Fuse Service Bulliten

Saw chatter on the forum about folks taking their cars in for service and finding a Fuse TSB.

Got the official letter today for "SERVICE ACTION 97AM" 09-10 MY VW Jetta Sedans and 09 MY VW GTIs for the replacement of an "underhood fuse"

I guess more folks are going to be getting the letter and a trip to their dealer for a fuse change

so what does it say?

I realize now there are two threads going on this but that I should schedule an appt. to have an underhood fuse replaced. Typical campaign letter (very vague)

Reading around this appears to be a 15amp fuse that melts the fusebox under the hood...

I will get it done the next time I need a free car wash

My wife's 2010 Tiguan gasser had the same fuse recall.

Fuse Box Recall

wilcharl said:

I realize now there are two threads going on this but that I should schedule an appt. to have an underhood fuse replaced. Typical campaign letter (very vague)

Reading around this appears to be a 15amp fuse that melts the fusebox under the hood...

I will get it done the next time I need a free car wash

Click to expand...

My dealer thinks the recall involves a whole new fuse-box. I hope they get the cables clean and tight when installing the fuse box..

I don't think it is any more than a fuse replacement. The original fuse supposedly suffers from premature degradation due to some type of coating failure.

The campaign letter claims that the repair takes only minutes to accomplish.

In Dec 2012 I had an unusual symptom that my passenger side headlight would not work, at first I just thought it was the lamp and replaced it. It worked for about 3 days and the symptom returned. I pull out my trusty meter and noticed that I wasn't getting the 12 v to operate the headlight. Further investigation, locating the fuse for the circuit I noticed it overheated and melted the fuse panel where the fused inserted. I ended up ordering "Fuse Panel under hood" part # 1K0937125. I ordered a new one off of ebay from Europe for half the price (incl. shipping) it would have cost at the dealership. Replaced it with a new fuse and I haven't had any other issue since.

I have melted three F16 fuses in my 09 jetta. It does all kinds of crazy stuff to the lights and security when it goes. Never the same symptoms. They replaced my fuse plate yesterday. It's essentially a new redesigned fuse box. My plate was melted all around the fuse. I highly recommend everyone gets this updated fuse plate. it's free and it's just a matter of time before yours goes too.

Roberd42 said:

I have melted three F16 fuses in my 09 jetta. It does all kinds of crazy stuff to the lights and security when it goes. Never the same symptoms. They replaced my fuse plate yesterday. It's essentially a new redesigned fuse box. My plate was melted all around the fuse. I highly recommend everyone gets this updated fuse plate. it's free and it's just a matter of time before yours goes too.

Click to expand...

The replacement of your fuse plate/box was free? The same work on my 2010 Jetta cost me over $300 at my local dealer back in March/April. Any advice?

They replace the whole fuse box (they call it a "plate").

If you've already paid to have it replaced, they may reimburse you. I've probably done 50+ of the darn things. Tiguans seem to be the worst.

OH: should I be concerned about my Dec. 2008 produced 2009 JSW? Was this "recall" VIN specific, and only on sedans?
Thanks.

You'd have to run the VIN with Volkswagen. But keep in mind, many manufacturers run campaigns in batches, so as to not overtax the parts chain and dealer service departments. So just because it isn't under the campaign now, doesn't necessarily mean it won't be in six months.

I rarely have seen this issue with the diesels though, for whatever reason. It is easy to check, look at the rearmost center fuse in the underhood fuse box. Look for any signs of overheating, warpage, discoloring, etc.

Just had my old six Jetta TDI into the dealer for a new timing belt after the timing belt was replaced mechanic took the car for a ride said it was okay but I came to pick it up it wouldn't start they said that the fuse box had shorted out so I needed a new fuse box which I had to pay for found out one day later that it had also shorted out the radio which I had to then replace

Ckelly said:

Just had my old six Jetta TDI into the dealer for a new timing belt after the timing belt was replaced mechanic took the car for a ride said it was okay but I came to pick it up it wouldn't start they said that the fuse box had shorted out so I needed a new fuse box which I had to pay for found out one day later that it had also shorted out the radio which I had to then replace

Click to expand...

punctuation?

