How to add
Fender Turn Signals / Blinkers / Sidemarker Lights
to
US spec B4 Passat
I found and used two different approaches for this mod:
1. First approach is to use
B5/A4 OEM VW parts which are readily available in the US. This approach is probably the easiest approach.
2. Second approach is to use
B4 front corner OEM light bulb holders with pigtails, and then splice and make your own wiring harness.
Both approaches are described below.
- B5 / A4 OEM harnesses and sidemarkers are available from VW.
- B5 / A4 OEM harnesses (or pigtails with bulb holders) and sidemarkers can be sourced from Junk Yards and people parting out their B5 cars.
- B4 harnesses and bulb holders connectors can be sourced from junk yards and people parting out their B4s. These bulb holders connectors were OEM for sidemarkers outside the US market. On US spec cars, these harnesses with same bulb holders were used for the front corner lights next to the headlights. A variety of side-markers (amber, smoked, clear etc) that work with the B4 bulb-holders and connectors can be found on-line.
B5 / A4 parts list:
- B5 Harness: VW Part # 8D0 971 273 This harness has plain wire ends and is approximately 37” long. This means it is approx 12” too short to reach the B4 front turn signals. You need TWO harnesses, one for each side.
- Sidemarkers:
VW Part # 3B0 949 117 B (Amber)
VW Part # 3B0 949 117 C (Smoked)
VW Part # 3B0 949 117 ? (Clear)
VW Part # 1J5 949 117 A (Clear thatched pattern)
Installation:
- To make the B5 harness long enough for installation in the B4, splice approx 12” of wire to the harness and attach connectors, then use a t-tap or similar method to tap into the wires behind the front bumper signal light on each side, left and right.
- Use a section of flexible aluminum wire, or something similar, to guide the wiring harness through the fender.
- Pull out the bumper mounted turn signal and note the three wires:
- Wire the brown wire from the B5 harness to the “ground” middle wire on the connector (also brown).
- On the passenger side – there is a green/black striped wire which is the actual turn signal signal. The gray wire is the parking light. Wire all as turn signal only. Caution: if the side marker light is wired to “on” all the time, this will generate too much heat and cause them to melt.
- On the driver side – the wire colors are slightly different. The middle wire is still brown, and is for “ground”. Match that with brown wire on the B5 harness. The turn signal wire on the driver side is black with a white stripe. The parking light wire is still gray. Tap the green / black wire from the harness into the black / white wire.
B4 parts list:
- B4 Harness: Use the corner light harness from a B4, or make your own B4 harness using approx 7 ft sections of wire and the pigtails from the front corner lights. You need TWO harnesses, one for each side. Use same bulb holders and connectors as used for the corner lights (next to the headlights) found on US-spec B4's.
Bulb holders connectors: VW Part # 1H0 940 111A
VW Part # 3A0 949 117 A (Amber)
VW Part # 3A0 949 117 B (Smoked)
Installation:
Use same instructions as above when using B5 harnesses and bulb holders.
Notes:
Wolfsburg Crest (which must be removed from fender in order to install sidemarkers):
VW Part # 3A0 853 688 BXF
Depending on your choice of sidemarkers, either amber bulbs, or clear bulbs will be required.
VW part # XXX (Amber)
VW Part # XXX (clear)
There are many other OEM and
non-OEM options out there for sidemarkers (LED, blacked-out etc.) and also for harnesses.
The following are
other OEM VW sidemarkers that fit the opening in the B4 fender, but I have not seen the backside to determine which connectors do they work with, the earlier B4 bulb holder /connector, or the later B5 / A4 bulb holder / connector.
VW Part # 3A0 949 101 A (Clear thatched pattern)
VW Part # 1J0 949 117 (Crystal clear with four small centered horizontal lines)
