Hi, I'm rewiring my dash and was going through each bulb in the cluster I have got no lights on or main beam lamp lighting up. I had a electric fault which is the main reason for the rewire and these are the last 2 issues. The lights on my cluster illuminate but main beam and full beam lamp not working. Everything else is fine. Do the warning lamps for main and full beam route from the headlight switch (power) or does it route from elsewhere? I think it must be switch fed but I want to be sure what I should be checking first. I've not had engine running so possibly someone might tell me they don't light up unless running but I don't think that would be the case. I might have a faulty light switch? If anyone could throw me a pointer on this would be great I'm scratching my head a bit. PG
Main beam and dipped headlights come on if the headlamp switch is pulled fully out, when you turn the ignition key to run position. Otherwise its sidelights only if the switch is either half or fully pulled out with the ignition off.
thanks Mike, The bit I am looking at is the actual warning lamp on the cluster. Neither main or full beam illuminate which is what I want to solve. e.g no blue full beam warning lamp on the dash when I have full beam on, no main beam warning light when lights on. The lights to drive work ok
I dont have a "lights-on" warning? Only the back lighting illuminates. The main beam not working could just need a better "earth" on the back of the cluster, try getting your hand behind and giving it a bit of a twist and wiggle to see if it wakes it up.
thanks Alpha, I have it all apart and out at the moment so can see all terminals. From what I am reading it is powered by the switch, from https://www.jbugs.com/Blog/vw-headlight-switch-wiring.html
The high beam warning light has a blue wire with white trace to the bulb on the back of the dash - the wire you've identified is for the backlighting (if i recall correctly) - if this isnt working give the knob a twiddle clockwise to increase the brightness. Are you using standard (not LED) bulbs?
Thank you, fuses are good but I have just stick some LEDs in ... I'll work back and remove anything not fed direct from the switch but I think that might be it, because everything else is working.
What I'm going to do is put normal bulbs back in everything, like I say everything works bar the high beam/main beam dash light (green and blue) which is a normal bulb. It isn't fed from the light switch, there's a blue with green line and a blue with white dots wire which I assume run to fuse box. I'm not getting 12v at the bulb. My fuses are all ok but I'll double check.
Not sure if I'm coming in right here but I do believe that the full head light beam warning light is fed from the fuse box after being switched from the dimmer relay..(j7) as per the Bentley wiring diagram. Hope that this useful.
You cannot really use LEDs with the alternator warning light either - as one of the two failures does not light the light (either over or under voltage problems) depending on which way round the LED is inserted. Also it can cause problems with initial startup of the alternator if current cannot flow back properly from the ignition wiring to the alternator (LEDS drop quite a few volts even when "on") And my electronic flasher unit just squeals with a dimly lit LED on the dash if you use a LED for the indicator bulb in the dash too. .
I don't have LEDs for battery light. I don't get any 'lights on' lamp on dash when I turn my lights on but my backlights work ok Everything works apart from cluster/dash lamps for the lights which are not fed directly from the light switch. I have main beam and high beam lamp on my US import bus. All LEDs swapped back, problem remains. Fuses are good. Disconnected battery then reconnected but no difference. I'm baffled