Multiple Electrical Failure

[ChillOut]

Can anyone suggest a single cause for the following which have all stopped working at the same time:

Climatronic - totally dead, no display
Horn
Steering Controls for radio and cruise control
Heated Seats
Near Side only door mirror heating (Motors & OS heating all OK)
Rear Screen heater
"Oil Sensor Workshop" Warning showing (Oil level OK and driven 150 miles towing since it came on, so no genuine oil pressure or level issue)

Nothing else that I am aware of.

I have checked all fuses for these functions and all OK.

[ChillOut]

Further info:-

This happened a few miles after being parked up following heavy rain - the plenum chamber was blocked and had some water in it - not deep (1-2cm max (when I looked an hour after the rain stopped)).

There is no sign of water ingress to the car, so I sort of dismissed this as a cause, but where is the "convenience unit" if was looking for it to see if it was damp?

[vwturbo]

passenger foot well,under carpet,if you type in the search option above there are some posts about the convenience unit,hth

[snapdragon]

mice chewing wires?
These problems seem unrelated.

[martin1810]

Can anyone suggest a single cause for the following which have all stopped working at the same time:

Climatronic - totally dead, no display
Horn
Steering Controls for radio and cruise control
Heated Seats
Near Side only door mirror heating (Motors & OS heating all OK)
Rear Screen heater
"Oil Sensor Workshop" Warning showing (Oil level OK and driven 150 miles towing since it came on, so no genuine oil pressure or level issue)

Nothing else that I am aware of.

I have checked all fuses for these functions and all OK.

Have you checked relay plate relays and fuses. Climatronic, radio etc may be a bus fault which will be picked up on a scan. Check water hasn't got in on driver side. Helps if you say what model/engine etc

[ChillOut]

Martin, et al: B5 130 TDi Variant Manual 2005.

I must be getting lazy - I have not checked to see if there is feed to the relevant fuses, but a common supply failure seems most likely to my mind - I wondered if there was a common buss fuse hidden somewhere, but I am told not.

However, I have entrusted the car to my local VW specialist today - So I will be handing out prizes for the best guess as to what the problem is .
(Virtual prizes of course )

Two more facts:-

1 The steering indicator control stalk MF switch was replaced 10 days ago (by the VW specialist). Perhaps they disturbed some wiring - its not a million miles away from the fuse box)

2 An odd symptom - the reported MPG has improved 20% since this ocurred. It cannot be a cooindence. Nice if it was genuine, but I doubt it.

[ChillOut]

Hmm, slightly red faced; It was in fact a fuse but fuse 7 or 8 I think, not the fuse any of the actual items that were faulty, but something which supplied some sort of control item for each.

In short, if you have an electrical failure, forget the fuse key card; check every fuse one by one.

Cost me, but it did mean I found a blocked plenum chamber in the process, so may have saved myself worse grief down the line.

[Toonmania]

well at least you've found the fault and it wasn't too expensive

[yaman]

Yes Yes, all well and good.
BUT!!
Why did the fuse blow in the
first place, my dear Watson?

Regards
Jim

[Toonmania]

Yes Yes, all well and good.
BUT!!
Why did the fuse blow in the
first place, my dear Watson?

Regards
Jim

aaah!!! their lies the million doller question WHY??
if you can find the answer to why, then you have found the answer to the problem (so why did it blow?)