Should there be light in the dash switches or not?

Hi, can someone tell me wether the switches for rear window heating, fog light and emergency blinkers in a MK1 GTI '83 should have a light burning when the headlights are switched on? Now they are not really visible in the dark, so I guess there should be a light?

The switch of my headlights, sigaret lighter and ashtray are illuminated, but the three mentioned switches are not. I was wondering if this is normal or not.
If it is not nromal, I guess the lights are broken, are they replacable?

PS; when I switch on my fog lights or window heating there is a very small yellow light visible on the left side of the switch, so at least that still work.

Thanks!

It depends on which type of switch your car has, early cars, like my 1978 Mk1 Scirocco don't have a bulb in the switch just the little yellow bulb which lights up when you switch them on.
My 1988 Mk1 Cabriolet does have a small bulb inside the switch which glows and dims with the dimmer wheel and a little yellow bulb which lights up when you switch them on.

Some switches have a separate bulb holder which you can easily remove and fit a new bulb and some seem to have the bulb built into the switch.

Post up a picture of the switches and should be able to tell if it's an early switch or later switch.

This type of switch has the bulb built in.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225613116578?epid=668065251&hash=item348796f4a2:g:MFYAAOSw7n5khPsZ&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4EBu8hTE9hM64P%2FBQWrJXtnmJuY6XsImWtE1O5xPpEm13l1Yh6rDCyy752BOdPcWHwPDddDkh2nJeWCtiTCuWwxmzJqm0tvMdvqV2ezbc6eDh%2B1KONZLe6QZhqqEeqjm7rvv55ivkm9ETE0QXNwRICjhpOtVTXnn%2Fi7He0QtXNKJRFXcMvqRcwJZh9Ix1SGGuJakOeuBQayoXX7vhcJazdnhnZuBk7McvB33IfjNuADAc6peTM1P0Selk5AR69zr13J51oEQESHQlCK4PA7djZ4JXl%2B2QmGU3MGMNIbEB8i8%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9y9m9iBYw

This type of switch has a separate bulb holder.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284914380617?hash=item4256386f49:g:q0YAAOSw5Uxi5CVz&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0A%2Fa7eYZslV3K0GZF4audpH8BVfeSvbGw3zYB7Zy5gCauI5JE2rF3K6ilFXPqxcIHdnfu%2BboqNLIaRwgNsy5lOZMuS0FrbSlgp6McphNB24XwI2OUg1vorXhLF2Y03RLHvdVAOLG8n9MpvnQfnDTdGY%2Fu3rK88WKmxjpLZah6BpeSjwCm7eeT8x1L3R885roF8965Xk3DD3UXMiKZlVqLzwEzRsZ5tmC1WLJhf%2BztEznUIGn6VgHnFfSDtpotSNTq7AzlGn%2Bk3hkhkDjxvKPTtc%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8LSqdiBYw

The switches with any light are similar style to the ones above.

Hi mark1gls ,  thanks for your reply!
it's definitely like the first link you shared, oem part 321941535B. Which seems logic as my car is a1983 model.

So internal lights then… Do you know, are the light bulbs replaceable?

Or maybe, as all three are not working, something is wrong with the electricity. I guess there is a separate circuit (as it is dimmable) for the lights in the switches.  And maybe that is broken somewhere…

mark1gls said

This type of switch has the bulb built in.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225613116578?epid=668065251&hash=item348796f4a2:g:MFYAAOSw7n5khPsZ&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4EBu8hTE9hM64P%2FBQWrJXtnmJuY6XsImWtE1O5xPpEm13l1Yh6rDCyy752BOdPcWHwPDddDkh2nJeWCtiTCuWwxmzJqm0tvMdvqV2ezbc6eDh%2B1KONZLe6QZhqqEeqjm7rvv55ivkm9ETE0QXNwRICjhpOtVTXnn%2Fi7He0QtXNKJRFXcMvqRcwJZh9Ix1SGGuJakOeuBQayoXX7vhcJazdnhnZuBk7McvB33IfjNuADAc6peTM1P0Selk5AR69zr13J51oEQESHQlCK4PA7djZ4JXl%2B2QmGU3MGMNIbEB8i8%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9y9m9iBYw

