MAJOR electrical problems :(

[lil b 0]

I'm sorry i keep posting for info but im a noob :)

 

right so my speedo lights have never worked since i bought my 8v , so today i thought would be the day to try my hand at fixing this problem . i looked on here at how to replace the bulbs that light up the speedo/fuel,water temp/rev counter

when i removed the whole unit i tried taking off the fuel/temp cluster first.. as i very gingerly started to wiggle it off the temp and fuel needle they moved loads and then stayed in the middle so i looked on the back and saw there are 2 very small knobs that i turned and the needles went back down ... only to find when i removed the whole dial unit there was no bulb or even anywhere were a bulb should be !!! :(

 

i then found 3 bulbs at the top of the whole unit i replaced with 509t bulbs from halfords (which looked completly different!? - they are shorter than the grrn units that were in there) but nothing still (yes i checked the dimmer switch and fuses, but what should I be looking for?, they seemed OK )..... and now the fuel and temp needles do not move at all wen i put everything back together and started the car :(

 

and today it cut out for no reason just died no lights nothing !!!i pulled over left it for couple of mins and it started again but then later on i my bf open the passenger door and it cut out and restarted straight away ..

 

 

please please help im at my wits end!! :shrug:

[dbug 0]

did you disturb any of the wiring behind the clocks? remove the lower dash trays and check all the plugs are pushed into the back of the fuse board. ( just touch them with your finger tips will do to make sure they are all 'home' )

 

possibly pulled one out a little when you pulled the clocks loom out. also just check the other plugs out to make sure they are all fitted tight.

 

is there an after market immobiliser fitted? how old is it? had similar problem recently it turned out the immobiliser was fubar'd

 

i have a set of 8v clocks in my forsale thread so that can be easily fixed. :wink:

[lil b 0]

did you disturb any of the wiring behind the clocks? remove the lower dash trays and check all the plugs are pushed into the back of the fuse board. ( just touch them with your finger tips will do to make sure they are all 'home' )

 

possibly pulled one out a little when you pulled the clocks loom out. also just check the other plugs out to make sure they are all fitted tight.

 

is there an after market immobiliser fitted? how old is it? had similar problem recently it turned out the immobiliser was fubar'd

 

i have a set of 8v clocks in my forsale thread so that can be easily fixed. :wink:

 

no i didnt touch anything else , i only removed the plug at the back of the clocks (luckily i have skinny hands ) and i no i put it back in correctly as the trip is working . also on my clocks there is only 1 plug /loom .

 

its a 1995 model if this helps and it has no immobiliser

 

also dose anyone no if i can fix the problem with with the fuel/temp needles?? as i no have no clue with temp or fuel

 

thanks a very stressed bexs :(

[dragon green 5]

Have you accidently got the needles the wrong side of the "stops" ?

[dbug 0]

no i didnt touch anything else , i only removed the plug at the back of the clocks (luckily i have skinny hands ) and i no i put it back in correctly as the trip is working . also on my clocks there is only 1 plug /loom .

 

its a 1995 model if this helps and it has no immobiliser

 

thanks a very stressed bexs :(

 

dose anyone no if i can fix the problem with with the fuel/temp needles?? as i no have no clue with temp or fuel :(

 

thanks

 

you will have pulled the loom when you took the clocks out of the dash - worth a check follow the harness down to the fuse board may just have slightly dislodged a plug and hense the on off as the connector moves whilst travelling.

 

no idea on the clocks but assume they are calibrated when initially built and the 'adjustment' you made when they were half way has uncallibrated them.

[greasegriff 0]

I did exactly the same thing when I tried to change a bulb in my dash! (See the other thread on here for how to change the LCD bulbs on a late model - which yours is - set of clocks)

 

Not sure about the cutting out thing, but regarding the temp and petrol needles, you need to take that 'pod' out and fiddle about with the needles.

 

Photos would be really helpful here sorry but I'll do my best to describe as well as I can....

 

So, with the pod out, unscrew the 2 little screws that hold the black dial cover on (the bit that has the numbers etc on).

 

Gently remove the needles by GENTLY pulling them directly upwards. They are held onto little plastic nipples and will come off but try not to twist them while doing so.

 

Remove the black cover you undid the screws for.

 

You will now so a weird little assembly that moves the needles. This is the bit you need to 'recalibrate' by re-aligning all the pieces. You will see what you need to do when it is in front of you (this is where the pictures would be helpful!)

