VW Polo dash backlight

genericstranger

Hi car experts, please help.

Weird one here. I've a VW Polo United 2009. The led backlight on temperature and fuel gage only is not working. Led's on the needles are as well as backlight on rev, speed instruments.

I've checked fuses seem okay. This all happened after my battery died and just got a replacement battery in. Got front bulbs replaced and some licence plate bulbs etc. And the luggage compartment bulb is also gone. Just ordering a replacement now.

Any ideas how I can fix it that won't cost an arm and a leg, just had car serviced and they said they can't do it would need a specialist? Seems crazy?

Please advise.

rex-x

genericstranger wrote: »

Hi car experts, please help.

Weird one here. I've a VW Polo United 2009. The led backlight on temperature and fuel gage only is not working. Led's on the needles are as well as backlight on rev, speed instruments.

I've checked fuses seem okay. This all happened after my battery died and just got a replacement battery in. Got front bulbs replaced and some licence plate bulbs etc. And the luggage compartment bulb is also gone. Just ordering a replacement now.

Any ideas how I can fix it that won't cost an arm and a leg, just had car serviced and they said they can't do it would need a specialist? Seems crazy?

Please advise.

The polos use tiny smd leds to backlight with separate leds for the needles. The backlight circuit is generally connected as a unit so you may have fried the little leds on the fuel and temp circuit.

There is no easy fix for this unfortunately. The clocks can be dismantled and tested and the leds replaced or else you can have a new cluster installed and coded.

genericstranger

One thing the light flickered a bit so not sure if the bulbs are gone maybe somehow dislodged or loose connection but that seems far fetched given the hard to get to physical location.

Do you know anyone who could fix it for a relatively low price? I will probably change car next year but any potential resale will factor that in and really the value of the car is what's delaying from trading up as it's cheap to run and in relatively good nic!

rex-x

genericstranger wrote: »

One thing the light flickered a bit so not sure if the bulbs are gone maybe somehow dislodged or loose connection but that seems far fetched given the hard to get to physical location.

Do you know anyone who could fix it for a relatively low price? I will probably change car next year but any potential resale will factor that in and really the value of the car is what's delaying from trading up as it's cheap to run and in relatively good nic!

There are no bulbs at all so they can't be gone. Where are you located? It also depends on your definition of cheap, anything that involves opening the instrument cluster isn't overly cheap.

genericstranger

rex-x wrote: »

There are no bulbs at all so they can't be gone. Where are you located? It also depends on your definition of cheap, anything that involves opening the instrument cluster isn't overly cheap.

I'm located in Sandyford but working Citywest. Prepared to drive for a cheaper deal!

rex-x

genericstranger wrote: »

I'm located in Sandyford but working Citywest. Prepared to drive for a cheaper deal!

Unfortuntely I am at the other end of the country.

What I would do is re seat the connectors into the instrument cluster first and from there id probably just get a second hand one and have it coded in (Your car wont start without proper coding as the immobiliser is in the clocks).

That would be the cheapest way out at about 200-300 euro depending on the availability of the correct cluster.