Rear wiper problem!!

[Crasher]

The fuse is number 42 in the drivers side dashboard fuse board.

[LiamP1985]

I literally just gave it a visual. I checked every fuse in the board and none looked blown. I’ll probably try another fuse before taking the tailgate to bits. I’ve also found out the rear screen heater, 12V sockets also not working as well so quite a few functions affected.

[Roverfan]

I literally just gave it a visual. I checked every fuse in the board and none looked blown. I’ll probably try another fuse before taking the tailgate to bits. I’ve also found out the rear screen heater, 12V sockets also not working as well so quite a few functions affected.

Visual fuse checks are only reliable if you pull the fuse out. That will let you know if the fuse is OK but with a multimeter you can check if power is getting to the fuse or if the circuit is already broken prior to it

[Roverfan]

I literally just gave it a visual. I checked every fuse in the board and none looked blown. I’ll probably try another fuse before taking the tailgate to bits. I’ve also found out the rear screen heater, 12V sockets also not working as well so quite a few functions affected.

Check fuse f42 and see if power is reaching it but if we assume these issues are all related it's looking more likely that the problem is prior to this. Namely engine compartment fuse, x contact relay, power supply control unit or the wiring between these 3 components.

[LiamP1985]

Check fuse f42 and see if power is reaching it but if we assume these issues are all related it's looking more likely that the problem is prior to this. Namely engine compartment fuse, x contact relay, power supply control unit or the wiring between these 3 components.

I’m starting to think it could be something more than the wiper motor. I’ll get it scanned and see if it comes back with any fault codes.

[VAG-Abound]

Looking at the wiring diagrams for a 2008 (yours might be a bit different...)

X-contact relief relay (J59: B9 in driver's footwell relay set) is switching supply from a big, red 50A fuse SB29 (or SB53, depending on year) in engine compartment that feeds...

• SC40: Light switching (Rear fog, front fog, dash illumination, ...)
• SC41: Rear lighter
• SC42: Rear wash / wipe
• SD38: 12V socket
• SD39: Seat and wash jet heating

Looks like a decent match to your non-working bits. Can you check the voltage on the "in" side of those fuses?

Heated rear window is fuses SA6 & SC32, then relay J9 (B5 in same relay set as above). Have you had water in that area? Horn relay is B6 - does it work? B7 & B8 washer pumps...

[LiamP1985]

Looking at the wiring diagrams for a 2008 (yours might be a bit different...)

X-contact relief relay (J59: B9 in driver's footwell relay set) is switching supply from a big, red 50A fuse SB29 (or SB53, depending on year) in engine compartment that feeds...

• SC40: Light switching (Rear fog, front fog, dash illumination, ...)
• SC41: Rear lighter
• SC42: Rear wash / wipe
• SD38: 12V socket
• SD39: Seat and wash jet heating

Looks like a decent match to your non-working bits. Can you check the voltage on the "in" side of those fuses?

Heated rear window is fuses SA6 & SC32, then relay J9 (B5 in same relay set as above). Have you had water in that area? Horn relay is B6 - does it work? B7 & B8 washer pumps...

Do you know what...the car was cleaned at the weekend including the engine bay!! The likelihood of water ingress is a high possibility. I’ll check the horn in the morning to avoid annoying the neighbours and check the engine bay fuses.

[Crasher]

Yes you have lost the X relay power, I have seen a few of these recently and the culprit has been failure of the central electrics unit command feed, I can’t remember the mounting plate terminal number but if you look at the relay you can work it out, the command is a straight 12v. I two instances of this failure I have had a nightmare with the new central electrics unit. In one case on a 3C Passat some area of the system decided to recode the ABS unit which made the car pull to the left and the steering light come on and the new box was locked and only ODIS could unlock it and my copy of ODIS was corrupted after the last so called easy update so my friend had to do it for me. Another was on a Polo 6C that another garage brought to me and that had also recoded the ABS unit but ODIS could not get past the problem and in the end it had to go to the main dealer on the instruction of their suppling TPS and it was fixed for free... they refused to tell me, the other garage and my TPS rep what the problem was.

[LiamP1985]

Yes you have lost the X relay power, I have seen a few of these recently and the culprit has been failure of the central electrics unit command feed, I can’t remember the mounting plate terminal number but if you look at the relay you can work it out, the command is a straight 12v. I two instances of this failure I have had a nightmare with the new central electrics unit. In one case on a 3C Passat some area of the system decided to recode the ABS unit which made the car pull to the left and the steering light come on and the new box was locked and only ODIS could unlock it and my copy of ODIS was corrupted after the last so called easy update so my friend had to do it for me. Another was on a Polo 6C that another garage brought to me and that had also recoded the ABS unit but ODIS could not get past the problem and in the end it had to go to the main dealer on the instruction of their suppling TPS and it was fixed for free... they refused to tell me, the other garage and my TPS rep what the problem was.

Thanks for the response. Is this a quick (cheap) fix? Is this relay behind the driver side lower dash? Any help is greatly appreciated as I’m a bit thick when it comes to electronics :-)

[Crasher]

In my experience it is not the relay that is the problem but the control signal from the central electrics unit itself. If bridging the 30 and 87 terminals restores functionality it is the J519 itself that is faulty and not commanding the relay, fitting a new relay is a quick test, it has the number 460 printed on top and is on the right at the position marked KL75

Try changing the relay, position B9