Golf GTI Break lights

Thumper Long

Hello Gents,

just noticed last week that the driver side break light on my gti is gone, and then over the last few days driving around dublin about half of all golfs i was behind also had the same break light out, just wondering if this is an inherent fault in the mkiv golf and is there a remedy to stop the bulbs going or shorting out, thanks in advance for any useful info and help

rgds

TL

Eoin

Hi, this happened non-stop on my Golf (1.4 Mark iv) as well, and couldn't find anyway around it either - like you said, the amount of golfs out there missing a brake light is huge. I think you will just have to keep a bucket load of bulbs spare. :rolleyes:

alias no.9

Another story of a VW with dodgy electrics...

Thumper Long

@ eoin

how often did yours go, did you get a couple of week or months between replacements, its just my nct will be due in june and i'd hate to fail it on a broken brake light, even though ill probably replace it on the morning of the test just to be safe

Eoin

I had the car a year, and pretty much had to change a bulb every 6 weeks or so I think. I seem to remember that the rear light was prone as well as the brake light. The only consolation was that the lights were easy to get to.

With regards to the NCT, I think that if you were to fail because a bulb is missing, you can get a free re-test easily - and possibly on the spot if you can replace the bulb. Just check the lights the morning of the test, it would be horribly bad luck for a bulb to blow in the meantime!

Thumper Long

@eoin

thanks for the info, even with a dodgy breaklight i still love it

Eoin

I don't blame you - if that's the worst thing that goes wrong with a car, you are sorted! Would have loved to have upgraded to a GTi, but the aul' insurance company won't touch them

Seth Brundle

How long did the factory bulbs last?
I ask because I know with BMWs many cheaper blubs can go quite quickly whereas Bosch or good makes (non petrol station jobbies!) tend to last

Eoin

kbannon wrote:

How long did the factory bulbs last?
I ask because I know with BMWs many cheaper blubs can go quite quickly whereas Bosch or good makes (non petrol station jobbies!) tend to last

I didn't buy it new so don't know if the bulbs that came with it were VW ones. The replacement bulbs I got were from a motor store, so were probably cheapy generic ones - should have tried VW ones actually, now I think about it. Still though, when you look out for it, so many Golfs out there with blown bulbs, so it can't just be the bulbs!

AMurphy

Is the filiment broken/missing or the bulb simply not lighting.

Most times I have found the problems to be in the wiring and contacts, not the bulb.
However, if the bulb is actually blown, then does it look like waterdamage on a hot bulb or free of waterdamage.
If waterdamage, the lens is taking water and if not cracked, most likely along any seam-welded plastic joints.

If not waterdamage,
Then I might think, road shock and vibration coming through teh body. Though Josh holds a theory that bulbs should be changed in pairs cause of unbalanced current flow, etc. I'll hold with changing them in pairs, but only for equality in brightness and nothing more.

If you can see if you can obtain a bulb with several filiment supports, rather than simply the two end ones. The additional supports help prevent Shock & vib damage to the filiment.

deecom

Mmmmm... I have the same prob on a Seat Leon! (same electrics) I found it to be the bulb working loose, so I went and bought a pair of those LED bulbs. Now I can be sure there not blowing and simply working loose! They seem to be a tad brighter to boot too! Well worth it.

FX Meister

Hmmm, Led bulbs. WHat are these like and where can you get them? How much?

deecom

Get em here, around 12quid sterling. http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/led.htm

bbability

deecom wrote:

Mmmmm... I have the same prob on a Seat Leon! (same electrics) I found it to be the bulb working loose, so I went and bought a pair of those LED bulbs. Now I can be sure there not blowing and simply working loose! They seem to be a tad brighter to boot too! Well worth it.

This is sound advise to anyone with the late 90's editions of the VW cars. Some of the holders are too big for the bulbs and in others the looms throughout the car can be a bit dodgy. I know.. a pal of mine bought a 98 passat and his reverse lights were a constant problem.....