My first car must have been struck by lightening, then at least 3 stereo installs, even mounted speakers and amps through the gas tank with 8 holes.

Work through it, makes it even that much more enjoyable when you get to drive it!

You are funny

Chris, You should pick up that fuel pump on Rennlist before someone beats you to it

I will work though it, i was getting bummed since I have driven it one hour since taking ownership january 4th. I am kind of a perfectionist so was just making it right when I discover new issues. I was just taking the recycling, garbage out tonight and was walking back to the garage when I said to myself, what a beautiful car and smiled! The rear view of the 928 is one of the best of all cars. The 928 S4 I had was gorgeous from behind, with 9 inch tires. I need to post a pic of this S Euro soon.

It will be worth it, it runs and drives now, but the dead guages / cluster are driving me nuts. I retrofitted my 2004 A6 wih RNS-E navi, bluetooth, and sirius, and added the overhead microphones for the bluetooth in the courtesy light. . Was childs play compared to this fossil hunt for documentation and answers. You guys have been so helpful to me and you are right, I could not make heads or tails of the wiring diagrams, but as I stare at them day after day, they make more and more sense. Nowhere does it say 12M is twelve middle. But after I see 12L, 12R, it sinks in that they are referring to the pins on the cluster connector since there are 12 on my MY. 3 day weekend ahead I i hope to remove the panel and see what awaits.

Many remedial repairs for this 80 Euro. whereas my 04 A6 I taken care of and know every move it has made. Some cars may be faster than the 928, but I don't think many sound better doing it. This exhaust note is fantastic.
I digress, just trying to stay positive.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1297775063.jpg

^^^^Yes, just like that right there. Fried everything!

I got the CE panel out and from the front, J5 looked ok, but the F connector had two brown/whites and some red wires that had fried many things around them. It appears to be the point where the hot voltage and ground are joined? From the pics does this look to be true?

Pic 1 is the fried wires from Connector F on the CE. The red wires melted through the black wires and the brown / white wires which should be ground.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1297830401.jpg

pic two is at the far right of the CE and was unattached to anything.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1297830510.jpg

Pic 3 is a two pin connector coming off the V connector on the CE Panel. Was unattached, not sure where it goes with one red / one white wire.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1297830814.jpg

Pic 4 is my general fuse layout. I have found two differing charts. One at
928gt.com and seems to mention Euro where applicable. The other is a little different, and mentions instrument lights on 5, 11, 12. At the top of the page is says 79-84 928/S.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1297831055.jpg

I've removed the fuses and relays, how best to clean this thing. The wires on back are 99% good, I see one black wire burned / broken.

I think the F CE connector houses a few radio wires, a few brown white cig lighter wires, etc. The V connector wires on some equipped went to sunroof which may explain the nowhere lead.. Just thinking aloud.

I will clean up the fried section on F connector and test continuity later between cluster ground 11R , 7R to 12R illumnination. Not positive that is the problem, but it still needs addressing.

I think the two prong connector spliced to the V connector is for the optional amp system.

Its quite important to figure out what circuit is associated with each wiring burn. Its just a symptom.

Scan each diagram looking across the top for CE plug locations that begin with F. That will identify the problem circuits.

(Lots of key stuff on that F plug --- use your diagram to identify....let us know what you find.

I'm seeing glove box light, Signal from brakes, etc... Gotta find the source for each wire issue.

I found F2 4 5 6 if i recall, glove box light, cigarette lighter, radio hot red wires 3. I will cross reference with 79 and 81 for comparison as well to know to look for variances with this 80 euro.

Thanks Landseer. I put in another 2 or 3 hrs tonight. I have some new relays on the way as well. Man, the back of the CE is one massive wiring nest. The potential to burn the car to the ground is apparent. These should be in some sort of protective shell. You were right, and with various in and outs, there were wires pinched under the metal fulcrums at the base, etc. As for the scab wire at the A or B location, they sent it off as a brown wire off the black lead. I don't know where it goes but along the pass door base.. The great part is that this car was touted as needing nothing. I know better than that though

Pair of white fuse panel locator protrusions should each have a thick rubber grommet. Lifts the CE panel a bit so the wires don't rub so much on the metal supports.

I've had to strip back a lot of bundle insulation to determine if / where the melts penetrated companion wires.



Happened to me, too. $4500 for an $800 car. Didn't even haggle, thought I was getting a great deal. (impluse buy, research later) Then another $6500 to replace worn mechanical parts. Now it looks like I'm up to a $1500 car. It does run well.

