2006 Jetta center brake light out

The center brake light went out on my 2006 Jetta and I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same problem/dealt with getting it fixed. Anyone know if it is a simple bulb assembly or something more complex that I have to see the dealer for? Tried getting roof pannel/strip off to get to the assembly, but there are two center snaps that did not want to come free (ok, it was night and I did not try too hard). Any suggestions?

Basically I'm trying to find if it's a DIY or I should resign myself to losing a couple of hundred bucks at the dealership. (I can't imagine they'd classify this as under warranty.) Of course the manual explains how to replace all the rear bulbs except this one.

Anyone?

Thanks.

Reply to
Chris
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should be under warranty......call them! might be a wiring issue at the left rear light maybe. I can not imagine all of the bulbs going bad at the same time!

Do you have a hitch installed on this Jetta?

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

Update: Called and taking it in on Saturday. They'll have to look at it to see if it is under warranty. Great.

No hitch installed. No mods of any type done since purchase.

A further development last night though. Now in addition to the center brake light being out, half of the right rear tail light is out (inboard half...bizzare. Rather than a round circle, now it looks like a half moon) but when the brake pedal is pressed the entire light lights up.

We shall see...

Reply to
Chris

Check the bulb holder to see if it is coming out of the light.

A Bumper to Bumper warranty should be that! AND it should include the bulbs and wiper blades. ;-)

Update: Called and taking it in on Saturday. They'll have to look at it to see if it is under warranty. Great.

No hitch installed. No mods of any type done since purchase.

A further development last night though. Now in addition to the center brake light being out, half of the right rear tail light is out (inboard half...bizzare. Rather than a round circle, now it looks like a half moon) but when the brake pedal is pressed the entire light lights up.

We shall see...

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

Incandescent bulbs are only covered for 12 mo, 12000 miles. It is not unusual for 1 of the 2 bulbs in the rear to blow. I believe the high mount brake light is an LED, if so it would be covered in the B to B.

Reply to
LG

M6Hk.2026$ snipped-for-privacy@flpi148.ffdc.sbc.com...

Yeah, I was hoping the center light was covered because it looks like an LED, is a bitch to get to, and looks expensive. I'm going to try changing around the non functinal bulb to see if it is actually burned out or something larger. Both going at almost the same time makes me think larger electrical problem. On Sunday it was just the Center light, and like I said, last night the right rear went south. Who knows what today will bring...

Reply to
Chris

Thanks LG! Could it be one fuse that controls the center brake light and the right brake light too?

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

messagenews:eM6Hk.2026$ snipped-for-privacy@flpi148.ffdc.sbc.com...

I cannot tell you how many times I have screwed around looking for bad switches and fuses when I have had multiple bulbs fail at the same time. OK, three times. Once in a Rabbit that popped both brake lights. Once when the Jetta popped both brake light bulbs. ANd once again when the Jetta popped both low beams. All my cars. A lot of time wasted lookng for zebras when the horse was out of the barn.

Reply to
Jim Behning

Some people actually replace bulbs in pairs figuring that if one blew, the other will follow shortly. Something about the same age and only lasting so long! ;-) I am too lazy and only change the one that is blown!

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

Your instinct that it's not coincidence could be right, not just the way you may be thinking. I always seem to notice more lights out when the weather makes a big change. Usually in the spring as it warms up or in the fall when it cools down. The change in temps sometimes causes marginal parts to finally fail.

If the weather has changed recently, you HAVE checked your tire air pressures, haven't you? ;)

Mark

Reply to
Mark

The adventure continues.

Ok, so after work swapped the L & R rear bulbs to see if it was the bulb or the socket. Right bulb was dead. But then the LEFT bulb burned out a few min later (after switching to the right socket). Lovely. Oh yeah, center light still out on top of all this.

Went out and bought two new bulbs and replaced them. Bulb-defekt indicator on the dashboard went out but still no center brake light. The L & R are working again. We will see how long that lasts...

So, could be that both bulbs failed around the same time, but not too likely in my book. (By that thinking the rest of the rear cluster will die this week. Then again...) I'm guessing there's something electrical tied to the center one going kaput. Hopefully VW 1) can figure it out and 2) it's covered under warranty.

Stay tuned...

And yah, I check the air pressure about once a month. The weather has changed? Here in SoCal? I don't think the weather ever changes down here!

-Chris

Reply to
Chris

Chris wrote: SNIP

SNIP

Car is booked in to the dealership for service later this month, and I hope they remember to put winter air in the tires this time!

Stuart

2006 Jetta TDI with all lights working.

Up here in Canada where the weather really DOES change! (From -40C last winter to +38C this summer)

Reply to
Stuart H.

Almost all the lighting in the car is controlled by the J519 module which has the ability to store faults for failures.

Reply to
Lost In Space/Woodchuck

Now that is just silly. Why should one bulb last any longer than the other? Both are made the same way, see the same service. They should fail more frequently at the same time. Personally I have seen them fail at the same time 3 times on my vehicles. I wasted plenty of time looking for something bigger than burned out bulbs. That is like replacing one set of brake pads because they are rubbing metal but not on the other side. Of course I do not replace both bulbs at the same time. Frugal me trying to save a dollar or 12 in the case of a headlight.

Reply to
Jim Behning

A mechanic once told me it seemed to him that right side components, suspension particularly, tend to wear out faster. His 'reason' was that, in the US anyway, the outside of the road tends to be bumpier and shake things around and otherwise stress them more.

FWIW, Mark

Reply to
Mark

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

Roads are fairly good where I live. I guess maybe a tiny bit more rough on the right side but I can ride my bicycle on the right side without issue almost all the time. But the stat DOT is running a half billion shy this year so roads may get a bit rough.

Reply to
Jim Behning

Wonder if it has to do with right turns being 'tighter' as a rule than left hand turns. More stress on that side perhaps?

My SWAG.

(The two replacement lights are still working, but center one still dead. We will see what VW says tomorrow...)

Reply to
Chris

More curbs to hit on the right?

Reply to
Tom's VR6

My friend replaced his brake light switch in his Passat because the lights were doing weird things. He described the problem and it sounds like classic bad ground. Maybe yours is just a loose wire. Waiting for your report from the mechanic.

Reply to
Jim Behning

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