A-4 trailer lights

ARO

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Mar 15, 2005
Location
Sacramento, CA USA
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01 Jetta TDI 5 spd
I just installed a Westfalia hitch on my 05 MK4 Sedan.

I couldn't bring myself to pay for the connectors to plug into the tail light bulb holders for a splice-free installation.

VW wants $18 alone just for the 1 pin connector! Part 191972701

I bought a MK3 Jetta trunk light harness for $22 shipped from eBay. It has 3 of the 3-pin connectors, 2 of the 1-pin connectors, and several 2-pin connectors that won't be needed (but I think they might be useful for a Passat owner). And it has the pins/wiring already so I didn't need to buy any of those repair kits that come with the yellow wire with the pin on the end.

Hope this helps someone else save a few bucks!
Is this the harness on ebay???
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trunk-Wirin...Parts_Accessories&hash=item483c0224a5&vxp=mtr
I only need the connectors, so I can do the electrical for trailer hitch, on my MK4 Jetta. Thanks
 
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romad

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May 27, 2011
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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"

ARO

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Mar 15, 2005
Location
Sacramento, CA USA
TDI
01 Jetta TDI 5 spd
Aro, have you checked out the recycling yards in Sacramento? The Pick-N-Pull has MK3 Jettas as do the Rancho Cordova, Rocklin and Stockton locations.
Romad, I will defiantly check next time I go to Rancho Cordova. There are a few VW specific junkyards there....
I just figured it's easier to just buy it off ebay.
 

romad

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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Romad, I will defiantly check next time I go to Rancho Cordova. There are a few VW specific junkyards there....
I just figured it's easier to just buy it off ebay.
Where in Sacto are you? The Stockton Blvd (7600 Stockton Blvd
Sacramento, CA 9582) Pick-N-Pull has several MK3 Jettas.
 

ARO

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Sacramento, CA USA
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01 Jetta TDI 5 spd
Where in Sacto are you? The Stockton Blvd (7600 Stockton Blvd
Sacramento, CA 9582) Pick-N-Pull has several MK3 Jettas.
Thanks. I live between downtown Sac and the SMF airport. But I am trucking thru Arizona now. I'll go to Pick-N-Pull when I get back home in a few days....
 

romad

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May 27, 2011
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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Thanks. I live between downtown Sac and the SMF airport. But I am trucking thru Arizona now. I'll go to Pick-N-Pull when I get back home in a few days....
North Natomas? My sister lives there. I just checked for an AZ location but there are none. Here is the website if you want to check for locations near your route: http://www.picknpull.com/locations.aspx
 

ARO

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Mar 15, 2005
Location
Sacramento, CA USA
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01 Jetta TDI 5 spd
North Natomas? My sister lives there. I just checked for an AZ location but there are none. Here is the website if you want to check for locations near your route: http://www.picknpull.com/locations.aspx
Yes, that's right, North Natomas!
It is quite hard for me to park a semi truck at the junkyards along the way so, I'll just go to Rancho Cordova when I get back home, I am sure I'll find what I need, there are plenty VW junkyards there.
Thanks
 

SFHGolfTDI

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2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
Herm and Romad, and others who have done this. Where are folks locating the converter box? Spare tire well? Driver side by amp? It seems it would also make sense to put it on the right/passenger side since it is close to the power port? Also, any links to quality cig lighter socket plugs that you have used?
 

romad

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May 27, 2011
Location
Prescott, AZ
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Mine is on the LEFT side in the foam shelf where the CD changer would go. I open the cover, pull out the power plug and plug it into the power port then I close the cover.
 

SFHGolfTDI

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2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
Mine is on the LEFT side in the foam shelf where the CD changer would go. I open the cover, pull out the power plug and plug it into the power port then I close the cover.
So you pull the power cord all the way to the other side of the trunk? In my Golf, the outlet is on the passenger side by the trunk light. Is that similar for the wagon?
 

romad

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May 27, 2011
Location
Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
No, in the wagon, the power outlet is on the left (driver's) side. Thus all my connections (except for right turn signal) are to the left taillight assembly. You could use the right taillight assembly (except for the left turn signal) for the connections. Is there a storage cubby on the right side of your Golf? My wagon has one there.