Thankfully, I networked and got a free rack, pair of S4 seats for $100, 80 Euro trans for $150. Otherwise I'd have driven to the highest point here, run up a mast, and tried to get lightning to strike it a second and final blow.

In the process, I've completely mapped the 84 USA and 84 Euro plugs and learned a lot especially about electrical.

One thing I have done: no cosmetics, no stereo BS, no fancy wheels ---- until it runs soundly. Mechanical / electrical first. Budget.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1297867295.jpg

Thanks Landseer. I paid $6500. There are no dash cracks, no seat tears, and it runs / shifts well at least. Had a so so paint job, not too great but works from 10 feet. On hot starts it makes an awful diesel like rattle for 1 second. on cold starts it starts normally, but smokes 4 minutes the is totally clean. The fuel lines in above the rear wheel had some fairly heavy corrosion / rust. That is some of the only rust I find on the car.

I have dropped about $2000 on parts to date, some are proactive / upgrades. Most of the repairs I am effecting are simply my labor, such as this electrical mess.

I paid 10,700 for the S4 with great service records, was a very sound car. This Red 80S Euro is beautiful in my opinion so it will be worth it eventually.

I will try to eliminate some of the peripherals, stereo, cig lighter if possible. Maybe the intensive wash stuff. I think it would work but there is no solution and the tank is even missing one hose.

PO had 90/130W headlights in here, I am trying the Eurovision Hella bulbs 55w bulbs next... I bet they will be just as bright and less hot with fuse / relay / wire repair.

Landseer, Your dash looks like mine right now. Very driveable haha. At least I can set the 930S wheel while it is sitting there and pretend

Oh, that's drivable, ask me how I know. Better yet, here's proof!

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gQhBoH1-yXQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You weren't kidding, in the worst case, I can bolt it back together and drive at least, no guages / cluster lights.

When tracing the current on the J5 blue / black wire > 12R cluster position, it is lighted green or connected.

Does not light green on 11R (with out printed circuit loop plugged in) but does light green on the 7R cluster connector which is the other brown wire.

So these touch common place somewhere between CE J5 and the R cluster / or ground circuit. I say somewhere because, I can put a pin on J5 and one on the steering column ground and also get continuity. I can even put it on two loose RCA jacks under the stereo head unit, as well as the clock ground and get light. So aside from fried Red F CE leads, I have the above. I will likely end up having to unravel the rest of the harness sticky tape and investigate.

I will be replacing the J5 run back to the illumination cluster R12 connection at a minimum. Does anyone know what guage wire the cluster connectors have coming into them. I bought solid 18GA, inadvertently, wanted Stranded, but it is thinner than the existing stranded wires that go to the cluster. I have the cluster out and am replacing relays, waiting for a few more to come in, used DeOxit on the cluster big time, and polished everything I could. I did leave the spaghetti on the back intact. I also cleaned the 14Pin under hood post very well. I have to keep in mind that the more stuff I disassemble, I am only half-way done and at somepoint have to put everything back before it goes to neverland!

To recap, surely someone knows quickly the Cluster Harness guage wires.

Is this a real 80 Euro S 300HP? What engine number? 28/11 or 28/12?

They are metric wire sizes. Don't go thinner.

Pick-through the wires on the back of panel with a probe. The melts can happen only at a place the wires cross and be very subtle. I say this due to the scorching on your relay slots. Worth a second look


Use the 80 usa diagrams.
Am trying to post one, but it keeps blurring.

Lets try again

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1298206724.jpg

snippets


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1298208239.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1298208279.jpg

Yes, it is a M28/12. The 3sp Auto. I was spot testing the few burned wires I could see on the back of the cluster, the burned ones tested ok and I checked positive runs for ground out on the back. That was just for the visibly burned ones. I will have to check them all out. I did see some significant burns entering the wrapped looms and exiting the wrapped looms to the cluster.

I plan to either pull J5 back to the CE with a hook and some line attached. Repair, lightly lube it, and pull it back to the cluster area. This circuit is not a direct run as you stated, so hmmm not sure if it is a good plan.

The visible burns are on red wires and black wires leaving the CE panel entering the looms. They burned into at least one Brown / white wire. Afraid to unwrap these end to end and zip tie since they are such hellraisers.

I would like to at least temporarily electrically eliminate the radio, and intensive wash, rear defroster as not necessary for now.

Landseer the diagrams you sent, what specifically were you wanting me to look for / trace with those? Are the same as the cannell.co.uk 80 diagrams? I have found two sources of fuse / relay chart that are slightly different before for the same year. Thanks!

I have a few days off this week, hope to have it back together before the next weekend.