Hi all, wonder if someone could offer some advice. Fuse on my wipers kept popping on my 79 bay. It's had a new loom and been completely rewired last year. Checked everything over today and found a burnt out relay. I assumed it would be easy to find a new one, but I'm struggling. There are 2 next to each other, 1 is the wipers, not sure what the other is and one has blown. It's a VW 311 906 061 C 12v 15a - closest I can find is 20a. Anyone know where to look? Cheers Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
The relay is the load reduction relay which the wipers are power by. But if you keep blowing fuses it is more likely the wiper spindles are seizing up.
^^^ This , check your wiper spindles ... The other relay is for high/low beam . Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Open up the relay and inspect,,Some times they get stuck ,and blow fuses no need to buy a new one... I’ve fixed a few that way . Had a rusty one once , it’s still working ,,, this way you know if it’s that anyway...and what you have..
The fuse pops even when the wiper motor isn't plugged in, so I don't think its that. The relay looks like it's burned out, so I want to replace it, but can't find one with the right rating Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
Are you sure the relay isn’t for something else? Someone appears to have lashed it up with a cable tie. It doesn’t look original. What’s it connected to?
Didn't know wipers had a relay originally unless fitted with the intermittent option. Just make sure everything is really wizzy in the linkages so you don't burn out the motor. Looks like a six inch nail in the fuse box to me..
It’s not an original relay but they’re easy to find – just search the part number. https://www.bestpartstore.co.uk/311906061c-oen
That got me thinking - from what I remember there's only 2 relays under there on mine , one for the high/low beams and the indicator relay ?? I may , of course , be wrong Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Whoever rewired it cobbled together a couple of old relays – where are they and what are they connected to?
There are only two, headlight and indicators (plus wiper delay if you’re fancy). The wipers are directly powered. It’s been “improved” at some point. Best to find out what it’s connected to.
I'll have to get out there tomorrow and check. It's not an intermittent wiper, but I can hear a click from the relay when the fuse pops. It's a new fuse board in there with 2 relays - 1 for the headlights, 1 for indicators. The 2 in the pictures are in the passenger foot well. Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
Just went and checked - they're for 2 extra front headlamps I've got. Just put a fuse back in and everything is working again - wipers and front head lights. When the fuse pops, the wipers definitely stop also, so they must be on the same line, and I reckon when the lamps could short when its wet.. maybe. Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
Headlights should be fuses 3, 4, 5 and 6 – all 8amp. Wipers should be on fuse 10 – 16amp. Which fuse are you changing?
Unlikely Something somewhere is wired incorrectly, and has maybe been pretending to work up till now...
I agree with @snotty, the most likely reason is the wiper motor and the switch and wiring. Clean water doesnt really conduct electricity. They used to use distilled water as a coolant in radio transmitters with 10kV across the ends of a quartz or glass tube full of water.. This is some other fault... For instance when you park the wipers the motor is electrically shorted by the rotary switch in the wiper gearbox to get it to stop rapidly in the parked position. If the wiper switch fails to open the wiring loop with the short in it and connects power to the motor, it will blow the fuse if the wipers are parked. Either miswired or a fault in the wiper switch .. As you have a relay that is not stock its likely a muppet has helpfully modified the wiring. And a 15 amp relay may well burn out repeatedly operating headlamps as their current surge when cold is massive.. 100 watt headlamps draw 8A steady, maybe 80A cold. Hint because of the shorting loop, a single pole relay as shown cannot work properly, the intermittent wiper relays are changeover types..Just as well its for headlamps. Get a wiring schematic off thesamba.com and trace the wire colours.
When you do get it sorted, a bog standard 30A automotive relay will be fine for the lights. In the meantime, worth going through all the wiring with a wiring diagram to find out how many other "improvements" there are in the new fuse box arrangement...
Thanks all for the advise - I had the wiper motors out, all seem fine. I've put everything back together and now it's all working... I will spend some time working over all of it to find anything I can find! Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
It's not the standard headlights, there's 2 auxiliary lights on the front bumper - fog lights I suppose Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