See the last 5 pictures here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4135799&postcount=335
 

SFHGolfTDI

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2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
Interesting. That is a difference between the two models. There is an access hole for the passenger side light, but the "cubby" is still on the driver side, along with the amp and where the cd changer would fit. I'll have to have a look at it and see where it would be best located for the cleanest wiring setup.
 

romad

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May 27, 2011
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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
My wagon has a cubby on the right side also; it is where the first aid kit (mandatory in Germany) is to be stored and is marked with the green cross on white disc. I use it for my fuel additive storage. Oh, the left side cubby is marked with the red triangle on white disc symbol for the warning triangle (again, mandatory in Germany); the warning triangle I brought back from my last tour in Germany (1984-88) is too big to fit!
 

SFHGolfTDI

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2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
I just found a "cheaper" Curt powered adapter:

Curt 56187 3 to 2 Wire Power Converter



From the description at the Curt website, this one handles 7.5 watts/ circuit while the other model only handles 6 watts. I've asked Curt for more info.
Romad, which power converter did you end up using? I'm hoping to get a custom hitch installed soon (using euro hitch mount through frame rail, but will be 2" receiver) and need to build my harness.
 

SFHGolfTDI

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2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
I ended up using this one: Curt 56146 SMD Trailer Wire Converter It is now about $7.50 cheaper than when I bought it in March 2013 and is now cheaper than the other one. Oh, the reason I went with the 56146 is in post#14 above.
Thanks. And for the lighter plug, any quality ones you know of, or just one of the cheapo ones off eBay or Amazon? Also, I suppose the internal fuse should also have enough amps to cover the adapter?
 

romad

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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Thanks. And for the lighter plug, any quality ones you know of, or just one of the cheapo ones off eBay or Amazon? Also, I suppose the internal fuse should also have enough amps to cover the adapter?
I just picked one up at my FLAPS (O'Reilly's to be exact). As for fusing, IIRC, I added up the total wattage of all bulbs on the trailer then divided by 12 volts to get the current. So two 1157 bulbs @ 27/8.3 watts each plus two 5w wedge bulbs gave me 80.6 watts total. Dividing by 12 gave me 6.72 amperes current so a 10 ampere fuse was required.
 
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SFHGolfTDI

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2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
I just picked one up at my FLAPS (O'Reilly's to be exact). As for fusing, IIRC, I added up the total wattage of all bulbs on the trailer then divided by 12 volts to get the current. So two 1157 bulbs @ 27/8.3 watts each plus two 5w wedge bulbs gave me 80.6 watts total. Dividing by 12 gave me 6.72 amperes current so a 10 ampere fuse was required.
And you're talking about the fuse already in the cigarette lighter adapter, right? Not a separate in-line which would be redundant?
 

romad

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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Correct. I think the adapter came with a 5 amp fuse which I replaced with the 10 amp one.
 

SFHGolfTDI

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2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
So, I purchased an MK3 trunk wiring harness (like the one mentioned earlier in this thread) for $21 on eBay to save a few $$ on the connectors and repair wires. I ended up buying the Hopkins 46365 Short Proof Power Converter because it seems a little more robust/reliable than the Curt with better protection and better reviews. I don't need all the extra wiring and parts, but I'd rather only do it once. I'm going to cut the connector end off this cigarette lighter adapter which comes with a 15 amp fuse and is very nice quality (blue led is a good match for MK4 cluster lights--not that this matters in the trunk :) ). Unlike Herm & Romad, I'm thinking of connecting both the ground and the 12V+ to the power adapter since both wires on the adapter are going to go to the other side of the cargo compartment anyway (any downside to this?).

I'm hoping to have a weld shop make my hitch in the next week or two, then I'll make the wiring harness and get it all hooked up. Will report back!
 

romad

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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Where are people ordering their connectors and repair wires from nowadays? I can't seem to find a place that has them for sale.
Any help would be much appreciated. :D

Edit: Just found out that ECS Tuning has everything in case anyone was wondering.
Repair Wire
Three Pin Connector
Single Housing
When I needed some, I just ordered them from a dealer. Of course, you need the VW part numbers first and those can be a bear to find.

I checked the ECS website and just searching for the phrase "repair wires" gives you 2 pages worth, while the phrase "VW connectors" gives you several pages of connectors.
 
