I ve moved the main points from the post !!No Lights On Dashboard - Help!!!!!! to as posts were getting lost and the reply thread was unsustainable.

In essence if you experience the following behviour this thead will help -

1) All Dash Lights dissapear except for hea lights

2) Wipers / Horn / Electric windows fail to operate

3) Car starts over okay but fails to catch

4) Headlights work ok

5) Hazard lights work ok - Interior lights and central lights work ok

6) All fuses under battery checked and also fuses indrivers door checked

I have not got to the bottom of this - It certainly sounds and looks like an electrical problem - In fact it sounds like a fuse problem - But I have checked all fuses an they are ok.

It's got to be a fuse. Have you checked them with a multimeter? They can look ok but still be blown.

Have you also checked for corrosion and loose 10mm nuts that fasten the large sheet metal fuses in the battery box. this is a known VAG problem on older cars.

I will have a look in the haynes manual and see if I can find a fuse linked to all failed areas.

Thanks vrs Fab - I agree it certainly has to be a fuse. I have not checked the fuse with a multi meter. Maybe a good idea?

The metal sheet on the battery looks fine - Please report anything which would affect all the above.

Its a 1.4 MPI 8V 2000 model - V Reg.

BTW: Under the battery I have fuse 8, 10, 11 - I think fuses 1 -7 are on a metal sheet - They look ok.

Thanks

All the items that don't work seem to come from fuse 2 (110 amps) in the battery box. I think you should undo the 10mm bolts that hold it and fully check all round it for breaks and corrosion.

The manual also mentions "terminal 30 junction" which must be a multi connector in the loom between Battery fusebox and dashboard fusebox. The wire colour from fuse 2 is black to help you trace it.

The haynes manual is ****e and thats the best I can get from it at the moment. I'm nipping out for a while, but I'll check back asap.

Thanks vrsFab - I will check fuse 2 under the battery.

I m not sure I understand the comment about terminal 30 junction and how I can check - Can you please explain?

Thanks so much for your help

Thanks vrsFab - I will check fuse 2 under the battery.

I m not sure I understand the comment about terminal 30 junction and how I can check - Can you please explain?

Thanks so much for your help

I'm not sure what it is myself. It must be a large multiconnector to join the cabin part of the loom to the engine bay part. The manual was no help at all. Devonutopia may know, he has changed the whole wiring loom in his car. PM him for help, he doesn't bite

Terminal 30 is output direct from battery positive, Terminal 30a is the same supply but after the fuse.

Ill post a picture of my battery tomorrow but fuse 2 looked absolutely fine.

Therefore I m not too sure what further to check.

Well, mine was much easier than this really. It was a case of removing one loom and plugging the new one in. It just worked from the start. I've never really got in to the wiring in any big way. I very much doubt the loom is damaged - I reckon a fuse has popped. Even one that looks OK may not. Test every one with a multimeter. Probably the best idea. (with the battery disconnected too)

Thanks Devenutopia -

Do you think it is a good idea to move the wire attatched to fuse 2 to say fuse 4 / 5 for testing purposes.

I doubt its going to be a minor fuse as so many elecrical parts are affected- So my moneys on fuse 2 - I dont have a multi meter so the next best way of testing was moving the cable onto a different fuse.

Also if I got a multimeter - How would I test the individual fuse - Say fuse 2 on the battery. Thanks

Also if I got a multimeter - How would I test the individual fuse - Say fuse 2 on the battery. Thanks

Check that the voltage at each end of the fuse is the same, with respect to Earth (vehicle chassis)

Thanks Devenutopia -

Do you think it is a good idea to move the wire attatched to fuse 2 to say fuse 4 / 5 for testing purposes.

I doubt its going to be a minor fuse as so many elecrical parts are affected- So my moneys on fuse 2 - I dont have a multi meter so the next best way of testing was moving the cable onto a different fuse.

Also if I got a multimeter - How would I test the individual fuse - Say fuse 2 on the battery. Thanks

Go to your local maplins store and get a multimeter for about £5, and ask them to show you how to check a fuse with it Much easier

Another way you could test the fuse is remove it, take a bulb and one wire around one terminal and another wire around the other. Then connect one end of the bulb to the fuse and one end of the bulb to a battery (-ve). Connect the other end of the fuse to the +ve end of the battery. If the bulb lights, hey presto the fuse is ok - and you have saved yourself £5 on a multimeter

Where abouts do you live? Because someone on this forum who has a multimeter may live near you and offer to help you out, were a friendly bunch like that you see

The fiver is not a problem - I live in Colindale - North London - I ll go down Maplins and do exactly that.

Thanks BTW - This forum is a god send.

I just hope it is the fuse - I ve nt been able to think about much for the last few days as this sounded quite serious.

Would you check all the fuses inside the drivers dash board - Becuase of the number of electricals that dont work - If it isnt the fuse number 2 under the battery then it is going to cost a stinking fortune to repair - It will probably end up being something like the ECU .. :(

Thanks BTW - This forum is a god send.

It is and

Thanks VRStu - After the christmas CC bill gets digested I ll definitely look at signing up - It is worthwhile.

I just changed the wire running from fuse 2 on top of the battery to a different 'port' - Fuse 5 I think .

The problem didnt go away - Same symptons.

This now looks like a very serious problem ? Anybody agree?

I seriously wouldn't start moving about wiring connections to the fuse box - either of the 2 boxes. They might have different amp ratings, and you may end up melting a wire not designed to handle the current.

I would do as already mentioned. Get the multimeter, get a quick lesson on how to use it, then test each one, one by one, replacing them once found to be OK, so they don't end up replaced in the wrong holder. If I'm honest, I've never tested a fuse using a multimeter, so kind of curious how it's done. Just something I've never had to do on my car to date.

If I'm honest, I've never tested a fuse using a multimeter, so kind of curious how it's done. Just something I've never had to do on my car to date.

If it's in circuit, do as I said in my last post, with the meter set to read voltage. If it's out of circuit, set your meter to measure resistance - if it's low (<= 50 ohms, although will normally be much lower than this) then the fuse is fine, if it's high (esp infinitely high ) then the fuse has blown.

If it's in circuit, do as I said in my last post, with the meter set to read voltage. If it's out of circuit, set your meter to measure resistance - if it's low (<= 50 ohms, although will normally be much lower than this) then the fuse is fine, if it's high (esp infinitely high ) then the fuse has blown.

Some have a special fuse test mode on them too, and it will beep when a connection is made - I think its to test the polartiy of diodes too but comes in handy to check the continuity of a circuit. Maplin had a few cracking ones on an accidental offer once, supposed to be about

I would seriously think about getting my car to a local , competant garage or auto electrician and have them look at it , you dont want to be pulling fuses and wires out if you dont really know what you are doing.

My only concern with doing this is that

1) My car doesnt move so I ll struggle to get it to the garage

2) The mechanic will probably say all hells broke loose and I should part ex this for some banger he has.

I d like to avoid this if at all possible -

Your best bet would be to see what the VAG-COM throws up.

You may have some spurious codes from removing the battery as well.

Lead is being delivered tomorrow - Yipee -

Tonight I have to set up Windows XP on my Mac

You can buy a license online at ross tech or just run with the demo. You won't be able to do a full scan in demo but you can scan each controller in turn.

If you've not done so already I'd download and read the manual.

The manual is here Ross-Tech: VAG-COM Tour Right?

I intend to Select Engine control module and also the Instrument Control Module and do a scan. Do you think that will pick up the problem?

Also I wonder where the power steering gets tested in VAG COM - Doesnt seem to have Steering electronics...

I hope this is nt going to be too tricky....