Easy One: Fried Headlamp Relay Connection

[Stevie-Heathie]

Hi everyone, bit of a newbie auto-electrician question:

After a couple of hours with the multimeter trying to find why my S3’s headlights wouldn’t come on, I finally adopted the Lotus position, got my head into the drivers footwell and saw this.

Obviously I need a fresh female connector but would you just change the relay too as a matter of course? Maybe take the opportunity to upgrade to a fused relay?

(The relay merrily clicks away when I flick the headlights on / off).

Or do I need to keep going to find the root cause?

Thanks in advance all

Steve 1967 S3 SE

[ericbushby]

Hi Stevie
Sometimes those connectors fatigue and come loose causing overheating.
I would fit a new connector and change the relay as well. It is not worth cleaning the tag on the relay. You will have lost any protective plating it had, also the heat may have been conducted into the relay casing.
Best of luck
Eric in Burnley
S3SE DHC

[Stevie-Heathie]

Thanks Eric!