First Car!! 1982 VW Rabbit Convertible!!!!

[itsid]

simpler? no.

but the diagram a few pages back shows the fusebox on top (grey box) and
all the wires are labelled according to the connector and pin on the backside.

blue-yellow for example is A3 (connector A, pin 3)
yellow-red D29 (connector D, pin 29)
etc.

not grouped by a connector though,
so you have to check both pages over and over again if you want to check
each connector at once.

On the backside of the fusebox the connectors are labelled,
and best of all even the pins should be numbered

Give it a try, you'll find it's less complicated than it looks

'sid

 

[j.concepcion54321]

Ok so i posted a pic of some of the problems i came across...

Not sure on the order of the pics but just bear with me here, ONe of them shows that yellow and red plug, and how i currently have it going into that blue and yellow.

Also right by the fusebox on one of them you see a black cable with two ends. One male and one female. And there another black cable with just a female.

Im assuming that the small terminals on the back of the fuse box are for the black cables as thats where they were before, i just dont know about those 2 black cables. I figured they both just went right in but then that one male end is just hanging out, so i thought maybe the single female end goes into the male on the double connector, and then that one just goes into the back of the box.

Also, as far as the big red wires go i know that they plug into the bigger terminals, but is there a certain order that they have to go it? I dont think so because underneath it was all just one piece but i figured id ask.

My buddy who helped me take the stuff apart is coming by later today so that we can see if everything works. Hopefully some of these things can be answered by then...

ALSO CHECK OUT HOW CLEAN THAT BLUE TERMINAL CAME OUT!!

One lst thing, those red and black wires, i just put them with the other red and black wires... some of them seem to be diferent shades of red and black though so im not too sure...

 

[itsid]

Well, what should I say Josh ...

The pictures are blurry and that's not helping very much,
but that's not the important part.

The open part of a cable cannot tell you (or me) what it is.
You need to find the connected opposite end and go from there.

I'm sorry that I didn't makde that clearer earlier...

get your multimeter, find the opposite end, and then we can figure out where it's going.

Do yourself a favour and DO NOT GUESS!
just because the colors match doesn't mean the cables should be connected;
and more important: just because you have two open ends in different colored wires, don't assume they should be connected.

that can be a really bad idea, connect the wrong wires and you'll fry your injection systems ECU. (utterly expensive part.. even in germany)

the only black wire splitted with two connectors I can think of at the moment is from your ignition switch (Pin 15 on the lock) so check if that one's there.

if it is.. disconnect the wires in question again, and test your electrics,
lights, horn, dashboard .. everything and note down what's NOT working

black wires on the fuse box:

• a jumper
• dashboard indicator for parking brake
• transistor ignition control unit
• ignition switch
• switch for back-up lights
• and the back-up lights

There are however several different other black wires in the car, some might be close to the fusebox but not connected to it directly.

same goes for yellow-red or yellow-blue cables

yellow red (or red-yellow)on the fusebox:

• fuel pump
• cooling temp gauge
• cooling temp sensor (paired with one that remains unconnected also y/r)
• brake lights (red-yellow)
• headlamp flasher lever (red-yellow)

blue-yellow there's only ONE on the fusebox
for the shifting indicator light.

I searched the schematics over and over, not a single blue-yellow connects to a yellow-red
So do yourself a favour and disconnect those two before something goes wrong

'sid

 

[j.concepcion54321]

Ok so after installing everything and hooking things up im not getting power at the dash or my lights or anything. The car will crank but thats about it. I think i might have done more harm than good with this

ive been looking around to just getting a full fusebox assembly out of another vehicle. Cut all the way up into the harness that i have everything and then just come here and splice it to my harness. I found someone who will let me go and grab everything i need out of a 1993 vw cabriolet.

Ive been trying to find answers online, but will everything just match up? The car i pulled the top off of was an 83 and that already looked different down there. Will i have more luck doing it with that car? and having everrything match up. I wasnt thinking ahead at the time and just grabbed all the relays from it so now id have to do some tracing to find out what goes where....

Advice would be great right about now... I hate wiring.

 

[itsid]

your's is an early model.. '82 IIRC, right?

No, the fusebox of a '93 will NOT fit right in.
that one should have a Golf II fusebox..
the Golf II came '83, and all cabrios since then had Golf II parts wherever possible

Sooo.. I wouldn't want to try to convert to a newer fusebox.

I doubt it's the fusebox AT ALL!;
some wires are not connected properly, some might be broken somewhere;
you need to fix that anyways.. so why bother just adding another problem (different style fusebox) ?

