Horn ring fails and shorts the stalks wiring

[DJPremier]

So I was pulling into a local carpark. As I turned the wheel into a space there was a sort of crunching sound at the back of the steering wheel, followed shortly by puffs of toxic smoke from under the steering column cowling! A hasty switch off and a short push followed. Disassembly and investigation The brass ring on the rear of the wheel had worn through suddenly and spectacularly, and the resulting loose strip of brass had created a short. Everything else looks OK apart from one wire on the stalks wiring which clearly took the brunt and has some nicely melted insulation along its visible length. My question is:

What is this wire (check link below for pics) and where does it go to inside the dash loom. It needs replacing, end to end ideally. Not sure if its replacement can easily be inserted into the connector to the stalks?

Also, how do I change the brass horn ring. The wheel is a leather Golf Gti campaign four button small spline. Not obvious how it fits and I don't want do do any damage.

Pics of the carnage

https://goo.gl/photos/1cnLdJj5T1kA6gE49

All guidance and opinions welcome at this stage!

Dave V

[DJPremier]

OK. Solved the horn ring replacement A a spare wheel offered up 321.419.662A and after some shenanigans getting the wiring through the little slotted hole that's sorted.

Just the nasty melty stalks wire to sort out then :-/

DV

[james butler]

if you look in the breaking section you might find someone can sort you out that section of loom for next to nothing.
because that looks quite nasty you can be pretty sure its like it all the way from power source down to earth and at some point in the future will cause more issues.

[steve bain]

That's pretty harsh. Just solder a new length in wire in. Job done.

[PeteGLi]

You could probably cut it out completely, as it is the passenger side parking light circuit.
It is a grey/black wire, about 40 to 50 cm long, and it runs from the plug in your picture up to the main headlight switch, where it is crimped with another grey/black wire into the terminal marked 58L.
That other grey/black wire runs to pin B27 on the back of the fuse box, passes internally through fuse number 7 and exits out the back through pins E9 and C4 running to the left rear taillight and front sidelight bulbs respectively.
If you do decide to cut it out completely, don't cut the wrong wire on the headlight switch, or you will lose the passenger side sidelights!

[DJPremier]

Awesome advice fellas. Thanks a ton.

I take it then that there is no way to get new wire attached into the stalks connector end, cos that end is badly toasted and ideally I wouldn't like to re use. Though if the conductor is fine I guess I could solder join new cable to it and cover with heartshrink? Failing that go with jointing in a whole section from another loom.

Mines a storm so it has early MFA stalks. Does that limit things on loom replacement type for that connector? I assume not if it's for lights.

Dave

[james butler]

Mines a storm so it has early MFA stalks. Does that limit things on loom replacement type for that connector? I assume not if it's for lights.

Dave

i wouldnt have thought it makes a difference as long as you source the loom from a vehicle with a similer spec
you only need the one bit of loom that goes between the stalk and its source.

you could repair it but i personally would change it while you have it apart even if its a case of cutting the plug off with a good length of wire from a good loom and soldering it into your own.

That's pretty harsh. Just solder a new length in wire in. Job done.

maybe but theres a good chance the plugs melted internally leaving not a lot of good wire to solder to.
electrical fires are one of the worst if it goes up properly, i wouldnt take the chance.
ask mr funk about his illumination wires on YODA and you will see how bad and far a melted wire can go

[DJPremier]

Looks like I'll be taking the dash off to fix this properly? James, had a good look at your excellent thread about removing the dash. Looks straightforward enough, but how long did it take? I have very limited time and space to work in, and outdoors so weather dependent.