RE: [Fwd: added headlight relays to Scirocco, lights now broken]

["Brad Sterling" <bgsterling@earthlink.net>]

I just went through something similar.  Nathan, I'll bet if you checked, at
the same time you don't have low beams, you also don't have windshield
wipers, rear defrost, and interior fan.  The deal is, the low beams work
through the load reduction relay (position 8 on the fuse panel) and the high
beams work directly from the battery.  This could be one of two things.
First, it could be the load reduction relay itself.  This is a 40a,
four-post relay that can be found in just about any VW at the junkyard or at
the dealership ($5 at the junkyard, $12 at the dealer).  The other thing it
could be (as was my case), is your ignition switch.  There are continuity
checks listed in the Bentley.  I think they are Off - Su and 30, On - 30 and
x, 30 and 15, Start - 30 and 15, 30 and 50.  Please check the Bentley before
taking my word on this since my brain is like a sieve.  If any of the
continuity checks fail, you need to replace the switch.  The good news is
the switch is common to pretty much any VW (and Audi too, I think) in the
junkyard for $2.50 and won't require you to change your ignition lock (read:
no new keys).   The bad news is you have to remove the steering wheel, turn
signal stalk, windshield wiper stalk, and ignition lock to get to it.  Not a
big deal, but be sure to mark your steering wheel so you can put it back on
straight (BTW, it takes a 24mm socket).  If you do go the junkyard route,
bring your multimeter with you and run the continuity checks on the ignition
switch before you buy.

Now if you have windshield wipers, defrost, etc., it could be your high/low
beam switch (called a dimmer switch in Bentley) has burned out.  It's a
mechanical switch connected to the turn signal stalk (the one you pull to
turn on the high beams).  Again, you can check continuity with a multimeter.
There are three posts coming off the switch.  One is power in, one is high
beam out, and the other is low beam out.  When the switch is in low beam
mode, there should be continuity between power in and low beam out.  When
the switch is in high beam mode, there should be continuity between power in
and high beam out.  If you need to replace this switch, it is technically
integrated with the stalk, so I bet you'd have to buy the whole stalk new
from the dealer or Potterman or Adirondak.  However, the innards of the
switch can be rebuilt from a good switch found at, you guessed it, the
junkyard off of most A2 VWs.  I got to do this too, since I burnt out my
switch driving home holding the high beam switch after my lows went out.

HTH and let us know of any other questions.

- Brad
'86.5 Volkswagen Scirocco 16v
'76 International Scout II


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-scirocco-l@scirocco.org [mailto:owner-scirocco-l@scirocco.org]On
Behalf Of T Berk
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 9:45 PM
To: nathan_fredette@hotmail.com
Subject: [Fwd: added headlight relays to Scirocco, lights now broken]

reply to: <mailto:nathan_fredette@hotmail.com>

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: added headlight relays to Scirocco, lights now broken
Date: 22 Feb 2001 15:41:08 GMT
From: fredetteBONCH@mit.edu (Matthew Fredette)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled

Hi,

Last weekend my brother and I wired up the euro lights in my Scirocco
2 with two relays (one for the high beams, one for the low) and
everything was ok for a couple of days.  The high and low beams seemed
right, even though sometimes if the high beams were switched on and
then switched off, the low beams would cut out.  The low beams would
come back on if you cycled the high beams with the stalk on the
steering wheel very slowly.

Suddenly tonight my low beams just cut out and flipping the stalk
slowly doesn't do the trick.  I put my old US lights back in and
hooked everything back up stock without the relays.  Still no
lows, just high beams.  I swapped out the headlight switch and still
no go.  I checked all the fuses and bulbs and they're fine.  Any ideas
as to what the problem is?  Please cc replies to
nathan_fredetteBONCH@hotmail.com (but lose the BONCH)

Thanks,

   --Nate

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