'sid

 

[j.concepcion54321]

took a nice video of how everything is hooked up. Maybe this well help you help me to solve my problem...

EDIT: SHould be up in a few

 

[itsid]

Hm, I reread your previous post.. you sure the thick red wire (6mm²) is properly connected to one of the P terminals ?
(makes no difference which one, they're all the same)

If not, nothing but the starter motor will work.

'sid

[EDIT]
Oh good lord... that's an H on your Power terminals (should be P)
that's why it doesn't fit...

Soooo, you have a 171941813 B like you said...
didn't occured to me previously.

Okay, the wiring schematics I have are for a 171941813 D (because of the fuel injection)
Sorry, that I missed that completely somehow

So either your car doesn't have the original motor and wasn't fully converted,
or I missed more than just that.

Would you mind letting me know the exact model and year of your car,
http://www.cabby-info.com/Files/Misc/BuildDate.pdf
should be prior 11/82
I need to find new schematics I'm afraid.

the good news is..
I found a semi useful color code for just the fuse box on the same side:
http://www.cabby-info.com/Files/ElectricalSystem.pdf

I'm so sorry Josh, I should have read more closely

'sid

 

[j.concepcion54321]

You tube took way longer than expected to process this. Just a little video that might make it easier to visualize.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5XsdAAsi1E

 

[j.concepcion54321]

ill get that info to you tomorrow sid. No worries, everyone makes mistakes and if anything you guys are preventing me from making any, you especially!!

So thanks again

 

[fowler]

u need a wiring diagram
so u can strip all the wiring out and start putting it back in a logical ordered fashion

have u been on the mighty car mods forum

i reckon u could get help there

 

[itsid]

found another wiring diagram.. but that's a digifant injection there (came 1983/84)
So I again checked some websites about the car..

And the Info I have is, between 1979 and 1982 there were two motors available a 1.5 liter 70HP carburetor (GL) and the 1.6 fuel injected (GLI) with the original Gti engine 110 HP.

then 1982 they upgraded the GLI with a 1.8l engine (less HP more Torque) for a year or so
1983 came the Golf II 1.6 Cabriolet (75 HP) (namely a Golf II; body still Golf I)
but that has a Golf II fusebox (flat fuses instead of torpedos)

And since yours is fuel injected and has torpedo fuses, that leaves me with the early 1.6 GLI ...
which I used the wiring diagram for

*shrugs*

I don't know.. so I'll wait for model and year..
oh and please if possible try to let me know your engine code too.

I suspect it's EN (1.7l ~77HP)
since that'd be a US-CAN only engine

'sid

 

[j.concepcion54321]

It should be a 1.7 according to the specs but on the engine it has 1.6 stamped on it, and i matched the info with that on the cabby-info website and it looks like a 1.6

 

[itsid]

Don't sweat.. there are numerous things stamped on the engine block...
so it's quite normal to find something that might give the wrong idea.

If it IS indeed the displacement it'll be 1600 not 1.6 (more likely 1595 or something)
And even if it IS a 1.6 liter engine instead of the 1.7;
the ones in question would be EE, EJ or EF... and they deliver 80 or 82 HP not 75 or 77 as the EN...
or worst option a FN engine with the same powerout as you should have with the EN.
so no big deal

To check yourself, on the front of the engine (where the plugs are) there's a flat spot
just below the third plug, you might need to wipe it clean to read it
there should be two letters (three is possible but unlikely) and six numbers;
the letters are what you're after.
Now you know if it is indeed an EN engine or not
It at least says EN on the sticker of yours (1.7 - 75HP)

Anyways...
a very early '82 model that's good to know.
I found a diagram for a '84 model.. but that's again the D fusebox.
So the search continues...

But in NOT A SINGLE wiring diagram I've found so far is a black wire like your's,
none that connects to the fusebox, the only black wires around are the above mentioned.
Tha last diagram however showed the ignition switch cable (Pos 15) to be disconnectable.
and that indeed splits and is black.
That's also close enough to the fuse box to be at least an option to check

I also figured that female ends tend to come from the fusebox and go somewhere else,
that means you can quickly check if it's connected to a fuse (and which one) to narrow it down.
if it's not a fuse it should be a relay... but that's much more difficult to check
So let's start with the fuses only.

stick one end of your multimeter into the female connectors, set it to Continuity test and slowly swipe the reeds on the fuses.
if it beeps, note colorcode and fuse number
crosscheck!
check all fuses all the time;
and check against ground (any good metal spot on the chassis)

If I can't find the perfect wiring diagram, I can check the fuse number in ALL diagrams to see if it changes it's task or color of the wirings. etc.

