bolts. Loosen them and you'll have more room to slide out the upper cover.

[Sympol]

Thanks for the reply. So the top cover just slides out once the lower cover is removed? I was a bit wary of unscrewing anything around the steering because of the airbag - first time I've had a car with such advanced safety equipment

[RicardoM]

Thanks for the reply. So the top cover just slides out once the lower cover is removed?

1. Remove steering wheel

2. Remove lower cover

3. Remove upper cover

4. Remove/replace combo switch

5. Install in reverse order

 

About the airbag: it's not like you can't breathe around it in fear of an explosion. Just disconnect the battery negative cable first and wait 1 minute. Now you're good to go.

[Sympol]

Damn! I was hoping not to have to remove the steering wheel :(   I guess that's not an easy job either. Have to check around the forums to see if there's a description. May as well disconnect the battery and do a search....

Thanks for the help

[RicardoM]

Any Skoda Felicia forum in Sweden?

 

I have uploaded for you all documentation you need for the job.

 

http://www51.zippyshare.com/v/mGOg4nBr/file.html

Edited 5 June, 2015 by RicardoM

[Sympol]

Hi Ricardo,

 

Haven't found any Skoda forums in Sweden, but I've only had the car for a few days and the main aim is to get it through the Swedish MOT equivalent. I'll search around the internet later.

 

I tried to download the file you uploaded but each time I try, I get the message 'Blocked - may contain a virus or spyware - zippyshare....'

 

I did find another post http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/134626-steering-wheel-change-airbag/ which may help me, however. Thanks for trying!

[Sympol]

OK, I've managed to unblock the file download and can now browse through the documents you supplied- thanks very much for the comprehensive info - I'll give it a go after lunch if this heavy rain ever stops :(

[RicardoM]

I tried to download the file you uploaded but each time I try, I get the message 'Blocked - may contain a virus or spyware - zippyshare....'

That message is a typical FALSE positive displayed by low quality, free or cheap antivirus software that nag PC users with invented paranoid dangers...

I am glad you realized that and found the PDF files inside.

 

By the way, I have been using ESET Smart Security for 8 years as firewall / antivirus / antispyware without any problem.

[Sympol]

OK, now I've got the steering wheel/airbag etc. removed - bit of a pain with the top cover as I had to slacken the steering column bolts enough to lower the column to get the top cover off. Next question - does anyone know which connectors are which on the back of the switch? I'd like to do some basic continuity testing with a multimeter before replacing the switch just to be sure the fault is there and not in the wiring somewhere else...

[Sympol]

Am I right in thinking that there is no relay for the main beams? The stalk switch appears to be OK, both fuses are fine for the L & R main beams (nos 9 and 10 according to my fuse box layout) but I just can't get main beams to work from the stalk pushing forward, although the main beams will flash when I pull back on the stalk...

[RicardoM]

stalk = lever

 

Am I right in thinking that there is no relay for the main beams?..

No, you're wrong. Main beams are controlled by relay R1 (bottom left in relay box)

Here you have the connections needed. I highly encourage you to try repair the switch if faulty. Take photos if you open the switch and repair it then share with us your experience.

[Sympol]

Thanks again Ricardo.

 

It seems for my switch that when moving to the high beam position, I'm not getting a connection between 30 and 56a, although 56 and 56b are disconnected. Opening up the switch it looks like the copper arm which is supposed to press down across contacts 30 and 56a is not getting moved sufficiently to make the connection. I'm trying to bend the arm inside the switch to ensure a firmer contact, but haven't had any luck so far. Here are links to a couple of fuzzy photos taken with my ancient mobile phone which show the internals of the switch - you can see the copper arm connecting (supposedly) 30 and 56a which I'm trying to bend down.

http://www69.zippyshare.com/v/yu1eKO7U/file.html

http://www69.zippyshare.com/v/gm77opxe/file.html

 

The relay R1 in the fuse box, does that control both main and dipped beams?

 

Thanks again for your help. much appreciated...

[RicardoM]

 I was hoping for much better quality photos. I think nobody on this forum ever seen the inside of this combo switch or how to repair it. People bought a new switch (not cheap) although it might have been easy to repair. You have the chance to show us how to repair it. I could tell you what to do, but the photos are indeed very fuzzy. Please take better photos in good light and sharp focus. Don't you have a photo camera? or borrow one?

