Back again with more electrics help requested 😬

 

I’m working through issues, of which there are many (for whole sorry list see this thread) and due to worsening tailgate malfunctions, decided to check the hinge loom after learning how common it is for the door ones to break.

 

Checked the top/boot lid end first - all seemed OK 

 

 

though the rubber boot itself seemed to have been put back badly at some point so the edge was tucked under

 

 

and I can see what could be signs of wear on the black wrap:

 

 

But then the roof end…

 

 

two wires properly broken. One brown, one black.

 

Different angle, and I can see the other part of the black one but not the brown one.

 

 
 

Questions!

 

- anyone know what the brown and black ones connect to? I know what I think they probably are based on what’s stopped working completely, but there are now more than 2 things in that category 🤔 

 

- assuming I could even find the other end of the brown one, is it worth attempting splicing and insulating? 

 

- or is this a whole new loom replacement situation? 

- in which case, is this the point at which I admit defeat and smash the piggy bank, or is it possible for a DIYer (with a trim removal tool kit 😂) who likes to learn but has mostly left electrics alone til recently..? 

 

Oh, and finally…

 

Could this issue - which is now causing light flickers and other weird behaviour whenever I open or close the boot, also be responsible for only being able to cut the engine with the headlight control, if I’ve been driving with lights on..?! Or is that yet another different thing?  (I’ll start a thread about it if so, to help others searching in the future…)
 

Paging the magnificent @Breezy_Pete and @UrbanPanzer who have been brilliant with advice and signposting in the past.

NB I have searched the forum and wider t’internet but I can find little useful about boot looms, it’s all about the very common driver and passenger door loom issues. 

 

Brown is generally an earth, black usually an ignition switched 12V.

I'd just be pulling (firmly) all the other ones emerging from there, hoping that will bring the brown out.

Wherabouts in the UK are you?

Thank you!

 

I did start to go looking for wiring diagrams, but there are some I can decipher, and some I don't (yet) have the skills to work out, so I stopped in favour of going to the Skoda Hivemind first. 

I'm definitely quite restrained with cabling, as it feels risky to really yank something if I don't know what the consequences will be! The rubber boots are a right pain in the arse to move out of the way, without an extra pair of hands. Should probably find something to use as a clamp. 

 

If the brown is an earth, though, am I right in thinking that could be the cause of all sorts of other random electrical behaviour..?

Edited 12 January, 20233 yr by MijIsTired

18 minutes ago, MijIsTired said:

If the brown is an earth, though, am I right in thinking that could be the cause of all sorts of other random electrical behaviour..?

Yep.

 

Copper wiring is very ductile, so should stretch for a long way before it breaks in tension. 

 

The black large (2.5mm²) wire is the feed & earth to the rear window heater..........

 

If it's a smaller black wire (1mm²) then thats the fused feed (fuse 26)  to the rear wiper motor

 

Cannot tell the size of the brown, but the largest one in that loom is the earth / ground for the rear wiper motor.

 

Also looking at the attached image...........is the red / grey wire not broke as well ?? .........This is the feed to the RIGHT number plate light

 

 

 

 

 

Also, behind the LEFT side boot trim is where the boot loom connects to the body loom, releasing that connector "may" if needs be give you some play at the top end where the rubber boot is......

 

 

Edited 12 January, 20233 yr by UrbanPanzer

On 12/01/2023 at 11:28, UrbanPanzer said:

The black large (2.5mm²) wire is the feed & earth to the rear window heater..........

Which is properly broken, so sounds bang on. 
 

On 12/01/2023 at 11:28, UrbanPanzer said:

 

If it's a smaller black wire (1mm²) then thats the fused feed (fuse 26)  to the rear wiper motor

 

Well that was erratic/haunted for ages and now has given up completely. So maybe both..? Or perhaps what you next say...
 

On 12/01/2023 at 11:28, UrbanPanzer said:

 

Cannot tell the size of the brown, but the largest one in that loom is the earth / ground for the rear wiper motor.

 

As per above. Hoping fixing the brown, will stop a few other things throwing electrical paddies too...
 

On 12/01/2023 at 11:28, UrbanPanzer said:

 

Also looking at the attached image...........is the red / grey wire not broke as well ?? .........This is the feed to the RIGHT number plate light

 

You absolute legend. Hadn't spotted that, it was dusk when I looked and didn't have enough hands to get quite enough light tin the right place with a torch (forgetting I own a head torch, FFS...)

