Bring back to life my cabrio!

[joser11]

well I got to removing the dash (sort of since it won't "unhook from the middle, to my understanding, I followed cabby-info DIY, I removed all the bolts) and got a closer look at the damaged of the fire last night.

Here are a couple pics of the damage...

Please someone chime in and steer me in the right direction.

[joser11]

dash seems to be 'stuck" in the middle and wont come out completely. all clips by the windshield are gone and all of the bolts on the cabby-info diy have come out already....

Any ideas why it won't come out? did I miss something?

[joser11]

Well,

Today I went to the jukyard and got both connectors that burnt with about 2" feet of cable.

Came home splice them in and tryed starting the car to no avail the volt gauge (once I connected the battery) read about 12 but dropped to 0 in about 10 seconds.

Battery is good, bought it about a week ago. I disconnect the positive cable from the battery wait a couple of minutes connect it back again and gauge shows about 12 and then drops to 0. In the cluster the red light indicator for the battery is on. It is behaving as if it did't have a battery doesn;t even crank. lights won;t come on nor do the wipers or turn signals.

Why won't it start? I did not have a multimeter but even if I did I don't know how to use it as I have never tryed to diagnose this type of symptoms before. Went to sears got a multimeter as I know this is a great time to learn.

Please what do I do? What do I check? how can I use a multimeter to diagnose the problem? Why won't it start?

[joser11]

anyone? please...

[benrk]

This is only guess work, but it sounds to me as if you have a shortcircuit somewhere, as soon as you switch on ignition something puts a strong drain on the battery, I'd start with pulling out the fusebox & see what's going on behind/around it, are there more melted cables/connectors?
Get a wiring diagram, check all the grounds on the car, visually inspect as much wiring as possible on the car, unplug everything non essential for starting from the fusebox (lighting, HVAC, pw) & see what happens.

Good luck, Ben

[joser11]

Ok. I got inside the car. Tested for continuity all of the fuses and they are all good.

BUT... When I check for voltage in the fuse panel I get the grand reading of 0. let's see if I am doing this correctly.

Multimeter is set to Adc in the 200m. I placed the black wire on the metal bar behind the dash for ground and then the red probe on each fuse and got nothing.

If the reading I tool was accurate this means I am not getting current to the fuse panel...right?

If so where could I start?

[joser11]

Well,

Yesterday a friend of mine with a little bit more knowledge than me came and checked the cabriolet. He arrived to the conclusion that the piece pictured got damaged from the heat of the fire. I went ahead and bought it, 6 bucks only! and plan on installing it myself. I believe it is called the ignition switch.. Am i right? also I tryed searching for a diy but could not find one does anyone now where I can find a step by step?

Also from 1 to 10, 1 being easiest, what is the grade of dificulty of changing this as I have never changed one.

[xattica]

Yes Jose,
Thats the ignition switch. I changed the same on you last, mine now white cabrio. Also check the stick that goes inside the switch. Sometimes get broke inside the ignition.

[xattica]

This one is a liitle bit easier because you dont need to drill the ignition.
Just remove the steering wheel..and remove everything else on your way down the steering column..then loosen and slide the entire lock cylinder off the shaft...unplug the ignition switch (and all the other connectors you've met along the way ie. turn signal and windshield wiper).....then unscrew the ignition switch...replace and reassemble in the reverse order

Remember to mark everything

[joser11]

I haven't updated lately because not much has been done to the car. I managed to install the new ignition switch and that sorted out the problem. It starts right up. Still have not reinstalled the dash because before doing so I want to install and antenna (where coulg I get one?) since the car does not have a working one and also I still have to solder a couple of loose cables.

Just spoked with the PO, he called to know how things were going with the cabby. He also told me that these cars have (as he described it..) a type of heat shield that protects the starter from the manifold and that my cabby does not have it.

Is it true? Am I missing a heat shield? If so... Where could I get one?

