99a4Qavant1.8

Posted this on AudiWorld Forums this morning. It's my first post here as well:

We just bought a 99 a4 wagon and after noticing the cruise control didn't work, I popped the fuse panel to find 3 missing fuses: the cruise control and 2 for ABS. When I tried to insert a fuse into these slots, they all fit so loose that they would flop around or probably fall out. After searching a bit I haven't really found info particular to my car on this, although I'm sure it's out there. I did find this:
http://www.autorewire.com/tech/article/loosefuses.html

My auto repair skills are extreeemly limited to things like changing an oil filter. But, I'd like to poke around if assured that I probably wouldn't screw up the whole electrical system. How risky would it be for me to try and remove that fuse box to get a better look at it's backside? Would that be useful? If you have any experience here the advice is appreciated.

This is a replacement car for my wife's 01 cavalier that was having some problems. I settled on this audi after doing nothing but car hunting for 3 days and missing my air conditioned vw gti I gave her to drive. Now, I'm getting attached to her wagon while getting it's problems sorted out. I know it may cost a pretty penny to maintain, but the interior and body are in awesome shape and at a negotiated price of $3,300 bucks I couldn't pass it up. I've ordered a complete set of febi control arms and a complete timing belt kit from Blau (although I'd read some complaints, it seemed to have good replacement parts for my mechanic while fixing a wobbly water pump). Another issue is a sometimes working fuel guage I'm trying to decide is a sending unit or instrument cluster issue.

I posted on the fuses first as this is the subject I've found the least info on. But, if you have any advice on anything here, I'd really appreciate it. Hopefully, this gamble will pay off and this will be a nice car for my wife for at least a couple of years and hopefully more.

turbo510

Take a close look at the loose receptacles, there are some that don't have brass contacts; they may be used in other cars or countries. In any case, don't try to pull the fuse module out unless the battery is disconnected. It looks like you would need to remove the lower knee panel to get at it.

A4 cruise controls are a common trouble spot. That's the one system on my car that doesn't work.

99a4Qavant1.8

Turbo,

Thanks for the response. According to the owners manual, these slots should be used. I'd come across the cruise control problem on the forums several times too, so maybe I'll check out those other fixes. But, the fact that the manual says there should be a fuse in the exact spot where it's missing seems too obvious to ignore. Is it possible the manual could be wrong? How could I test the abs to see if that is working (since those fuses are missing for those too - according to the manual).

Has anyone else out there encountered a similar problem with loose fusebox connection?

Pete@ECSTuning

Are you certain you have CC to begin with?

99a4Qavant1.8

Chris,

Yes, I have controls for the CC on the left side of the steering column.

Pete@ECSTuning

Do you have a module up behind the glove box? It will look like a brass box about 6 x 3 x 1 with a 14(?) pin connector running to it.

I'm pretty sure you have it, but this is such a unique problem it is worth ensuring that you have the system in place. You can drop the glove box down very very easy. The two rollers on either side of the glove box are on little arms that you can easily press back with your finger to hinge the box down and out of the way to steal a quick peak.

99a4Qavant1.8

I droped out the glovebox and saw a small silver box labled something like GR-Stergerot or something (with a what might be 14 pin brown wire harness with a some wires missing) pluged into it. This box is more like 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 1. The only other wires I noticed was a thick 6 plug into something that looked like the shape of a back of a speaker (pretty sure it's not a speaker, but that's how it was shaped).

Pete@ECSTuning

Yep, that is your cruise control and the other bit sounds like you fan. So you do have it, but I've no idea why you don't have fuse leads for it. Might be time to disconnect the battery and investigate!