Recently, 88 VW Fox rejected for vehicle inspection. Reason: No high beam indication at instrument panel.
I've located a replacement bulb, removed the instrument panel. How do I replace the bulb? How do I troubleshoot if still not working?
Get a Bentley Service manual.
dumb question maybe but do both your high beams actually work?
On my '91 GTI, the left-side high beam fuse also controls the high beam indicator. So if the fuse is out, the indicator (and left high beam) will be out.
However my GTI is a CEII car and your Fox probably isn't (educated guess).
But if both your high beams work, nevermind.
Good advice. However, the Bentley manual doesn't go into that specifically. The specifics of which you deleted in your reply.
Yes, both high beams work...
Progress. Local auto parts supply provided entirely wrong bulb. Waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy too big and socket oriented. In fairness, they did provide the correct backlight instrument bulbs with sockets. These are filament bulbs. Parts supply is now pointing me at the VW dealer for replacement.
The replacement needs to be what appears to be a very small LED with two bare wires. It is a white light. The ones for the blinker indicator, oil light and so forth appear to be LEDs as well, just a bit larger and colored. The hi beam indicator is smaller, and uses a lens cap to color the resulting light blue. The high beam lens cap is built into the small panel that goes over all these indicator lights.
The high beam indicator bulb is visibly blackened. I have a spare junk instrument panel. Removed the same LED from it and have replaced it used the same polarity orientation when moving it. It is not blackened. Am testing it this morning.
Local electronics store carries replacement LED identical in red color and voltage of those in the instrument panel, but no others. No visible print on the LEDs in the VW instrument panel. Still wondering where I can get a spare bulb...
Do you have a Bentley manual?
yep...sounds like it's toast then.
Yes, pops. Have had one since 96 for the 88 Fox GL wagon that I own. The drawing for the instrument cluster is mystifying. How the pieces and parts assemble disassemble are mystifying per the drawing. No order, just pieces all on one drawing. The wattage and voltage, and size requirements for the instrument panel LEDs mentioned in the manual are not listed anywhere in the manual. Troubleshooting the instrument panel 2 backlights is a joke per the manual. I found it easier just to turn on the headlight switch to parking light position, and plug in the new backlight sockets with lamps and infinitesmally turn in small increments in the area where they should make contact until they lit. Just mounting where they visually make contact results in no workee.
Success. The bright light LED from the junk instrument panel is working. Had problems with the replacement backlights of the instrument panel making proper contact. I used the method in the 2nd reply to "Papa". RH side backlight has been out for 2 years. Car passed vehicle inspection, its on the road again.
Using for back and forth to work, my 2nd vehicle, a 94 Chevy Blazer S-10 Tahoe uses twice as much gas as the Fox is. Now working on the Blazer to determine why the mileage is so bad.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.