YES it's the right hand number plate light that still didn't come on when I changed the bulb. 
 

On 12/01/2023 at 11:28, UrbanPanzer said:

 

 

 

 

 

Also, behind the LEFT side boot trim is where the boot loom connects to the body loom, releasing that connector "may" if needs be give you some play at the top end where the rubber boot is......

 

God, what would I do without yous lot..?
 

On 12/01/2023 at 11:28, UrbanPanzer said:

 

 

Had a bit of pile-on of unexpected emergency jobs since I posted, but hoping to start to tackle this in dribs and drabs. 

I've bought myself a variety box of terminal connectors and butts (all hail Toolstation), so hoping to be able to rejoin & insulate without having to replace my MIA soldering iron.

 

On 12/01/2023 at 11:12, Breezy_Pete said:

Yep.

 

Copper wiring is very ductile, so should stretch for a long way before it breaks in tension. 

 

Thanks, really useful to hear. I'm a bit timid with electrics. 

That plus @UrbanPanzer's intel re the coupling station I'm hoping will give me enough play to sort it. 

Discovered not 3 but 5 broken wires in total:

- Thicker - one black (heated rear window), one brown (earth), which I knew about

- red/grey as spotted by UrbanPanzer - right number plate light. 

and now also

- red/green - 

- red/black

Managed to connect the broken earth, but it was a right struggle. It’s a combination of being in an awkward place and tools (like strippers/crimpers) being bigger than there’s space around or between the wires. It’s not a pretty fix, but at least it’s stopped some of the worst of the erratic behaviour.
 

I did what UrbanPanzer suggested (such a useful guy) and went behind the rear left trim of the boot, and unclipped the coupler to see if it allowed me to pull through a bit more of the loom. It didn’t at first as that end of the earth lead has little play in it, but doing that, _and_ disconnecting the luggage compartment light _and_ releasing the two other little black bodywork clips holding the cables in place on their journey towards the roof did help.

 

 

⬆️ coupling station and disconnected luggage compartment light.

 

First black clip - squeezed with pliers to push into bodywork to free up. 
 

⬆️ Second one, higher up. They’re going to be a right pain to get back in. 

 

Had to use a variety of repurposed objects available (like bulldog clips) to keep the hinge bellows compressed and as far out of the way as possible, to improve access to wires. 
 

Joined the number plate wire today, to see what doing the smaller one was like. Fiddly, but managed it.

 

Fairly sure it’s going to get harder each time as there’s less and less room. 

Sounds like your working well through it

 

Remember, if its "easier" than re-connecting the actual wires back together at the break, you could add small sections or even long sections of wire into the loom to help with space etc when connecting them back up.

Life with a capital L has held up further progress. Getting back on it this weekend though.

My dad has sent me over some heat shrink tubing to put his mind at ease that I'm not going to rely on soldering and insulation tape. Bless him. 

Crankcase breather elbow arrived finally, so going to divert to do that too. 

Never ending, innit. 

Edited 7 February, 20233 yr by MijIsTired
added missing word for clarity.

Anyone know the amps a heated rear window pulls? Fuse is 25amp (according to Haynes diagram). 

About to tackle the rejoining of its 2.4mm black wire, but the internet has failed me re if I need a 17 or 27amp wire. And it's the one that I don't think I'm going to be able to have enough slack to achieve sufficient overlap for splicing. 

I've got offcuts from my local friendly auto-electrician to play with (cos I could only find lengths of 3.5m-100m to buy new) but he was too busy to get into a conversation about anything other than I was free to take whatever I fancied from his spare cable treasure trove. 

 

I remember the principle of using the lowest rating fuse so it's actually useful for safety, but is the opposite true of cable? Use the higher one if there's room, to compensate for resistance and reduce risk of overheating..? 

Edited 7 February, 20233 yr by MijIsTired

use the 27 amp wire.....the fuse has to blow first to protect the wiring.

On 11/02/2023 at 21:01, UrbanPanzer said:

use the 27 amp wire.....the fuse has to blow first to protect the wiring.

 

Thank you. Feeling a little pleased I would have made the right call. Gaining slightly more electrical confidence (but not so much I'm dangerous 😉)