This type of switch has a separate bulb holder.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284914380617?hash=item4256386f49:g:q0YAAOSw5Uxi5CVz&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0A%2Fa7eYZslV3K0GZF4audpH8BVfeSvbGw3zYB7Zy5gCauI5JE2rF3K6ilFXPqxcIHdnfu%2BboqNLIaRwgNsy5lOZMuS0FrbSlgp6McphNB24XwI2OUg1vorXhLF2Y03RLHvdVAOLG8n9MpvnQfnDTdGY%2Fu3rK88WKmxjpLZah6BpeSjwCm7eeT8x1L3R885roF8965Xk3DD3UXMiKZlVqLzwEzRsZ5tmC1WLJhf%2BztEznUIGn6VgHnFfSDtpotSNTq7AzlGn%2Bk3hkhkDjxvKPTtc%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8LSqdiBYw

The switches with any light are similar style to the ones above.

jeez are 2nd hand switches £30 now?

Early-1800 said

jeez are 2nd hand switches £30 now?

Yep, or more.  That is why years ago I started to scavage all Golfs/Cabriolets at the breakers for Spare parts, Switches, as well as the Vacuum Servos (metal ones only) and Vacuum Distributors off of the AC equipped ones as well as Power window relay boxes.

And for my 90's Older water outlet flanges off of Diesel Golfs off the water pump as well as the right side head.  I hate Plastic Parts with a passion.

Has somebody experience servicing these?

Or does anybody know on what pin on the back of the switch the current for the light should come in?

That way I can test if the lights in the switches are broken or maybe something is wrong in the circuit.

MrCash said

Has somebody experience servicing these?

Or does anybody know on what pin on the back of the switch the current for the light should come in?

That way I can test if the lights in the switches are broken or maybe something is wrong in the circuit.

If the other dash light are working the circuit is fine, twiddle the dimmer rheostat to get it the brightest. The circuit is the one with the grey/blue wire

The switches prise apart easily but do it very slowly and carefully as they are full of small springs, sliders and ball bearings/detents. All pretty obvious when you see inside, I pulled the hazard light switch to bits last year to clean up the contacts to get it work for the MOT.

When inside you will be able to identify and hopefully replace the lamp

I've a similar issue think the light switch should have a permanent light on when ignition is turned on so they can be identified in the dark ?

My light switch lamp won't light up so I've an issue on the circuit somewhere (I've tried several new push in bulbs to no avail).

 

adolf said

I've a similar issue think the light switch should have a permanent light on when ignition is turned on so they can be identified in the dark ?

My light switch lamp won't light up so I've an issue on the circuit somewhere (I've tried several new push in bulbs to no avail).

 

Yes the switch for the headlights does have a bulb which lights up as soon as the ignition is on and on all the time, I've replaced a few over the years as they blow as it's always on but since mine went about 5 years ago I can't be bothered to replace it again as I can find the switch in the dark…  

Early-1800 said

jeez are 2nd hand switches £30 now?

It was the first one I found on eBay and yes it's silly money..
When I replaced my fog light switch as the bulb went with a 2nd hand one that did not have a working bulb either… In the end I went to VW and brought a new genuine switch for £15 but that was a few years ago.

You can still get some new switches from VW heritage for £35.

https://www.heritagepartscentre.com/uk/162941535-fog-light-switch.html

I replaced a lot of my switches lamps with Superbright LED's small 3mm IIRC  They worked fine, and lasted for over 15 years.
I did this before they started to sell resistorized bulbs
so I had to add the resistor and modify all the sockets in my 90's cabbies.

The switch dissasembly can be bothersome, use a few paper towels on your bench for when the parts fly you can see them easily.

Some of the switches have socketed bulbs some don't.






I kept incandescent for the Cluster bulbs as they had a better diffusion and lit it better than others.  Now they make LED's with diffusion lenses and I just never went back.  The leds with the brighteness were feast or famine  that is totally on or totally off, really no in-between and depending on Driving through town or the Highway at night I preferred way the incandescent would barely glow.

The Bulbs at the Dealer were all built in the socket and only 1.5 to 2 watt, so I when to the breakers and found socketed bulbs in the Honda accords, Isuzu Rodeo's and troopers.  Removed the sockets, then I stopped by the auto parts store and looked up the version of car I removed them from and used the Warning Lamp bulbs higher wattage., that and removing the cloudy film over them worked really well.

I've sorted the light switch issue out on my car.

I've changed the light switch plug with one with a better bulb holder - it still didn't work straight away but the yellow/black wire, once jiggled a bit, gave the required illuminated switch once ignition turned on 😊