96 Cabriolet. Has anybody had problems with there rear wiring looms from the wing up the hinge into the boot lid? Mine failed the MOT for a fog light not working. Tracked this back the wiring loom. Sheath was undamaged but when I disected the sheath carefully I found all 8 wires completely severed. This inspired me to check the otherside and in that 5 out of 8 wires were snapped. Each loom £112+ vat or £300 fitted. Audi view expected wear and tear. Not happy, have failed to answer question about fire risk possed.
This is the same failure that was essentially a 100 percent guarantee of 'when' rather than 'if' in the T44 series. Caused a number of seemingly unrelated symptoms including dash lights failing.
T> 96 Cabriolet. Has anybody had problems with there rear wiring looms
Patty, Fire risk? How much current are those small wires carrying? I've heard about many, many flexing-induced wire breaks in the door hinges and trunks for our Audis - but I've never heard of a fire from them. Now if you're talking about Bose rear speaker amps in Audi 200/V8's, there were a few fires as I recall (no pun intended), before Audi began to address the problem. I would have to ask why, after discovering the breaks in the wires, someone would spend 2x£300 for looms when you could simply repair the break with decent wire, crimp connectors, a set or ratchet crimpers and maybe some heat shrink tubing to make it look pretty? Cheers! Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ - BTDT with the driver's door - that was already repaired _at least_ once by a previous owner
1980 Audi 5k - very few flexing wires, aka very few "features"
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - engine and radio have power wires, very little else (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
The message from "Steve Sears" contains these words:
Shouldn't matter. The fuses are there to protect the circuit from melting under overload so there's little fire risk unless it's a really high current device. Few cars have the starter motor in the boot lid...
"" wrote: > The message > from "Steve Sears" contains > these words: > > > Fire risk? How much current are those small wires carrying? > > Shouldn't matter. The fuses are there to protect the circuit > from > melting under overload so there's little fire risk unless it's > a really > high current device. Few cars have the starter motor in the > boot lid... > > -- > Skipweasel. > Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."
5 amp Wire, 18 strands supplying a 21W load, each strand therefore carries 0.28A. 21W bulb requires current 21/12 = 1.75A. Therefore using simple logic a minimum 7 strands to carry the load without causing heating beyond the wires design capability. As each strand snaps the remaining wires will be heated more, until potentially that wire melts and snaps or worse still remain intact producing excessive heat therefore heating the insulation. The circuit is protected by a 15A fuse. This will only blow if it sees a load of 180W which is most unlikely as the bulb in the circuit will limits any fault current or the live side of circuit is makes contact with earth. The only way this wire would do that is if the earth wire has also snapped, although in the case of the left hand this had happend is is less likely as is is a higher guage wire. I hasten to add no fuses blew. The only way to gurantee excessive heating could not have occured is if a single stand of the wire designed to carry
0.28A can carry 1.75A.
Seems reasonable. However, in my experience of wires breaking in the hinge between body and bootlid they never actually seem to melt. I've had it happen in quite a number of cars over the years.
Pat, Your theories may be valid, but IME with broken wires in the driver's door, even a wire between the window switches and the window motor will not catch the insulation on fire if holding on by a single strand. Sure, there will be arcing and all sorts of funny errant current in the car's electrical systems when there are broken wires - as shown in many Type 44's when a license plate bulb burns out and the dash lights don't come on, or type 43's where corrosion in the turn signal housing causes the dash lights to flash - but I dare say that I have yet to hear about a single car burning up because of broken wires in the trunk lid or door jambs. The Bose speaker fires were something different - involving the failure of components of the amplifier which was mounted the rear speakers. See:
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can also see the response of Audi (of America)...or, rather, nonresponse. They dragged their heels on the issue while companies like Nissanrecalled their Bose equipped cars. Look at the pictures - now that's afire!!!....but it doesn't have anything to do with work-hardened wires.My suggestion is that if you have a good light bulb in the car that won'tcome on, or an electrical feature that doesn't get power - it's time to digout the multimeter and a set of good crimping tools and check the hingeareas of all doors and the trunk lid. Use the Bentley Manual wiringdiagrams to help you trace things. Remember that if it's something like asunroof motor that's away from the doors, it may still be powered throughthe driver's door jamb.If you spent $$$+ buying an Audi wiring harness......well......the money'sspent - don't expect Audi to comp you a harness or two.Cheers! Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
"patty" wrote in message news:1_646236 snipped-for-privacy@autoforumz.com...
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