Hey there I've used this forum a lot to fix issues with my 6N2, so thank you for that!

I have been having some issues though which I can't seem to sort. (Ill give all the info just in case it's all related to one specific problem) when I turn the ignition I can get power 100% of the time, but the car fails to start about 10% of the time and just let's out a whining sound. Usually this isn't a huge issue as I try again and then again and it comes on. But then there have been problems with when I turn on the radio, a lot of the time I hear a loud pop through the speakers then the head unit turns off completely (power completely cuts as it comes back on to display the setup options for the head unit ). I also checked the fuses but it comes back on so not sure those would be the issue, there was a point when it wouldn't turn on again at all but then I took out the fuse and wiped it, put it back in and it would come back on again! (Still cuts out though)

One thing I did notice however was that the radio cutting out happened when I would turn on the headlights at night, the lights don't turn off themselves but the dials on the dashboard (clocks, dials, heater lights, etc) all the bulbs behind the dials and buttons would flicker regularly, usually more towards the start of the drive and settle down when the car has been going for a while, but they still flicker even after a long journey.

I was wondering if anyone has any insight into what this problem might be? It's irritating.

Thank you if you can help me! :)

Wiring shorting out somewhere? Bad ground connection maybe? Any water getting into any broken lights

Alternator? Maybe you have fitted an amp in the boot and ran cable trough the firewall without using a grommet?

All things worth checking out.

I haven't fitted anything to the boot, some other things which might be of note, the other day I tried to start the car and the battery was straining to start it, but it has been very cold out so that might be highlighting the issues (if this is the case) I'm having with the battery. I fitted some fog lights, but the problem was there before this. However my full beams stopped working one day, when it was quite wet on the roads, so I switched back to the old switch for my headlights which doesn't have the front fog option and now my full beams work.

Also when I start the car there is a loud squealing coming from the engine bay, and this noise happens when driving (sometimes) and I'm in 1st or 2nd gear, it never seems to make this noise when I'm in third though, I had considered it might be a fan belt issue or maybe something wrong with the gear box?

Thank you for your help though I'll check through all those potential fixes and see if I have any luck!

I think I have managed to find the source of the loud squealing, I checked the engine bay and the plug was out of the gearbox, so I believe there is no oil in it.

Does anyone have any ideas about the flickering lights and dodgy electricals?

Thank you!

Sounds like a battery issue. I would get it charged good. And also, follow the earth cable to underthe headlight, undo the 12mm bolt and take it off, clean all meatl faces with emery paper then replace, same with the other end of the cable on the gear box. Also, worth taking off the 10mm nut on top of the positive terminal and cleaning it. Also take the metal fuses out and check for any cracks, as this will cause all sorts of wierd things. Then when the battery is back in, give the terminals a whack to seat them well, then tighten them well.

If the battery is duff, then check on euro car parts website as they have Bosch s3 battery for around£40, which has three years guarentee this made a lot of difference in my 6n2, I thought the battry I had was play but it wasn't.

As for the noise, is it a sound as if the starter is spinning but not turning the engine? If so then this should cure it, if not then it could be the bearing in the bell housing has perished and will need replacing before it damages the starter

Hth

Will definitely give this a go over the next few days thanks buddy.

Will update if I find anything.

I think I have managed to find the source of the loud squealing, I checked the engine bay and the plug was out of the gearbox, so I believe there is no oil in it.

Does anyone have any ideas about the flickering lights and dodgy electricals?

Thank you!

If you're talking about the hole at the top of the box in the middle - this is an inspection hole! Oil DOES NOT go here!

The squealing sounds like a dry starter, take it out and clean it, it's half an hour job. The hardest part is getting a good position on the top of the bay.

Yeah that is the one I meant, but don't worry I wont put any oil in there! Just had checked under the car and the gearbox looks like it's had a slow leak over time (only one owner before me) so I'm starting to think it's never been topped up either. Apparently the gearbox seals on the 6N's and 6N2's are renowned for perishing which I guess could have caused this? As it stands though these are the two things which are really wrong with the car.

I'll look into that though and give it a go on a day when the weather picks up a bit and do everything! My feeling from reading about was there could just be debris in the gearbox from having the plug open perhaps??

Edited 31 January, 201313 yr by cIRca

Bought a 17mm Hex tool to do the gearbox and got an unregistered copy of vagcom, not sure where to be looking for electric faults as I don't think I can use it fully until its registered!

Yes you can use vagcom - you may have to look up the P codes on the internet. Your OBDII connector is under the ashtray.

Open the ashtray in the centre console, lift out the insert (tray) and you will see a lilac OBDII port there. Plug in your VAGCOM cable and away you go!

PoloD.

Because it's a limited version I cant seem to do many tests? Not really sure what I should be testing for this specific issue either!

Something says this is more a voltage issue that anything else. Vag-com isn't gonna help.

Get a multi-meter on the battery and check voltages when it's off, running and with lights, fan radio on.

Get these posted up.

I've got a feeling there's a poor earth or something.

As above, check over as much of the earth points and connections as you can, deffinarly going to be an improvement by cleaning them, even if it doesn't fix the dash. Vagcom is a great tool, so deffinarly worth having around. You could run a sch on the instrument cluster, no doubt there will be a few fault codes. Note them own then clear then. Then rescan, if they are still there then post them on here also.

As for the gearbox, deffinarly worth changing the oil, but also you should change the input shaft oil seal. You can getthis from ECP for around £3-4 need is surprisingly easy to change and at least you know it won't leak.

As for the sounds, if it's coming from the inspection hole it is very likely to be release bearing related. This is a gearbox out job, so if you are planning on keeping the car, then it deffinarly worth doing, and cam ne done over a weekend if you take your time. Polo have a really nice gearbox setup which is easy to remove. Again,even if this doesn't solve the problem, at least you will have a nice new clutch.

Hth

Last night I topped up the oil in the gearbox and managed to fill a good litre and a bit before it started coming out. The squealing used to happen when in 1st 2nd and sometimes 3rd, and with the clutch depressed whilst also in these gears and coasting, but now after the oil has gone in I can only get the noise when in first (very occasionally) and when the clutch is down and coasting with first gear selected.

So I guess this is a success but obviously the problem seems to have been at least helped out a bit by doing this.

Today I'm going to clear up the earth points and battery connections, I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me identify all the relevant earth connections in the Polo 6N2? Thank you Dixy for helping with this, besides the ones on the gearbox and under the headlight (which headlight was this do you know? Drivers side?) are there any others which could do with being checked?

Thank you everyone for your help so far!

It's under the passengers headlight, just follow the cable down. There are other earth wires in that area too. So clean them also.

There may be some near the fuel rail, but it depends on your engine. Again, just follow the wiring you should find then, but generally when you do the main cable, it's enough.

As for the dash, there are earth pints on the a pilars, passengers side just pull the carpet away, Tue driver side you have to remove the bonnet pull I think to get at it.

Alsowell worth taking the fuse kinks out and checking, as I checked mine a while ago when I took the engine out, and when I checked them the other day (wasn't starting) one was brocken bur looked fine, so well worth taking out.

You could also take the connector off the alternator ans give it a clean up too while your at it. Won't hurt, and may well end up solving the problem

Hth