MXHowes

This is a late model year 98 A4 AHA
Last week I posted about this problem......... slowly losing all the power to my headlights, turn signals, wipers, horn and climate control blower. These items are operated by the load reduction relay which is energized by the ignition switch.

The relay checked out OK on a bench test and probing the connections on the relay's panel I found that there was no power from the ignition switch (in the 'on' position) on terminal 8/86. Ignition switches seem to be a weak point in the Audi's so I went ahead and put in a new one and presto....... no change, I still have the same problem.

So back to square one..... I plan on exposing & probing the back of the ignition switch to see if I do indeed have power coming out of the switch on terminal 75 which should go to the load reduction relay. If not, why?, I did install a new ignition switch. If yes, then there must be a wiring problem.

If you have any information which may help me track down this problem please post it.

I am also wondering if the alternator could have something to do with this. Just before I started to have these problems, my alternator light came on after start up. If you rev it up a little the light goes out, and the system is at 14+ volts like it should be once the light goes out. One of the wires from the ignition switch does go to the alternator, could this possibly have something to do with it?

Jim