NEED electrical HELP!!!!

**Spoolin_Turbo** · 07-21-2012

my car will work great sometims, other times it will not
my issue is that when i turn the key nothing happens, i can still do things i could with the key out like turn my lights on or off the auto seat belt all that jazz still works but stuff that you need the key on for, wont work like radio, windows, you know DRIVING

so i have been getting stranded do to this happening so i dont really know

**Spoolin_Turbo** · 07-21-2012

Anyone got any ideas

viridionplague · 07-21-2012

grounds, fuses, or relays. does it click when you try to start it?

**Spoolin_Turbo** · 07-21-2012

No its as if i hadent even turned the key, i checked grounds are good and now im stuck by the side of the road it just shut off on me well i was driving

viridionplague · 07-21-2012

if it sits outside in the sun i would bet its the start relay behind the radio. check the starter harness plug as well, i know ive forgotten that one a few times thinking all it needed was the power cable to the starter and the ground.

dsmghost · 07-21-2012

Its most likely a bad ignition switch

**Spoolin_Turbo** · 07-22-2012

i dont know what relay you are talking about, and were is this starter harness plug?

**goodhart** · 07-22-2012

^My guess would be the plug for the starter on the engine harness. Located by the starter. LOL

viridionplague · 07-22-2012

the relay looks something like this. It is behind the radio.

the 1g has its own mini harness for the starter that holds the ground wire, power wire, and electrical connections to the starter. It plugs into the main harness right around the stock battery area.

dsmghost · 07-22-2012

If the car shut off while you were driving, it has nothing to do with the starter.

After it shut off on you, you turn the key and nothing happens, no dash lights or anything? Sounds like a bad ignition switch for sure.

**goodhart** · 07-22-2012

Pretty sure the shutting off and the ignition thing are separate issues after talking, but let me know what you find. The alternator issue has got to be wiring somewhere, make sure you didn't knick the harness or something when you did the FMIC. Maybe its grounding on something down there?

dsmghost · 07-22-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodhart

Pretty sure the shutting off and the ignition thing are separate issues after talking, but let me know what you find. The alternator issue has got to be wiring somewhere, make sure you didn't knick the harness or something when you did the FMIC. Maybe its grounding on something down there?

What is the alternator issue?

**goodhart** · 07-22-2012

Sorry, Cam can't type a decent post I already yelled at him haha

The car is dying on him going down the road. The alternator is not charging the battery, but tests out good on a bench. Tried different batteries, still happens. So, good battery, good alternator, but for some reason the alternator is not charging the battery. It's got to be something between the two I would think, we discussed multiple possibilities today with some advice from 95tsi and spaz. He's got some things to look at for now.

**cmspaz** · 07-22-2012

As I said earlier, first thing to look at is the fusible link, if that's good, check the connections on either side where the wires from the alt and battery hit the fuse box, might be corrosion there causing it.

If that all looks good run a jumper wire from the hot connection on the alt directly to the battery and see if it works then, if so you've got a break in one of the aforementioned wires.

If neither of those prove to be the culprit, that means the voltage regulator isn't coming on. Since you know it works via test bench, the only possible cause would be a lack of signal from the ECU, be it caused by a wiring break or faulty ECU.

**Spoolin_Turbo** · 07-23-2012

so for the whole alternator issue it happened to be the fusible link. it passed my ohm test because the wire inside would still connect but wouldn't allow for any real amperage through it. now i just need to figure out this ignition issue.

and yeah sorry about my original post

**Spoolin_Turbo** · 07-23-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsmghost

If the car shut off while you were driving, it has nothing to do with the starter.

After it shut off on you, you turn the key and nothing happens, no dash lights or anything? Sounds like a bad ignition switch for sure.

yeah at this point that's what im thinking as well