Crafter - electrical shutdown

[jhenry]

Hello, I am looking for help with a problem I am having with my 2010 Crafter.I bought it in 2013 and don't really know the history. About two months after I bought it this problem first appeared. What happens is when you are driving along suddenly most of the electrics shutdown. I loose wipers, indicators, headlights (have dips), radio and the dashboard goes blank. If I stop the engine and restart everything is ok.
This would happen once every couple of months and my garage could not find the problem but now in the last few days it is happening every 10 miles or so. Anybody got any ideas?

[Steven nappa]

Hi have same electric shutdown when driving .Dash stops working and interior light comes on did you fix it thanks

[jhenry]

Sorry Steven, I had no joy, the fault could not be traced , a lot f work was done and components changed but no joy. The only other thing I did not try was to replace the ignition switch.

[philipharmes]

" Dash stops working and interior light comes on "


That is what would normally happen when you turned off the ignition switch.

Maybee you have an intermittent ignition switch contact or perhaps one of the relays it controls is intermittent.

[VAG-Abound]

Without looking at the wiring diagram my guess would be what is know as the X-relief or load-reduction relay, which removes power from various components to aid starting current, is opening when it shouldn't. Either a poor connection in the path of main current flow which it controls, or the signal wire to keep it closed. Or the relay itself damaged of course.

[Steven nappa]

Thanks for for reply jhenry has van still got prob .
Vag -abound sorry mate I don’t speek Klingon you need to speek English I am not a Machanic . What relay were is it .
If I can find it I can test it cheers .
Also if I turned of ignition engine would turn of steering lock would engage and van would be in bush mr philipharmes cheers

[VAG-Abound]

If pre-Spring 2009 with 14 relays in two rows under driver seat take a look at positions 1 & 2.
If later than that with 26 positions in three rows try 2, 3 & 7.

The steering lock is mechanical, so like philipharmes said an electrical break in the ignition could explain light coming on as if key is turned to off.

[NextStop]

I know this is an old thread but if anyone is having the issues described (wiper, dash, indicators, electric windows, horn failing with the interior light coming on) then time how long it takes from starting your van for the electrics to drop. Mine was failing after 15 minutes exactly, VW had no clue to what was causing it and spend 5 weeks buggering about (that's another story), but if you follow the wiring diagram, all the items that failed went back to one connector on the ignition switch (mines a 2010 model), asked them to replace it and that sorted my problem. Expensive part to replace but fixed it for me.

Hopefully this will help others.

Cheers
<M>

[Crasher]

Thank you, I know little about Crafters (too big to get in the workshop doors) so it is nice to learn something.