Polo major electrical fault

cynide89
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Polo major electrical fault

Post by cynide89 »

Ok, im going to start at the begining.

The main problem im having is that every now and then when i start my TDI sportline (2005) and drive a few metres, all of a sudden my power steering, and my ABS stop working, and the steering and ABS lights up in the cluster. I switch the car off, and back on again, and the problems gone. but my clock and tripometer have gone back to zero.
This doesnt happen everytime, usually once a day at diffrent times. So far its only happened twice while i was actually driving around (scary stuff).

Also when it does cut the steering, if my head unit is on, that switches off for a few seconds.
Some on the forum suggested it was the battery, and that it was not giving enough charge,and was comfuzing the ECU. I went to battery centre, and the guy said that the power steering thing was something he sees often in polos when the battery is dieing. tested it, and it was just touching the "bad" area on the aperatus.
So i replaced the battery, and for a week the problem disapeared. then came back again.
Iv had an after market head unit installed before the problem started, so wondering if that could be the cause. Also find that if i switch my hazards lights on, and an interior light on, the interior lights dims as the hazards flash..which makes me think dieing battery.
Had a guy at FRC plug his laptop into the car, and he said that he was picking up an error that he had never seen before, so he cleared all the errors
Still have the problem tho. and dont know what to do!!

Could something be draining the battery?
Last edited by cynide89 on Wed Aug 04, 2010 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by MeanTdi »

This is what I would do:
Check battery cables are tight and clean. Check the earth that goes to the engine/gearbox. Check if battery is healthy.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by cynide89 »

last night i went down to my car, tryed to start, and dead! nothing at all no cluster lights nothing, couldnt even use the central locking. tryed a few more times, then suddenly everything came to life and it started.

Drove home, power steering and ABS cut in my drive way, so is switched off, tried to restart, and flat dead again. this morning i had to jump it. went straight to battery centre. they checked the battery(which is 2 weeks old) and the alternator, all fine. all cables and earthing are fine too. Even attacked the earth with a wire brush to make sure it was clean.
The guy recons its my ECU thats faulty. :cry:
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by panic-mechanic »

No that will be bullsh!t - not ECU. There is something that is cutting the entire power supply. SO it will be either a bad connection between the battery and the main fuse box or the main fuse box to ignition. These cars have a fused link on top of the battery or main fuse soemwhere - check those for a bad connection. If that is Ok then the next possibility is the ignition switch itself. Don't let people tell you it's the ECU. the ECU does not control power to the entire car and that is what is dying - EVERYTHING gets shut off form your description so it must be a major supply with a break.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by VGTI »

cynide89 wrote:last night i went down to my car, tryed to start, and dead! nothing at all no cluster lights nothing, couldnt even use the central locking. tryed a few more times, then suddenly everything came to life and it started.

Drove home, power steering and ABS cut in my drive way, so is switched off, tried to restart, and flat dead again. this morning i had to jump it. went straight to battery centre. they checked the battery(which is 2 weeks old) and the alternator, all fine. all cables and earthing are fine too. Even attacked the earth with a wire brush to make sure it was clean.
The guy recons its my ECU thats faulty. :cry:

Thing with these cars are that it has many earth connections, have they checked all of them? That's why I suggested in my PM that you speak to Morne, he will be able to point them all out to you...
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by cynide89 »

iv only check the earth lead from the batttery to the chassis. since yesterday i havent had any problems, but is only been a day. not sure where the other earth points are, and Hatfield is a long way from Durban.

Stopped at my mechanic this morning, the guy seriously knows his stuff, services all the honda owners club cars in Natal. He also said that the battery centre guys are talking kak, its not the ECU. I showed him a video i took of the problem happening, and he immediately said its my alternator, the brushes are worn, and thats causing it to not always charge up the battery properly. So when i start up its using most of the batteries power to start the engine, and thats why theres no power for the ABS and power steering.
If the problem comes back, which im sure it will, i send it in to him, and get to check the earths, and replaces the brushes.

Will let u guys know what happens.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by VGTI »

cynide89 wrote:iv only check the earth lead from the batttery to the chassis. since yesterday i havent had any problems, but is only been a day. not sure where the other earth points are, and Hatfield is a long way from Durban.

