I think that part of the problem is that when CV boots are manufactured , they have a shelf life. But that is not quoted. So one person buys a particular brand when the boots are fresh and says "I got years out of brand X", somebody else buys from the same production batch at a different store 5 years later and they split in months. I have had as little as 3 months life out of GKN Lobro boots, while others get years ... I have only seen a sell-by date on a set of VW branded boots that cost £35 each which I bought in desperation: their shelf life expired in November 2019 according to the packaging, and havent split yet. I think there are still VW vehicles in production with compatible and long-lasting original CV joint boots available.
Crash wiring course for sure. May aswell make it a learning experience, and gain some knowledge and confidence.
When it comes back to your melt down. You may have been lucky in that the battery disconnect was actually a piece of junk (or was not tightened properly) that was on the verge of bursting into flames every time you cranked the engine and drew 200 amps through it. It might have been the "fuse" that stopped worse happening. # But now its time to take the top off the dash if you dare.. And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear .. The likelihood is that some spade connectors have been moved around on top of the fusebox so that circuits are no longer fused. I would have expected wiring with the diameter of the windscreen wiper motor wires to go up in smoke long before they could draw enough current to cause something to catch fire at the back .. the wire there is much heavier feeding the dashboard from the starter motor tag ..
I've tested the wire from ignition to solenoid... No current. So.... This wire (red&black) goes to ignition switch via a white plastic junction box under steering column. Does this open? Come apart? Do I change said wire? Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk
You could bypass it to test it I suppose. Those connection boxes are a tad delicate sometimes! Those wires don’t look fried at all. Have you checked the fuses and the fuse box?
The red/black comes from (not to) the ignition switch and will only have voltage when the switch is turned to crank/start the engine but the red/white should have battery voltage at the solenoid and at the feed to the fuse box at all times – it's not fused. Apologies if it's too obvious and you'll answer of course I did, but did you make sure the plugs are pushed back into the bottom of the switch connections on the column?
No advice is too obvious for me. I did connect the cables botm of steering column. Now trying, as suggested, to usea new wire and bypass. From solenoid to ignition. Should i attatch to black red wire before(near key) or after plastic white junction box under steering wheel?
I don't know what you are trying to by-pass but the red/black cable from the ignition switch to the solenoid is to start the engine, you don't need this for the wipers to work. If the engine cranks and starts leave the red/black cable alone, it has nothing to do with the wipers.
Wipers long forgotten now... Trying to find why shes not turning over/starting after a small fire at the battery cable!!
It's the easiest way to test the starter without adding further variables (e.g. a dodgy ignition, dodgy cable running from the cab to the starter etc). The thick cable from the battery to the starter is the primary feed for it, the spade terminal is effectively the "trigger" for engaging the starter. Bridging them will just use the live feed from the big terminal to provide 12v to the "trigger" spade terminal. If it turns over then you know the issue is elsewhere. I wouldn't look at fitting a new solenoid/starter until you know that's where the issue lies.
Do ^this first, before rushing out to get a new solenoid. Make sure the van isn't in gear before trying it Where was your burnt wiring, exactly?
Ok. The burnt wire was the battery cable(live) at the cutoff switch, above battery inside paint tin lid area. I saw the flame through the hole the cable passed. V. Close one.
