Interrmittently Working Dashboard Lights

telerider37

Active member
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Location
New Jersey
TDI
2005 Passat Wagon
For the past six months, my headlight knob on my 2005 passat wagon turns my dash lights on intermittently. Sometimes they turn on right away, sometimes it takes ten twists of the headlight knob to get them to come on. Once they come on, they stay on. The headlights themselves always seem to go from daytime to regular headlights without a problem. Fearing that one day the dash lights will go out completely, I brought my car to my mechanic and he swapped out the headlight actuation knob (expensive!). After driving it a day or so, I realized that it did not solve the problem. Is there are relay that controls these dash lights? Is there a suspect wiringconnection that is prone to failure? I found the intermittent AC thread from 2008 and the fact that a blown solder joint in relay 384 is the culprit. Before I go back to my mechanic and start a wild goose chase at my expense, I wondered if anyone else has seen this issue and what the fix might be?
 

MOGolf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Location
underneath something
TDI
2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
It might be a loose connection to the dimmer switch next to the headlight switch.
 

telerider37

Active member
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Location
New Jersey
TDI
2005 Passat Wagon
Good call! Per your potential diagnosis, I noticed that my dashlight dimmer switch isn't working anymore. Problem is, I never touch it, so I don't know when it stopped working? I want my mechanic to make sure it is a connection first before ordering a new dimmer switch.
 
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