Electrial problems solved!! (I think)

[NinjaFlavour]

So after ripping my car apart and putting it back together, I think I have finally killed my electrical gremlins

I searched high and low over the forums but never really found a solution so I am posting this in the hope that it helps others out with similar problems.

I had 3 main problems:

1. Intermittent problem that caused my windscreen wipers to come on when I used the indicators, started the engine, driving along normally and sometimes when I shut the drivers door whilst the engine was running.
2. My hazard lights failed to flash whenever I locked or unlocked the car, even though it was enabled in VAG-COM and the alarm was properly arming itself.
3. My front passenger side indicator randomly decided to fail and cause that fast ticking that indicates one is not working, even though the bulb is fine.

I thought all these problems were related as they all involved the indicators, so I pulled out hazard switches and looked at replacing indicator stalks but it turned out to be 3 completely different things.

1. Intermittent windscreen wiper problem - This turned out to be a loose earth connection under the steering wheel. It was loose to the point the nut on the end was almost falling off and the 2 earth connectors were just sliding up and down the bolt, hence the ramdomness of the problem occurring.
   
   
2. Alarm hazards not flashing - This problem drove me mad for months and I couldn't figure out what was causing it. Then when I had ripped off the dashboard under the steering wheel whilst trying to fix the wiper problem above I noticed this:
   
   
   
   A BLOWN FUSE!!!! And not on in the easy to access fusebox, no SEAT decided to hide some of their fuses deep in the recesses of the dashboard behind a load of wires and relays. I replaced the 15Amp fuse and hey presto working alarm indicator flashes!
   
3. Front left indicator fault - I found out on the forum that the indicator sockets on the Leons are notoriously unreliable - I had a look at the indicator and think I found out why. The whole area was drenched in water with a pool of it round the bottom of the battery. SEAT for some reason decided to have a hole in the engine bay edge directly above the bulb holder and connector:
   
   
   
   This was then solved with some good old gaffa tape to try and stop the leak - though I'm not sure this is the sole reason for the problem but I'm fairly sure water and electricity don't mix and can't be helping it. I think people are right and these are just dodgey connections so I also sprayed some WD-40 in the connectors and bent up the terminals inside the bulb holder.

Hope some of this helps you guys!

 

[stpete]

Nice write up and well done, hope its all sorted! There are loads of those earth points all over the leon i wonder how many are just waiting to come and bite us?

 

[R69]

Nice post - very useful well done!

 

[lc_allan]

Useful stuff

 

[LEE69]

Nice one, I wonder what the other fuses under their are for?

 

[traumapat]

good job and write up

 

[JamJay]

Good job! How did you know which fuse to change?

 

[LEE69]

With the bigger "regular" fuses you can see the wire element broke through the end of it.

 

[steve_p]

I had a very similar problem with my LCR. Funky indicators and wipers and headlights etc etc.
Luckily I knew I'd just had the battery out for some ICE power cabling.
I'd not tightened up the chassis earth correctly on the right hand side of the battery under the air intake pipe.

Worried the hell out of me when it first started happening though!

 

[DPJ]

Good one!

I'd be interested to know what the other fuses ther are for.......