Has anyone experienced this problem?

1996 A4 Quattro

My wife called to tell me my car was blowing black smoke in the cabin and that the windows had stopped responding to the control switches. After a couple of false starts, including pulling the driver's door interior trim panel because I smelled smoke residue near the front of the window, I found that one of the thin control wires leading to the power window relay module (type 365, 8D0959257) had fried and melted its insulation and the black insulating tape around it. Other than an improbable physical short in a bundle of wires, the only way that would happen is from a short in the control input to the module itself. I was unable to locate any new 365 modules, but I did find a couple of used ones stateside -- they are far more common in Europe. I'll report back when I get everything reassembled, but I was wondering whether anyone else had experienced a similar problem with any of the more complex relay modules, which contain integrated circuits, power transistors, and capacitors in addition to the usual relay coil with switch contacts.

 

Followup -- fried 12V wire from door to relay panel. Looks like one of the two rear door 12V feeds overheated. Does anyone recall offhand whether the yellow window switch connector in the driver's door goes to left rear or right rear?