1986 Passat dash light issues

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Jettas4life
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1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by Jettas4life »

Good day Everyone,

Im having a issue with my interior lights on my passat, the back round lights are staying on permanently on the dash, like when you push the switch once just to get the lights on, that background lighting is not going off even when i switch the car off, it will only go off when i remove the light switch completely and as soon as i put the switch back the lights come back on.

what could be the cause of this, would it be the switch as i bought a new one from VW recently. the car is completely original and no wires have been cut on it, any other options that i could look into and try before i land up sending it to the auto electrician.

Thank you

Evan
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by VAG Fan »

What did the lights do before you replaced the switch?
If the problem existed before, then it's not the switch.
If the problem only started after the switch, then it's probably the switch.
Mark R.
- - - - - - - - - -
2004 VW Golf TDI, type 1J, AHF, 317k (2016-current) --- daily
1990 VW Fox, type 16, HM, 304k (2005-current) --- spare runaround
Previous:
1992 Audi 500 SE, type C4, AAR (2001-2020) --- nice while it lasted
1983 VW Golf GTS, type 17, FR (1992-2005) --- most fun car I've ever had
1978 Audi 100 GLS 5E, type 43, WC (1991-92) --- died in the side of a Rekord who cut me off
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panic-mechanic
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by panic-mechanic »

So did the problem start when younreplaced the switch? In that case logic dictates that the issue is the switch.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
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Jettas4life
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by Jettas4life »

I just wanted to make sure, is there any way to test the switch or check if the switch is actually faulty. im not ruling out that there could be a issue with the actual car as i stripped everything and all the wires going everywhere are still intact as it was when the car was made there has nothing that has been cut...
my question is that I noticed on this switch there is a pin on the top which has no wire connecting when i join it back to my harness if that makes sense, all the wires from the harness meet the pins on the switch except 1.

Thank you
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by VAG Fan »

Connectors or switches often have unused pins, e.g. if they are used in different models with different options.

But you still haven't answered our question: when did the problem start: before or after replacing the switch?
Mark R.
- - - - - - - - - -
2004 VW Golf TDI, type 1J, AHF, 317k (2016-current) --- daily
1990 VW Fox, type 16, HM, 304k (2005-current) --- spare runaround
Previous:
1992 Audi 500 SE, type C4, AAR (2001-2020) --- nice while it lasted
1983 VW Golf GTS, type 17, FR (1992-2005) --- most fun car I've ever had
1978 Audi 100 GLS 5E, type 43, WC (1991-92) --- died in the side of a Rekord who cut me off
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Jettas4life
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by Jettas4life »

@ panic, the original switch was some what faulty and they couldn't get the lights to come on so when i fiddled with it i managed to get the lights to come on but the switch was broken so when i turned it off it would go off like normal but putting them on i had to fiddle with the switch, the previous owner said he never had that issue, so this is why i ordered a new switch.
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Jettas4life
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by Jettas4life »

I could say the issue was there before, as the switch was broken and we never use the car in the evening so no need to put the lights on..... the only thing that was done was a aftermarket radio was fitted however the rest of the car is original and nothing has been touched...

looks like i will have to go to a auto electrician just to be safe..unless i can test and see what could cause this
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by panic-mechanic »

No this is the kind of stuff you don't solve by talking on the internet about it. You literally can only solve it by sitting testing wires and power and switch continuity while sitting in the car and where you can see which does what.
Stephan van Tonder - Jhb - Putfontein Benoni
'05 Audi A6 3.0L TDI Avant
'09 Touareg 3l TDI
'13 VW CC 2l tdi (repair project)
'05 Touareg v10

Perfect Power dealer. I do dyno tuning.
Jettas4life
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by Jettas4life »

thanks panic, that`s the type of stuff I stay away from as i will probably burn the car down

will send it to someone to check,
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by Belix »

I've had some fun with headlight switches for my mk2 jetta. In my case, there were various versions of the switch and GW was giving me the wrong one. VW does not seem to keep track of the VIN for old cars (not my 1989 jetta anyway) so they were not able to confirm parts ordered were correct for the car.
Anyway, just a thought
VAG Fan
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Re: 1986 Passat dash light issues

Post by VAG Fan »

Jettas4life wrote:@ panic, the original switch was some what faulty and they couldn't get the lights to come on so when i fiddled with it i managed to get the lights to come on but the switch was broken so when i turned it off it would go off like normal but putting them on i had to fiddle with the switch, the previous owner said he never had that issue, so this is why i ordered a new switch.
I'm not Stephan, but from the above highlight I read that the original light switch switched off normally.

That means your new switch is faulty, or perhaps as the last poster suggested, the wrong one.
Mark R.
- - - - - - - - - -
2004 VW Golf TDI, type 1J, AHF, 317k (2016-current) --- daily
1990 VW Fox, type 16, HM, 304k (2005-current) --- spare runaround
Previous:
1992 Audi 500 SE, type C4, AAR (2001-2020) --- nice while it lasted
1983 VW Golf GTS, type 17, FR (1992-2005) --- most fun car I've ever had
1978 Audi 100 GLS 5E, type 43, WC (1991-92) --- died in the side of a Rekord who cut me off
- - - - - - - - - -
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