Stopped at my mechanic this morning, the guy seriously knows his stuff, services all the honda owners club cars in Natal. He also said that the battery centre guys are talking kak, its not the ECU. I showed him a video i took of the problem happening, and he immediately said its my alternator, the brushes are worn, and thats causing it to not always charge up the battery properly. So when i start up its using most of the batteries power to start the engine, and thats why theres no power for the ABS and power steering.
If the problem comes back, which im sure it will, i send it in to him, and get to check the earths, and replaces the brushes.

Will let u guys know what happens.
Ok yes Durban is a long way from Bryanston...

I very much doubt it is the alternator... how many km has the car done? If it was the alternator it would stop charging and you won't be able to start it at all.



Your symptoms point to a break in connection and not a loss in power...
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

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milage= 135 000
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by panic-mechanic »

Not seen one of those alternators give trouble just like that. The fact that a mechanic knows tons about a honda doesn't mean he can just by looking at a video diagnose a problem on a VW. The fact that it happens suddenly and everything dies again points to me to a break in the curcuit rather than a low battery/charging issue.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by cynide89 »

Anyone know where i can find the earthing points??
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by GtiDog »

Hey dude...

To me it all points to a bad earth leak or open connection, like when you had the aftermarket radio installed, some wires are not closed down propperly etc.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by MK2 G60 »

There is earthes on the chasssis leg behind air box and then also remove all the positive conections on the fuse box and clean then all and tighten then plz and recheck.
The ecu's shut down for one of two reasons and that is too low poer or to high and errors will be recorded.
I have not seen a alt give problems on the polos as yet.
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Re: Polo gti power steering problems

Post by shaney-gti »

Hi guys new here so bear with me, i have a 2007 polo gti and the power steering light comes on and cuts the power steering off, took the car to a dealership they ran a diagnostic test and told me the battery was low, they removed the battery and charged ot for an hour, put it back the car was fine, drove out the dealership 20mins later same story light bak on power steering cut off, called the dealership and they say the power steering pump seems to be the problem, any advice need help thanks
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by Msendo »

:mad: criminals attempted to still my 2007 polo gti. They broke in and removed fuses, some were burnt, they broke open the ignition covers and also opened the fuses under the steering wheel. I came back before th cuold drive off. They had opened all the windows, how am not sure because I had the keys. Now since the incident I have problems with electronics, including the powered steering pum that won't work. Also the ABS warning light has problems and my insurance refused to attention to them. Can these be linked in any way to the attempted theft, given that they started soon afterwards? I have since fixed other think things except the steering pump. Please advise.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by Junzo »

Hi Guys

I have a polo 1.2 tsi. Recently been having issues where my car switches on and off while the engine is running. Had to put in a new battery however it still does the same thing. It started to give a whole lot of warning lights and the headlights would switch on on its own without me having to turn it on. I have done a daignostics and cleared the few errors that have picked up, and it still does the same. Today i have noticed it only did that when i turned the headlights and fogs on.

Can anyone advise??
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by nolan.chettiar »

Junzo wrote:Hi Guys

I have a polo 1.2 tsi. Recently been having issues where my car switches on and off while the engine is running. Had to put in a new battery however it still does the same thing. It started to give a whole lot of warning lights and the headlights would switch on on its own without me having to turn it on. I have done a daignostics and cleared the few errors that have picked up, and it still does the same. Today i have noticed it only did that when i turned the headlights and fogs on.

Can anyone advise??
Are there any other lights besides the power steering light on?


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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by Junzo »

No i dont get the power steering light. Faulty window wiper fault comes up and the coolant light. I notice it only does this when i switch headlights/ fogs on
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by Craigo1985 »

Howsit boet I am having the same issue, did you ever get this checked out? find a solution?
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by SMK »

My polo doing exactly the same any feedback on what it could be I'm at my wit's end
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by Rampang »

Good Day Guys, new to the group. I have the same issue...ABS light on and handbrake light flashing... car would shut down and come back on again......I cleaned the fuses on top of battery all check out ok. Cleaned earth strap running from battery to the body. Cleaned both battery thermenals....... Lights still on.
Have anyone ever fixed or get to the cause or solution of this common problem? Any other suggestions on how to fix this problem would be appreciated. Seems that not even the dealer is capable of solving this one.
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by DieDagBreekBlou »

POSSIBLE SOLUTION:

Seems this is a recurring issue which seems to become more and more predominant. I will post the possible solution which I came across, further down below for public scrutiny (and possibly to help others)

My trusty 2009 Polo Classic 1.9 tdi (210 000km) started experiencing similar problems roughly 3 months ago (as most on this thread at the same time).