 

You may need to gently twist the plastic nipples that poke through the dial face so that the needles position themselves properly.

 

Screws everything back together and give it a go.

 

I hope that's been some help...PM me if not!

 

Last tip - keep the petrol topped up until you get this done!

[lil b 0]

thank u for that :) ill prob bring the clocks inside and do that if u see a panicked msg you no ive f**ked it up lol

as for the cutting out i have a feeling its going to be one of the million earths so prob going to play it safe and call a auto electrician :)

 

thank u all uve been so helpfull :)

 

bexs x

[greasegriff 0]

thank u for that :) ill prob bring the clocks inside and do that if u see a panicked msg you no ive f**ked it up lol

as for the cutting out i have a feeling its going to be one of the million earths so prob going to play it safe and call a auto electrician :)

 

thank u all uve been so helpfull :)

 

bexs x

 

Definitely a job to do in lots of light and with a little pot for the bits you take off!

[lil b 0]

yer i did it earlyer and banned anyone from coming near me and had a massive pot for all the tiny screws ..

 

i tell you what i thought buying a corrado would stop all this hassle i got rid of my mk 1 clio 16v as it was endless problems ... seems to be just as bad *cries*

[greasegriff 0]

Don't worry about it - we all go through the same thing!! Loads of posts on here with people whinging abour their cars...they all keep them going though!

 

When I finally got my dash all working and back in place, got a warm fuzzy feeling!! You won't get that with a 2002 Polo!!!

[lil b 0]

I know, well I will try again tomorrow.

 

If you tune into BBC Oxford at 6 tomorrow and see a girl singing and cackling around a flaming car... its me. And it has not gone well.

 

Seriously tho, I will report back tomorrow and see whats what... Hope you guys will return to my rescue!! :D

 

Thankyou for the info so far...

 

And fingers crossed!!!

 

Becki xxx

[V33DUB 0]

its a 1995 model if this helps and it has no immobiliser

I thought all the 8v's had a factory fitted immobiliser?

[lil b 0]

well i never knew about it !! :( wen i bought it they never said about a immobiliser and i have no key fob ect

[lil b 0]

well its off to a auto electritians in a bit as i dont want to make anything worse !!!then ill come back and attemp to fix the clocks :(

[V33DUB 0]

well i never knew about it !! :( wen i bought it they never said about a immobiliser and i have no key fob ect

Has your ignition key got a button? Not that mine does anything but if you crack open the key, there is a chip thingy. I wouldn't have known if someone hasn't pointed it out on here

[lil b 0]

Has your ignition key got a button? Not that mine does anything but if you crack open the key, there is a chip thingy. I wouldn't have known if someone hasn't pointed it out on here

 

nope mine is just a key no button or anything , well the lights in the dash bord are working :) but the reason it keeps cutting out is the ignition barrel is past it :( gotta wait till wednesday to have it done but on the way home it broke down 3 times!!!! so that 100 outta pocket now but at least it is on its way to being a useable car :)

[V33DUB 0]

but at least it is on its way to being a useable car :)

:clap:

[lil b 0]

Ok,

 

this is what they look like inside atm...

 

What and how do I need to adjust them to Re-calibrate them?!?

 

The fuel one seems to be OK :S... now the water temp one sits at 100+ and wont return to base point smoothly if at all.

 

Here is a Link to the pic I took, not great I know :-

 

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/4687/dsc00025m.jpg

 

Pleeeaaassseeeeee help!!!

 

:)

 

Becki x

[greasegriff 0]

Ok,

 

this is what they look like inside atm...

 

What and how do I need to adjust them to Re-calibrate them?!?

 

The fuel one seems to be OK :S... now the water temp one sits at 100+ and wont return to base point smoothly if at all.

 

Here is a Link to the pic I took, not great I know :-

 

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/4687/dsc00025m.jpg

 

Pleeeaaassseeeeee help!!!

 

:)

 

Becki x

 

Check that the little plastic nipple that the needle connects to is straight. If it seems like it is, gently twist it about the amount that would get the needle to sit at the zero point when the engine is off. When you turn the engine on, it should gently raise to the required level.

 

Make sense?!

[lil b 0]

ive been ajusting it with the white little nobs at the back is this what u mean just put them back in and it seems to be working :(

[greasegriff 0]

It's a different set-up to VR clocks by the looks of it.

 

Have a little fiddle about and be patient - you'll get there!