I have a professionally installed Blaupunkt radio and trunk mounted disk
changer. I have also melted 2 ignitions. The Blaupunkt draws less than
eight amps (regulated thru an inline 8 amp fuse) and the whole circut is
limited to 10 amps (10 amp radio fuse in fuse box). The set up was
installed using a full wire harness so there was no snipping or cutting.
I need to know what is up because VW thinks it’s the radio, but they
can’t explain why. Is the ignition switch poorly designed or created?
I am going in for my 3rd ignition on Tuesday and anticipate resistance
for the dealer. One solution, to use a relay may solve the prob, if it
is the radio, however, I need sometype of logical explanation so I can
pursue either VW, or the installer for damages.
26
Feb
Ignition Meltdown. Help ASAP
Michael Hugill <Hug…@suvax1.stetson.edu> writes:
> I have a professionally installed Blaupunkt radio and trunk mounted disk
> changer. I have also melted 2 ignitions. The Blaupunkt draws less than
> eight amps (regulated thru an inline 8 amp fuse) and the whole circut is
> limited to 10 amps (10 amp radio fuse in fuse box). The set up was
> installed using a full wire harness so there was no snipping or cutting.
> I need to know what is up because VW thinks it’s the radio, but they
> can’t explain why. Is the ignition switch poorly designed or created?
> I am going in for my 3rd ignition on Tuesday and anticipate resistance
> for the dealer. One solution, to use a relay may solve the prob, if it
> is the radio, however, I need sometype of logical explanation so I can
> pursue either VW, or the installer for damages.
Have some questions before I can help.
First – What type of VW do you have? Is the dealer replacing the
entire ignition switch or just the key lock/tumblers? Have they
checked out the harness in the steering column? A poor connection
here will cause higher heat from resistance.
Second – Just to make sure, this wasn’t wired through the ignition
switch, was it – does the radio work without the key on? It should.
VW doesn’t run the radio through the ignition switch.
Third – Has anyone done an amp draw test on the radio yet?
Fourth – Has anyone checked the voltage regulator? If it’s off, it
could be frying the ignition (and lots more). Had one VolReg fail
intermittantly off, hence wild voltage (high) from alternator. The
headlights would get *real* bright for a couple seconds and then dim
again to normal.
Fifth – How heavy is the rest of your keys on your ring? (No kidding)
I have owned 9 wc vw’s with accumulated 820,000 miles. Never an ignition
switch problem. Have worn out several keys.
Awaiting your response.
Craig (craig…@bright.net)
Michael Hugill <Hug…@suvax1.stetson.edu> writes:
> I have a professionally installed Blaupunkt radio and trunk mounted disk
> changer. I have also melted 2 ignitions. The Blaupunkt draws less than
> eight amps (regulated thru an inline 8 amp fuse) and the whole circut is
> limited to 10 amps (10 amp radio fuse in fuse box). The set up was
> installed using a full wire harness so there was no snipping or cutting.
> I need to know what is up because VW thinks it’s the radio, but they
> can’t explain why. Is the ignition switch poorly designed or created?
> I am going in for my 3rd ignition on Tuesday and anticipate resistance
> for the dealer. One solution, to use a relay may solve the prob, if it
> is the radio, however, I need sometype of logical explanation so I can
> pursue either VW, or the installer for damages.
Surf over to
http://www.eideti.com/~emerson/vw/problem/ignition.switch.html and find
your answer, if you’re talking a 1993 or newer car…..
-Arthur (1995 GTI VR6, black, 226 miles [again!], ugly green heated seats)
*** Check out the unofficial r.a.m.vw.w GTI VR6 home page and archives ***
*** at http://www.eideti.com/~emerson/vw ***
Arthur Emerson (emer…@eideti.com) wrote:
: Michael Hugill <Hug…@suvax1.stetson.edu> writes:
: > I have a professionally installed Blaupunkt radio and trunk mounted disk
: > changer. I have also melted 2 ignitions. The Blaupunkt draws less than
: > eight amps (regulated thru an inline 8 amp fuse) and the whole circut is
: > limited to 10 amps (10 amp radio fuse in fuse box). The set up was
I have a ’91 Passat GL and the following are wired into my ignition:
Alpine CD Player
Valentine One Radar Detector
Bearcat Scanner
L.E.D. "fake alarm" warning light.
