Hi All.

 

I have an issue with the missus car at the moment. She came out to it one morning and it just turned and turned and turned over with out firing. She has been driving the kids around in my 2000 passat estate with spongey brakes for the past week, which is not ideal! I am used to it for now.

 

I have traced it to the 370 Relay in the fuse/Relay box under the bonnet. It is a four pin relay which has a normally open contact that is activated by an ignition controlled switched earth. I have been driving it to work by twisting a piece of wire around the two pins of the relay that need contact and shoving it in the holes before I start it and take it out so it wont drain the battery after I stop. So all is well once the two pins of the relay are bridged.

 

I have checked voltages at the pin holes where the relay connects into. On the two pins that activate the coil in the relay I have a constant positive at one and a switched earth at the other but the positive terminal reads 12.7V the earth reads 11.4V when tested back directly to the battery. When the ignition is off there is no connection to earth

. 

The other two pins, one is permanently live and the other is only live when i bridge the terminals over.

So it seems the switched earth to the relay isnt getting the right connection. One thing i would really want to know is where is this switched earth coming from that is is making a connection but not the correct one. Is it directly connected to the ignition switch or some other relay??? Also would the relay actually need exactly 12 or above volts to activate??

 

I initially changed the relay thinking it was a dodgy relay but no. Also i have activated the coil of the relay by connecting it across the battery. 

 

Some body please help!! I really dont want to bring this to the garage. I fix everything on our cars myself along with all the familys cars so I will not let this defeat me. Plus id like to get my 110bhp passat back for work it has cruise control and does the 550 mile weekly trips for about €20 less.

Edited 28 February, 201610 yr by TommyIRL

Ignition switches are very common (these logs faults) but also the ebox itself can give issues. Undo the torx screw in the middle, lift it up and check for water ingress.

Ignition switches are very common (these logs faults) but also the ebox itself can give issues. Undo the torx screw in the middle, lift it up and check for water ingress.

done that this evening. bone dry and no corrosion what so ever. i might try the ignition switch next. thanks

Can anybody tell me where the earthing points are on this car so i can clean them all and see if that is the problem