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Yesterday half of my electrical system decided to die without any warning.. I have a working starter motor, ignition system, indicators and headlamp flasher, but everything else seems to be dead. I haven't done anything to the electrical system recently, I've checked the fuses, plugs on the wiring loom, battery terminals and I've replaced the ignition relay, but nothing's worked.. anyone have any ideas before I spend a lot of money that I don't have at the autoelectricians?

Oh well. I gave in and took the car to the autoelectricians this afternoon. So far it's emerged that it's some kind of ignition switch and the new part will be £20.. along with the extortionate hourly rates they charge there. Just hoping they didn't take too long finding the problem

Well, that's £76 down the drain for someone to replace a switch for me.

Yay, another summer where I'm skint..

bet they did a worse job than you originally did on the headlights too - i'd pull the ignition switch cover off and inspect it real closely to make sure that's not going to go up in a puff of smoke too

I would do so, but they've glued the steering column cover in place!

Monday will consist of a trip to the autoelectricians to demand at least the £52.87 service charge back, and then to the scrappy to replace the bits of trim that they broke (and a rocker cover bolt that I sheared the head off earlier )

Screw that - you're going to have to replace parts, get full refund and press for a little compensation if you can....... at least for the hassle of having to un-glue the ignition cover (what's wrong with the perfectly good allen bolts VW supplied?) and the shock of seeing that stuff under there.

Don't let em have the screwdriver back either... hold it hostage (s'what im doing with the one belonging to this girls dad.. dopey git leaving his tools in the car on top of everything else)


EDIT -- Better idea --- write to your local newspaper seeing if they'll run an expose or at least print your 'story' on page 7 or so.... they lap that stuff up. Make sure to include lots of soundbitable bits wot they can put into pull-out boxes.

Yeah, I'll be asking for a full refund at first.. I'd be a bit heavier towards them if they were a bit chain or something, but it's two blokes in half of what used to be a filling station before taxes got the better of it. Mind you, they must be making a fortune charging that kind of labour charge, so I guess I shouldn't really feel too sorry for them.