Also I say a DIY by Briano on cleaning the engine bay. If you could chime in as I want to get clear the order of applying the wd40 and the dgreaser and then again the wd40. Also What parts should I cover?

[05GTI6677]

Well It is official. Went and picked up my cabby today.

As soon as I got home I gave her a little bath to see in more detail what I'm up against.

First off.

There's definately something wrong with the windows (powered) as when I push the button they go down when ever they feel like it. and when I am going to close them they get stuck like 3/4 of the way and won't go up unless I open the door or push the window to the outside. Might have something to do with bad alignment or something.



Second, once I finished washing her I got inside the car to move it and when I closed the door I heard water "sloshing" around in it.

Curious note not to much water went inside while washing it.

And speaking about curiosity... Anyone know what wheel this is?



Also I think it has been in minor front end collision as the front bumper kind of slants in the passenger side.



And pic of the best side of her.... I think it is pretty good.

What's the name of those wheels? They go so well! Nice looking Cabby!

[joser11]

All I know bout them wheels is that they are 15 inch and are made by a company named BWA. Other than that I have not been able to find anything else bout them.

[briano1234]

Water sloshing in the doors is from the water getting past the dead window scrapers, and that your door drains are plugged with crap.

You can drain them by removing the plug in the bottom of the door middle, Then on the bottom edge of the doors there are drains.

See the yellow for what they look like:


You can try to use a thin metal clothes hanger to unplug it.

plug at the bottom:


Once you get the water drained, then you need to pull the door card and remove all the crap in the bottom of the door, warning it is probably broken glass.

If you replaced your ignition switch, then chances are that you pushed the lower steering column bushing out of place.

At the bottom of the steering column, there is a bearing that can drop, if it is dropped then your wheel can move in and out, or up and down 1/2 to 1 inch.

Push it back in place and secure it with a zip-tie or hose clamp.

[briano1234]

For electrical issues and you don't know electrics, see:
http://www.the152.com/modules.php?na...iewtopic&t=911

it is a basic primer.

use:
cabby-info.com
http://reflectionsandshadows.com/a1-tech/
toplessrabbit.com

[stronglikebull]

and if the car you bought was an automatic, moljinar has a thread about the starter here:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...eat+soak+relay

you also will want a heat shield. i think brian used an old license plate one time?....i can't remember for sure.

[joser11]

Briano and stronglikebull, thanks for your input!

Got rid of the "sloshy doors"

I finally got around to starting to install the antenna.

got the old one out which did not have any cable or anything. put the new one in, and if I am correct I ran the wire through and opening right beside the stalk and that put the wire in the rain tray just by the ecu.

But I can't for the life of me find a whole to pass it through the firewall and into the cabin...

It was dark outside and my flashlight is not the best. Anyone ? Hod do I put the darn cable IN the cabin?

[joser11]

anyone?

[joser11]

Still have not found where to pass the antenna cable through the firewall into the cabin....
anyone?

[joser11]

Well I finally found the whole to put the antenna cable through the firewall. Went to the junkyard today to get some good door rubbers which I got.

I also got an oem single round grill in pretty good conditions with all the tabs intact and plan on doing the swap soon.

Reading up in cabby info I came across the following:

"If you are doing this swap and haven't added relays to your headlight wiring, it's highly advised that you do so to gain better lighting out of your single-rounds."

I guess this might as well be written in chinese because I have no idea how to go about this.

Where to get the reay and which one? Installation?

[joser11]

Pics of the grill to come.....

[joser11]

anyone? please

[stronglikebull]

try this, lots of info:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...ing-headlights

[joser11]

Bull thanks for your response.

After taking a look at the link you provided and then looking at my car, I found out my headlights have already been relayed. GREAT!

But upon inspecting a little closer my engine bay I found a rubber hose that has been cut off and also a strange strap laying in the rain guard.

Cut up hose





Strange strap found in the rain tray

[joser11]

? anyone?

[CajunSpike]

That strap looks like the one used to hang the balls from the hood.
That hose looks like it goes to the heater core under the dashboard, or used to.