Scenario: This happens now and again, at any given time of the day and sort of "self fix" itself for a few weeks/month and then recurs again. I switch on the car, a few seconds later, I get 3 pong sounds coming from dash/cluster. Unfortunately, since I am reversing, I dont really have time to REALLY look at which lights are blinking (at the risk of driving into the carport behind me). However, it seems to be the (!) handbrake light as well as the light above it. Then the car resets the clock and all the cluster lights goes dead and restarts magically after a few moments (sometimes a minute or two later). It does not switch off the car. The battery is NOT the problem, since I have one of those batteries with the "green eye" which shows when the battery is dead. I have changed the battery as WELL as one of the battery clamps, which SEEMED to have sorted the problem (but did not). The problem is recurrent and unanticipated. I did, however SOMETIMES at night notice that the headlights SLIGHTLY dim each time the hazards or flicker light is blinking.

However, today it did exactly the same again. 3 Pong sounds with the same "mechanical fault" lights on the cluster coming on for a brief moment and the electronic watch and tripmeter (not odometer) resetting itself. The only difference is that this time the battery is 100% perfect (the green "eye" is bright green) and even the battery trickler showed its 100% charged. The challenge is that I made the mistake of driving around the house and switching it off when getting close to the front door to get the kids in the car. I did not lock the car, but when putting the key back in the ignition, the time and odometer in the cluster were working as per usual, but the moment I turned the key to get the electrical on, the LCD digits of the odometer blinks weird (as in only showing a PART of each digit) and/or being completely DEAD and the clock and tripmeter goes dead and resets itself. The interior light is off, there is not enough power to open the electrical windows, the central locking does not work, but the diesel needle seems to WANT to rise and the dashboard/cluster signs WANT to go on and then goes off and resets the clock and everything goes blank. When switching off, the Odometer reading comes back eventually. You can hear the familiar soft "click" sounds coming from behind the cluster/dash which normally is heard when the central locking is engaged/unengaging or when the glowplug solenoid switches on or off. However, the central locking does NOT push down or up when pushing the lock/unlock button on the key. The boot does not electronically open when pressing the button on the bootlid, even though you can hear the faint kicking in of the solenoid in the front of the car.

In essence, it is like the car has electricity, but waaaay too LITTLE electricity. So this clearly points to voltage leaking (but which does not drain the battery) or a loose connector which does not permit enough voltage/amps to reach whichever part needs enough voltage.

Ok, so I googled around a LOOOOT and had to search MULTIPLE keywords, so HOPEFULLY this post from the UK might help us all (PLEASE LET THE TECHNICAL MINDED GIVE THEIR INPUTS).

According to how I had to google it to try and understand the technical side, it seems like a thing like an "electrolytic capacitor" serves the function to control the voltage (or amps) released in any specific scenario. It is used normally in AC/DC functions, but is used in cars as well. Apparently these electrolytic capacitors have a certain life expectancy of 10 years or more, although some might fail early or last longer. Heat is a MAJOR issue, as some of them contain material that can leak/evaporate over time and/or melt the casing which causes failure. According to user "Rhys Drummond", he experienced a similar type of challenge with his 2004 Polo. He mentioned it on another post on 4 Sept 2021 on volkswagenforum (I dont want to get banned, so unsure if I am permitted to share links).

He solved the problem by fixing the electrolyic capacitor in the following way:
" Easy fix.
1. There was an electrolytic capacitor which had 2 dry joints. It was also swollen- replaced.
2. Both connectors had multiple dry solder joints. Take your time, use flux gell, get some good heat in and get some quality solder joint repairs happening. Solder them all.
We have a working car again!"