I haven’t had any kind of ignition switch problem.
Ryan
Tina Craig (craig…@bright.net) wrote:
: Michael Hugill <Hug…@suvax1.stetson.edu> writes:
: > I have a professionally installed Blaupunkt radio and trunk mounted disk
: > changer. I have also melted 2 ignitions. The Blaupunkt draws less than
: > eight amps (regulated thru an inline 8 amp fuse) and the whole circut is
: > limited to 10 amps (10 amp radio fuse in fuse box). The set up was
: > installed using a full wire harness so there was no snipping or cutting.
: > I need to know what is up because VW thinks it’s the radio, but they
: > can’t explain why. Is the ignition switch poorly designed or created?
: > I am going in for my 3rd ignition on Tuesday and anticipate resistance
: > for the dealer. One solution, to use a relay may solve the prob, if it
: > is the radio, however, I need sometype of logical explanation so I can
: > pursue either VW, or the installer for damages.
: >
: >
:
: Have some questions before I can help.
:
: First – What type of VW do you have? Is the dealer replacing the
: entire ignition switch or just the key lock/tumblers? Have they
: checked out the harness in the steering column? A poor connection
: here will cause higher heat from resistance.
:
: Second – Just to make sure, this wasn’t wired through the ignition
: switch, was it – does the radio work without the key on? It should.
: VW doesn’t run the radio through the ignition switch.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A1 and A2 ignition switches DO have provisions for an ‘accessory’ circuit.
The appropriate connection on the switch goes hot when the key is INSERTED
in the lock. It has been used as part of the seatbelt/door open warning
circuit, as well as (on later A2′s, anyways) to power the radio. As far as
I’m concerned, the radio should NOT work when the key is out of the
ignition…, dispite the fact that many after-market radio installs seem to
be done this way…
I don’t know if this pole has ever been used to power a factory radio
on A1′s, because of the many A1′s I’ve seen or worked on, none have had a
factory radio installed…
Having said this, beware: If you want to power much through this pole on
the ignition switch, I’d reccomend using a relay: I’ve fried one in my ’92
Golf from an 8 amp draw on an auxillary outlet (cigarette lighter-style
plug) which I wired through that circuit. I remember being burned that the
fuse (15 amp) which controlled this circuit was beefier than the ignition
switch… I’d like to think that whenever I put an electrical consumer on a
given circuit that the fuse will blow before any switch on that circuit…
It’s a bit of a brute to replace on the later A2 cars, because there’s a
splined adaptor on the steering column which has to be pulled off with a
‘special puller’ to get at the switch. I blew my switch up the day before my
wife and I were going on vacation… oh well.
I’d say that this pole on the switch doesn’t appear to be very beefy:
I’d put a relay in if you’ve been having
probably because it was originally designed as part of the warning cicuit,
not to power high-powered receivers. Certainly upon disassembly of the
switch it looked like it was designed to handle the amount of current a
watch-battery could produce…
so much trouble.
:
: Third – Has anyone done an amp draw test on the radio yet?
:
: Fourth – Has anyone checked the voltage regulator? If it’s off, it
: could be frying the ignition (and lots more). Had one VolReg fail
: intermittantly off, hence wild voltage (high) from alternator. The
: headlights would get *real* bright for a couple seconds and then dim
: again to normal.
:
: Fifth – How heavy is the rest of your keys on your ring? (No kidding)
:
: I have owned 9 wc vw’s with accumulated 820,000 miles. Never an ignition
: switch problem. Have worn out several keys.
Let me guess… You didn’t know about the accessory pole on the switch when
you installed your radios, right???
:
: Awaiting your response.
:
: Craig (craig…@bright.net)
–
| Drew MacPherson | d…@oz.cs.uoguelph.ca |
| Network Analyst | http://oz.cs.uoguelph.ca/~drew |
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