If it doesn't seem to be connected to anything, note that too,
we'll find the source, I promise!

'sid

 

[j.concepcion54321]

It says EN on the block, but the head has 1.6 on it. and the way the inlet is coming out of it at a 90 degree angle along with the position of the AC compressor on top of the alternator makes it look like a 1.6

Could this maybe be a 1.7l block with a 1.6 head? Thatd be faster right

Also found a guy who has a fuse box and the plugs for my model. Havent worked out a price yet but ill see if i can take a look at it tomorrow after school.

 

[itsid]

I doubt the 1.6l head fit's the 1.7l block without serious modifications, but I never checked that.

Anyways.. again, if there is a displacement labeled it's not on the head but on the block;
and it'll be ccm not liters
So there might be a 1.6 of course, but that's not related to the displacement of your engine!
(more likely a date, or something like the mold number it was casted in...)

'sid

 

[j.concepcion54321]

Have a big update for you guys, will post it when i get home with some pics cause I'm currently in school....

 

[OzFab]

Oh, way to keep us hanging Josh Thanks for that :toetap05:

 

[j.concepcion54321]

Look at that, i kept you guys hanging for more than a day!! haha

I purchased what i believe to be the only 1982 vw rabbit fuse box in good condition with mint plugs and enough wiring to figure out where everything goes. Not to mention the fuel pump relay, post recall that has the extension to fix the problems from the old one. Oh, and all the fuses are in good shape.

Ran me 100 bucks but just the relay wouldve been 50 so i think i made out well. Considering the need for it.

Funny thing is i found this guy on craigslist selling parts for a mk1 scirocco, so i figured id send him a text and ask if he had any. He told me he did but that he had to look through all his shps to find it. A couple days later he found a bucket that he had full of them but none of them were in great shape, and i told him that the plugs with wiring and relay were a must. So he told me hed keep checking and i kind of ignored him for a while figuring it was a dead end.

Then i sent someone else who had rabbit parts a text and he told me that he knew a guy who has a vw shop and might have an extra laying around. Of course he didnt have the number at the time so he told me hed get back to me. I figured another dead end. THe next day he lets me know that he found the guys number and i gave him a call..... youll never guess who it was The same guy as above who was trying to find the plugs!!

Finally i went to a local foreign repair shop that works on audi vw bmw etc. THey have a couple of old bugs and cabrios on their lot but none of them were the same as mine so that didnt help too much. But after talkng to the owner he refers me to his friend who might have a fuse box. He writes down the guys phone number on the back of a business card and hand it to me, where i quickly realize that its the same exact guy as before with the plug issue...

At this point i told myself that if this guy doesnt have it no one will cause ive asked around to several different people and everyone points back to him. Finally this past week the guy calls me and tells me that he found a box in good shape with the plugs and wiring aswell as the relays and fuses.

I have vacation from school in a week so ive been holding off on the electrical part of the rabbit for now since i want to just take a whole day and spend it doing that. I would hate to be like halfway done and then come back the next day and maybe miss something i did the day before, etc. But ive still been working on the body. SO far ive banged out the dent that was in the rear passenger side quarter panel, and the drivers side fender which was messed up in the front.

One of these days ill have to set up a paint booth in my yard! haha

Edit: Sorry for the ****** cell phone pictures. My htc isnt working quite right (guess theyre not water proof ) so im stuck with my old phone.

 

[J_Walker]

all those cut wires... I hate when people do that.. CBR600RRF4 << someone did that, I bought it figuring it was probably the normal cam chain tensioner. or carbs... Nope someone hacked up a bunch of wires for a quick and dirty DIY "underglow" kit.. oh god only if I had pictures... I sold it for parts never the least.

 

[j.concepcion54321]

Yeah, well id rather that they were cut from his car and not mine... I prefer having the wires there, that way it makes it easy to just cut and splice one by one by each plug.

Ive been doing alot of the body work stuff recently. Ill throw up pictures of what i have when i get out of school.

Good news is that i have a school vacation starting tomorrow and including all of next week!! So that car will be COMPLETELY done by next saturday.......



I wish

As far as my school project goes i have to focus on the body work aspect of the restoration. Which is why ive been doing so much body work and making it look good as opposed to getting it running... So if all goes well then ill get the body work done by middle of next week and start painting. My dad is an electrician so im going to give him the task of swapping over the wires... Should be easy enough all he has to do is match colors