imfinlay

Hi all,

working through some jobs on my '89 S4 (UK car), I went to swap the dashboard dimmer control for a new one I'd purchased some months ago. It's an easy job, but while doing it I moved some wiring out the way to get a stubby screwdriver in there.

I found, on the end of a bunch of wires, a taped up base for a pod switch! As I believed I had some odd foglamp behaviour, I thought maybe a PO had screwed with the wiring, but it all looked factory - proper crimps and wire sizes, no splices....

Just to diverge for a sec.... my front fogs come on OK, with the backs at the same time. I thought it was all connected to the front fog switch, hence my suspicion about the taped up switch base. Turned out that the rear fog switch was stuck on - some switch cleaner has restored normal function. Anyway, back to the plot...

I removed the top from the rear fog switch and plugged it into the newly discovered switch base. Pressed the button, and got front wash-wipe!

So, what's this all about? Did earlier cars have wash/wipe on a push button instead of the stalk? Is this a hangover from an older design?

Any ideas?

Ian

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

Ian,
I found the same thing behind the pod of my 84. Never did figure out what it did. As far as I know all my stuff works.

fraggle

I have the wash/wipe button on the bottom of the pod on my '87 S4.

Vilhuer

On '78-88 there are two small rotating wheels and two buttons on underside of pod, one pair on each side of steering shaft. Wheel on door side adjusts dash backlighting while button resets trip meter. Wheel on center console side adjusts intermediate wiper delay while button runs intensive washer system.

Intensive washer is small separate fluid container at the front of engine bay in '78-86 MY and below windshield in S4 and later models. Once its filled with fluid system will at first pump it to windshield, then add normal fluid and wipe few times. Purpose is to clean up dead bugs with condensed fluid in intensive container and then finish the operation with less heavy stuff from normal container. System was optional on early cars so some might not have this small button on center console side.

In '89 MY new dash version trip computer reset was part of digital dash reset button on center console. I think button under dash was left out on these dashes.

In '90 MY all four were moved to more easily visible spot at lower part of pod face. This was done to make them accessable while knee bolster was installed as part of preparation for airbags to all 90 MY cars even though bags were not even available until '93 MY in RHD cars on passanger side.

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

Mine was a black cylindrical connector, identical to the headlight and other pod switches. Just an extra one not connected to anything.

BrianG

IIRC the ROW cars had a switch in place of the Odometer reset button in the lowest of the 3 left-side pod holes. I think it was for the rear fog light, and perhaps something else as well... That would be what the wiring harness plug is likely for.

The odo-reset button was located somewhere else. I think on the under-side of the pod.

Mrmerlin

the taped up round connector is for the ROW rear fog lamp it goes in place of the odometer reset, some listers have added a switch and lamp for this function to work, there should also be a connector in the rear wire harness to connect to the light I am not sure where this is tho

bronto

Thank you! I was wondering what this was for.

Vilhuer

I forgot US models do not have rear fog light and have one position free for trip reset. So only one button under pod if intensive washer is installed. Now what that large lower left button does in '89 MY?

Shark Attack

What buttons do you have under there now? I have 2 buttons and 2 *****.. **** one is dash lights, **** 2 is wiper delay, button 1 is odometer reset and the other is headlight washers.. its a 79 euro

85fortheDrive

Merlin:

Yeah, thanks for the scoop on this. As vestigial as this **** connection is, I've wondered if it could contribute to the many electrical geists that happen on our instrument pod gauges and lights. Any thoughts there?

Mrmerlin

if your having light problems then the light rheostate could be the culprit given that the bulbs are all good, you might find 2 rotary wheels under the dash on either side of the steering wheel column, one is for wiper speed and the other is for the dash lights dimmer, and then possibly a little round button this is for the intensive washer to operate, toherwise if you remove the pod remove all of the lights one at a time and clean the contacts with a good pink eraser als clean the speedo contacts and any other things that you can find this lets the elex system work

imfinlay

Just for the record, on my '89 UK car the pod "big buttons" on the left are (top to bottom):

Headlamps
Front fogs
Rear fogs (only on when front fogs are on)

The "extra" switch triggered normal wash/wipe (i.e. not the intensive).

Under the pod I have a panel dimmer (which does NOT affect the pod lights, and is the one I replaced) and the intermittent wipe delay, also the intensive wash/wipe button.

Ian

michael j wright

Ian, my 82 euro also has the same set up as yours, I also found the "other" conector in mine - still have no clue!

Mike

Alan

Erkka

see this.... https://rennlist.com/forums/showpost...10&postcount=1

probably US only since ROW woul have rear fog here...
so where was wash on a Euro (stalk as normal)? what about US '89 no stalk washer?

Alan