New MkV GTi Owner — Front wipers not working... please help!

[SuperFrank]

Hello all,

I recently bought my 55 plate 5 door GTi and have found the front wipers not to be working. Having done a brief search on the forum here I've checked my bonnet is closed properly and, although I'm not sure exactly what fuse is related to the front wipers, have check through all mine (inside driver's door and engine bay next to battery) and they all seem fine. Does anyone have a fuse box diagram layout so I can isolate the exact fuse in question?

My front washers work, my rear washers and wiper also works, it's just the front wipers that don't. They also don't want to move freely if I try to slide them manually. I have a rain sensor in the windscreen.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

[SuperFrank]

Please ignore — newbie alert — there was a missing fuse in slot 31. Wipers now work fine. As you were... 

[JoshB]

I was looking through my fuse box the other week and noticed the confusing layout vs the book. Because we’ve got left hand drive cars, the fuse box is a complete mirror image of what’s in the book.

Have you got a multi-meter? Have the wipers ever worked?

[SuperFrank]

Hi Josh
I'd replied to my original post earlier but think it still needs approval from a moderator to appear; I found that fuse 31 was missing and have since put a 25 amp fuse in it and... hey presto! All's well. A newbie mistake!

[pudding]

Makes you wonder why the previous owner removed it.  Usually always to hide a fault.

[SuperFrank]

I did wonder this, myself...

A couple of other things to note is that my lights are always on if the car's running, along with the front indicators. Indicators flash as normal but front ones stay always on when not indicating. Is this a possible change made via VAGCOM or whichever software is used when plugged in to OBD, hoping I can revert it back to normal?

I've also got a rear electric window switch not working (window works fine when controlled from driver switch) and the front passenger door doesn't seem to lock.

[pudding]

He's done the using the indicators as DRLs mod, which is easily reversible with VCDS.  Who wants orange DRLs? Never understood that. It just looks the indicators are broken.

The dipped beams should only be on during the day in 'Auto' mode, providing it's dark enough.  If they're on in bright sunlight, something not right there.  A bad rain/light sensor perhaps.

Electric window switch failure is common, they get wet and short out if people open the window when it's raining.  The cheap copies on Amazon are actually pretty good.

Doors not locking or unlocking can either be a bad latch module (common), or a break in the wire harness (less common).

[SuperFrank]

Thanks. Really appreciate the response, very informative. I'll be taking a look.

[JoshB]

Glad it was just a simple fuse.
Mines got a few electrical gremlins so it could just be a similar age thing on yours. Just check battery terminals for corrosion/cleanliness and all the main fuse connections just to the right of it. Clean up your earth cables etc.
I’ve noticed my lights are always on in Auto, if I park up and leave the indicator on the corresponding sidelight stays on and my rear wiper likes to turn itself on when I start the car!

[pudding]

Glad it was just a simple fuse.
Mines got a few electrical gremlins so it could just be a similar age thing on yours. Just check battery terminals for corrosion/cleanliness and all the main fuse connections just to the right of it. Clean up your earth cables etc.
I’ve noticed my lights are always on in Auto, if I park up and leave the indicator on the corresponding sidelight stays on and my rear wiper likes to turn itself on when I start the car!

The Gremlins are attacking us all.  On the way in to work this morning, my sunroof decided to tilt itself up and down a few times, completely randomly!  Bad switch I'm thinking there.

Interesting, my lights don't come on in 'Auto' mode unless it's dark enough.  Screen fitters do like to feck up the gel pack sensor though.

I thought the sidelight staying on with the indicator stalk down (car off) was standard on Golfs since the MK2?  It's a Euro parking safety thing. I.e. if the car is parked on a street, they like to leave the front and rear sidelights on for visibility.

[GVK]

Yeap, the sidelight thing is ok.

[SuperFrank]

He's done the using the indicators as DRLs mod, which is easily reversible with VCDS.  Who wants orange DRLs? Never understood that. It just looks the indicators are broken.

The dipped beams should only be on during the day in 'Auto' mode, providing it's dark enough.  If they're on in bright sunlight, something not right there.  A bad rain/light sensor perhaps.

Electric window switch failure is common, they get wet and short out if people open the window when it's raining.  The cheap copies on Amazon are actually pretty good.

Doors not locking or unlocking can either be a bad latch module (common), or a break in the wire harness (less common).

Sorry to keep bumping this post when my initial query has been resolved — I've ordered a rear window switch, thanks. I've just gone out to the car and the front passenger door now IS locking fine, not sure what happened before. I've only had a 3 door mk4 before so not clear on how the central locking works. It appears that, pressing the unlock button once opens the driver's door only. Long pressing it a second time opens all doors. Long pressing the lock button then locks all doors. Or something to that description... I can see from the manual that it's possible to change the remote central locking settings to either unlocking one or all doors at a single press, so maybe a change has been made there. Not sure why my front passenger was open when all others were locked yesterday, though.

[pudding]

MK4 and MK5 door locks operate the same way.  They both use an electronic actuator module to unlock/lock the door and both only open the drivers door from the fob by default. 

You can indeed use VAG-COM to turn that feature off and open all locks with one click.

Worth also noting on the MK5: a long hold of the lock button does a full closure (all windows and sunroof).

[ttelracs]

Glad it was just a simple fuse.
Mines got a few electrical gremlins so it could just be a similar age thing on yours. Just check battery terminals for corrosion/cleanliness and all the main fuse connections just to the right of it. Clean up your earth cables etc.
I’ve noticed my lights are always on in Auto, if I park up and leave the indicator on the corresponding sidelight stays on and my rear wiper likes to turn itself on when I start the car!

I'm so glad someone else has a rear wiper that comes on when I start the car, especially if it's a slightly longer crank than normal.  And then sometimes it won't work at all until the next day.