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samuraitd

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Jan 26, 2013
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Provo, UT
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ahu mtdi samurai swap, 1991 jetta ecodiesel
Non-TDI, but I picked up a 2003 MK4 wagon 2.0 gasser, and the tail light plugs seem to be different than what’s pictured here. Anybody by chance able to tell me which pins are which for the wiring?
 

romad

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May 27, 2011
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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Non-TDI, but I picked up a 2003 MK4 wagon 2.0 gasser, and the tail light plugs seem to be different than what’s pictured here. Anybody by chance able to tell me which pins are which for the wiring?
Should be the same as the taillights are what is used on the MKIV wagon unless a PO put in custom lights. For the wiring check your Bentley Manual Volume 2. Can you take a clear picture of one of the taillight bulb housing?

Herm TDI's graphic in Post # 1 gives you the pinout but doesn't break down the RF/NES connector. This is for the backup lights and the rear fog light. There is only 1 fog light bulb and that goes in the outside position of the driver's side taillight assembly; the 2 backup bulbs go in the inside position in both taillight assemblies.
 
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Fahrvegnugen

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Burlington Vt
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01 golf 1.9 alh gls silver
Forced myself to wire a powered converter today following the pinout in post one, using the fire extinguisher strap above the amplifier to hold the converter in place. Finally got everything working except left tail light on trailer. Consequently it seems, I have no power on vehicle right tail light but the trailer right tail light works.
The converter box is on driver side. The trailer tail light wire is plugged into the driver's side tail light. I ran power from the outlet in the trunk on the passenger side, and grounded into passenger tail light upstream of the converter box and downstream of the converter box into the driver's side tail light.
No power in the passenger side tail light, and call it a day.
 

samuraitd

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ahu mtdi samurai swap, 1991 jetta ecodiesel
Should be the same as the taillights are what is used on the MKIV wagon unless a PO put in custom lights. For the wiring check your Bentley Manual Volume 2. Can you take a clear picture of one of the taillight bulb housing?

Herm TDI's graphic in Post # 1 gives you the pinout but doesn't break down the RF/NES connector. This is for the backup lights and the rear fog light. There is only 1 fog light bulb and that goes in the outside position of the driver's side taillight assembly; the 2 backup bulbs go in the inside position in both taillight assemblies.
I figured they would be the same as well, but the plugs are in different locations, and labeled a little different. From what I can tell, the sedan bulb holder is different than that of the wagon. I don't have a Bentley manual, or I'd look in there. The three prong connector on mine doesn't have a "BL" listed in the center, but rather, has a separate 2 prong plug beneath the main connector that is labeled "BL". Here's some pictures.


Driver side:




Passenger side:


 
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romad

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May 27, 2011
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Prescott, AZ
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2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
OK, you are correct and I was wrong. I went out and popped one of mine and it is the same as yours. The wiring is the same; it is the physical positions of the 3-pin and two 2-pin tap off connectors that are different but the latter isn't used. Just follow the wiring for the 1-pin and 3-pin connectors.

Edit. You should confirm where the turn signal position is in your assembly. IIRC, my stock assemblies had the turn signal and tail light positions reversed from the diagram in post 1. When I installed the EU/UK assemblies with the amber turn signal, I had to swap the BL and S wires on the incoming 6-pin connector on both sides. I think the diagram in post one shows the way the lights are used in the EU/UK.
 
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samuraitd

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ahu mtdi samurai swap, 1991 jetta ecodiesel
OK, you are correct and I was wrong. I went out and popped one of mine and it is the same as yours. The wiring is the same; it is the physical positions of the 3-pin and two 2-pin tap off connectors that are different but the latter isn't used. Just follow the wiring for the 1-pin and 3-pin connectors.

Edit. You should confirm where the turn signal position is in your assembly. IIRC, my stock assemblies had the turn signal and tail light positions reversed from the diagram in post 1. When I installed the EU/UK assemblies with the amber turn signal, I had to swap the BL and S wires on the incoming 6-pin connector on both sides. I think the diagram in post one shows the way the lights are used in the EU/UK.
Sounds good, I'll have to get a test light to check it out. Thanks for your help!
 
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