#97AM fuse plug - and melted fuse block

I received the recall letter #97AM but sat on it for a little while. Then my 2009 TDI Jetta DSG's high-pressure fuel pump failed, so into the local VW dealer it went. Took the recall letter along.

The dealer ended up finding that a good bit of the fuse block surrounding the recalled fuse plug had been melted, so replaced the fuse block. The car is under a 2-year VW-Certified used-car warranty, so that probably explains why they didn't charge me for the fuse block.

Seems to me that, based on the low cost of the fuse plug described in this thread, immediate replacement of the fuse plug regardless of receiving the letter or not is a wise move when it may help prevent all sorts of other electrical problems.

http://www.vw.com/web/vw/recall/index.html

not sure how well it works.

My fuse box MELTED last year. They had to replace entire fusebox and some wiring. I had a loaner car for about a week. I believe this has to do with the same thing. What initially happened is upon leaving work at midnight, my serivce light flashed, told me left headlight, right tail light, left turn, etc. were all bad. I drove home with one headlight and no turn signals. Next day I took it in. Wasn't pretty. I have a 2010 Jetta TDI.

Odd, nothing showing fro my JSW built in OCT 08, so it's an 09 model. Alaska usually doesn't get warm enough to melt much of anything, but I would expect the part to still be recalled. I've avoided taking it in for the "misfueling" modification. Has anyone else gotten a notice for a JSW? TIA.

This older thread is just a reminder for myself of the fuse panel/recall being referred to here as the 97am recall. The dealer performed this recall action for me last year while I went in for an oil change. I just wanted to bring the thread back for a paper trail, thanks guys.

Fuse Panel in Engine Compartment, Exterior Lights Failure

My daughter's 2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI had an issue with several exterior lights that went out. Weird since it was different lights like driver brake light and passenger head light... Checked fuses in engine compartment and interior fuse panel, they were all good. Replaced driver brake light, no change. Starting researching internet and found some discussion on fuse panel melting including one complaint on similar make/model on NHTSA site...http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchResults?prodType=V&searchType=PROD&targetCategory=A&searchCriteria.model=JETTA+SPORTWAGEN&stats=954770%2C1%2C0%2C2%2C0%2CJETTA+SPORTWAGEN&makeStats=&jsonBaseURL=%2Fdownloads%2Ffolders%2F&searchCriteria.model_yr=2011&searchCriteria.make=VOLKSWAGEN&searchCriteria.prod_ids=954770 Took car to dealer, advised them what I found. They quickly found 30A F16 fuse holder melted. $500.00 repair. Talk to Volkswagen USA, they offered to pay 1/2. Got home did more research and found this: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/ucm448560/rcrit-13v569-6767.pdf
It appears VW is having the same problem across different make/models but there is no recall on 2011 Sportwagen TDI. I filed a complaint with NHTSA. I hope they properly correct the problem before the 12 month- 12,000 warranty expires for replacing the fuse panel. FYI, the part# is: 1K0 937 125D

Dang, My wife's 2011 TDI sportwagen started doing the multiple light out thing this morning... Not going to be fun.

oilhammer said:

I rarely have seen this issue with the diesels though, for whatever reason. It is easy to check, look at the rearmost center fuse in the underhood fuse box. Look for any signs of overheating, warpage, discoloring, etc.

Click to expand...

That might change with the high under hood temps during regens on the CR's.

Have you seen the problem on the 2006 TDI's? I checked mine and it's fine.

I am the owner of a 2011 Jetta Sportswagon TDI. I had the "light out" messages this week, five messages in all. I checked the fuse box and found one 30A F16 fuse melted. Not knowing about a recall for this condition, I took the car to the dealer and was made aware that there is no current recall but that this is a common problem with some models. Now I am facing the cost of replacing the fuse box.

Have potentially this issue..... but a bit older model with same box.... a 2003 MKIV
which fuse is F16 in fuse box under hood? The first one by the heavy wire??? (S178), middle (S179) or the last one by the right edge of said box (S180)? Am guestimating it is first one is one by the wires (S178)... judging by images of which one melted in the 09 and up box.

Your car is different, but did have a very similar problem.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=419712

My Mexican market spec '09 TDI has a PD engine without a DPF so no regens. I had the melted fuse problem too. It started on the passenger side low beam/fog light.

Maybe VW used a cheaper fuse box for this year...