 

The relay R1 in the fuse box, does that control both main and dipped beams?

Yes, it does control both but in turn, according to lever position, see below.

Edited 7 June, 2015 by RicardoM

[Sympol]

Thanks for the reply - sorry my photos were so poor, but that's the only camera I have at the moment. I'll try to borrow a better quality camera and dismantle the switch again...

 

I've cleaned the switch with contact cleaner and reassembled it on the car. I now have 2 problems:

 

I now have both high and dipped beams operated by the switch, but they seem to be back to front to what I expected - high beam is in the 'normal' position and dipped is when I push forward on the stalk. This means that when I attempt to flash the headlights by pulling back on the stalk, it doesn't have any effect, as the high beams are on anyway.

 

The second problem is down to my own stupidity in that I accidentally forgot to reconnect the airbag before reconnecting the battery negative with the ignition switched on. Now of course the air bag warning light is on - it comes on for around 3-4 seconds, blinks once and then remains on. Is there a way to reset this simply?

 

Appreciate your time and patience...

[CrazyRed]

If it's any help, I have a 1999 Mk2 Felicia in a garage that I'm breaking for spares.....

[RicardoM]

Thanks for the reply - sorry my photos were so poor, but that's the only camera I have at the moment. I'll try to borrow a better quality camera and dismantle the switch again...

 

It looks like you need to open it anyway since you have main and dip beams backwards...

You should install the combo switch only after you tested the connections and they are as indicated.

You probably overdid the bending of those contacts. Sorry I can't tell you for sure, it is new for me too what is inside that switch.

 

The airbag light can be reset with a VAG-COM scanner. Till then the airbag is not operational.

[Sympol]

OK, here's an update. Today I bought a second hand stalk from a wreckers yard - just £10. When I got home I checked the pin connections with the multimeter - the results were the same as for the original switch before I dismantled it and played around with it...

 

I removed the revised switch from the car again and replaced it with the new one from the wreckers yard. It seemed that the original problem of no main beam was still there with this switch, but then I played around with the other lighting switches not on the steering column - ie the light switch and the sidelight switch (items 120 and 121 from Ricardo's excellent circuit diagram. It seems that there is a special combination of these switches which allow the lights to work as I expected - no sidelights and headlights on. Then the stalk functions as I expected. However, with other combinations of these two switches, all I get is dipped beam and no effect at all if I push the stalk to the high beam position; the dipped beam is constant regardless of the stalk position. I guess I should read the owner's manual more carefully...

 

I've had another go a taking a picture of the inside of the stalk switch but I'm afraid my photography skills are not so good. Here's the link to another shot of the inside of the switch with the snap on cover removed

http://www75.zippyshare.com/v/NYXtrB2f/file.html

 

As regards the airbag warning light, I presume this is something that a Skoda dealer will need to reset for me? Although I've seen on the internet that the warning lamp can be cleared on some cars by a combination of switching the ignition on and off a varying number of times and for varying periods of times. Perhaps this trick doesn't work on Skodas? The YouTube clips I've seen seemed to be for Nissans etc.

 

It appears possible to get a VAG-COM cable and the relevant Windows software for a small sum - has anyone any experience of this on a Felicia - or should I raise another topic, perhaps?

 

At least I'm beginning to understand a bit more about the lighting set up on my new second-hand Felicia..,.

 

And CrazyRed, As you're based in Kent and I'm in Sweden, it doesn't seem as though it would be worth the trouble of shipping parts here when there seems to be a reasonable amount of Felicia spares available from wreckers yards. But thanks for the thought - if I get really stuck I may come back to you...

[RicardoM]

The 'special' combination of switches is this:

• side lights switch ON - nothing works without it to ON position, except flash lights
• ignition key ON
• dip beams switch ON

Only now the left lever can switch main beams ON when pushed towards the dash. That makes me think there might be something wrong with side lights or dip beams switch...

 

The Skoda dealer can reset the airbag light. Probably not for free. AFAIK the reset procedure you saw on youtube is not good on any VAG car. The cheap VAG-COM scanners you saw are Chinese clones of the original VAG-COM made by RossTech. It is forbidden to ask publicly about those clones.

 

PS Very good the last photo of one side of the combo switch.

Edited 8 June, 2015 by RicardoM