As mentioned, please dont ban or remove my post if mentioning other forum's posts. Just trying to help here!
A simply "please dont do that" would be suffice, since I myself still have to try and sort this problem myself, and would appreciate any person's feedback, since I am a bit in the bundus where people who work on electronics, are a bit scarce :)


Anyways...It might just be worth mentioning that Google searches does mention that the Electrolytic Capacitor itself might have the plastic insulation melt or have the material inside the casing leak/evaporate. So it might be required to replace the EC rather than simply welding the ports that join to the circuit.

So, thats my 20 cents worth. Hope its good enough for a newbie :P

Nonetheless, criticism or other opinions are more than welcome! It seems odd that a LOT of people are ALL of a sudden experiencing the EXACT same thing (which might show to the fact that the "life expectancy" of a certain part (such as an EC) might be the issue here.

PLEASE, if ANYONE sees it DOES work (for those of you living in cities where there ARE IT guys or Autoelecs who can sort this out, PLEASE let the rest of us know. Even after your problem is solved, there are others who would inevitably run into the same issue later on. So please "post it" to "pay it forward"
;)

Thanks!
:)
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1990's Toyota Corrolla 1.6 Auto (A complete dud -> thank heavens she is sold, even though it was below market value)
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by VGTI »

Where do we find this flux capacitor? My 2004 Polo is still fine... did the above somewhere in it's life and it turned out the battery's green eye wasn't very green.

Never the less, it sounds like a bad connection somewhere maybe even that capacitor... :o
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by DieDagBreekBlou »

OK, quick update.

Took my Polo tdi to an official VW workshop and they connected it to the computer (heck, it ONLY cost R 1 000! :eek: ).

Guess what. NOTHING was picked up, apart from the system telling us that "the power dropped", DUH!

LUCKILY the head of the workshop did mention that they did previously SOMETIMES pick up where the Polo clusters have "Dry Solder" problems (where the soldering on the circuits over time become "damaged" and therefore generate problems with connection. They have experienced it sometimes with ABS issues, other times with other warning lights displaying.

Now, the shock. They previously DID solve it by replacing the cluster. The only problem is, it costs about R 9 000 for a new cluster, then another hour's work as well as connecting it to the VW computer system to reset the security settings and transfer the Odometer readings into the new cluster. So it works out at roughly R 11 000! :eek:

The only challenge is that should it be a "dry connector" issue somewhere else OR if the electrolytic capacitor (which generates the problem) is located elsewhere, you have just wasted ZAR 11 000.

NONETHELESS, I found an auto-electrician who has apparently repaired clusters before, so I am on a waiting list (he is very busy) to see if he can resolder the connectors. Luckily replacing the cluster with a second hand one and reprogramming would work out less than R 1 800.

So, hope it helps the rest of the forum members, especially since this issue (and post) has been reported on for quite a few years now. :)
Current Vehicles:
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VW Caravelle Kombi 1.9tdi
1980's Toyota Land Cruiser Station Wagon (my bundu's farming vehicle)


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1990's Toyota Corrolla 1.6 Auto (A complete dud -> thank heavens she is sold, even though it was below market value)
1990's Toyota Corrolla 1.6 Manual (Sadly stolen)
Ce1991
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by Ce1991 »

Hi All,

I have a Polo 1.2TSI and experience the below issues:
- cluster switches off/goes dead while driving, then comes back on
- "Faulty Wipers" warning pops up then goes away
- "Coolant Warning" then goes away
- I also hear a a trickling "water" noise at the coolant reservoir when i switch the car off

I would appreciate any assistance. Thank you
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Re: Polo major electrical fault

Post by B29_747 »

Hi all,

So I've been having the same issue.
I've narrowed down my issue. I can use anything in the car, but as soon as i switch on my headlights, that's when the cluster resets or glitches.

So I've spoken to Avionics here at my work.
When headlights come on the back lighting on the cluster comes on and that's where the problem sits.
We have opened up and found dry joints on the top circuit board. Unfortunately it's a double circuit board and haven't stripped it apart as it is tricky with the needles on the cluster.

I'm sending my cluster in to get repaired and fix all the dry joints and maybe also replace all the capacitors.

I'll keep you guys posted on the outcome

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