Shorted my headlight block!

[DoogalDoogz]

Ok so yesterday i put some gti clocks in my golf and all was fine until earlier I jumped in the golf for a fag out the ran and flicked on my headlight switch and pooof smoke starts pouring out of my dash.

Turned off the switch and quicktime disconnected my battery, it then stopped smoking, i had quick look behind some of the obselete switches and could see that the red live wire on the headlight switch block was completely done for. When I was connecting everything back together, I just plugged in the block as normal after fitting the clocks and everything seemed to be ok.

Can anyone help with the best way to go about fixing this, as I dont really want to start ragging out the dash if its not needed, for the time being im leaving the battery disconnected, will this be ok? Could it be anything to do with the rain? As my car has been sitting on the drive for quite a while in the weather.

[fishnchipsx2]

I'd say it would be worth making the quick and simple check that your raintray drainage holes aren't blocked with leaves etc, as this can cause water to collect in the raintray and permeate through various seals into the cabin and onto your fusebox!

[DoogalDoogz]

It might well be that as last week the people whos garden backs onto my driveway trimmed down some fir trees and left half a ton of needles all over my golf. I will check that once the weather gets better and then get down to fixing that wire.

[rubjonny]

check the dimdip resistor, its on the slam pannel near the driverside headlights and is size n shape of a packet o polos, with a yellow wire out of each end. the wires run up over the chasis leg and like to rub thru and short out here. since vw didnt think a fuse was required on the permanent live wire to the headlight switch, this will then set fire to your headlight loom!

follow the yellow wires from it and you'll find it goes to a 2 pin plug, disconnect it and bin the resistor.

if your car is a 90spec you are in luck, the entire headlight switch loom can be removed & replaced on its own. If its a pre-90 it takes a bit more work

[DoogalDoogz]

thanks rubjonny, i know exactly what your talking about and setting fire to my headlight loom is exactly what happened. My car is a '90 spec so shouldnt be too bad, but can i get a new headlight loom altogether from somwhere? Also i guess i will need another resistor, but where can i get one of these crazy huge golf ones from?

[rubjonny]

nah bin the resistor and leav eit off, its not required by law or mot. as for the loom, is the headlight loom definitly damaged, or is it just the loom from the fusebox to the switch?

The switch loom I think will have to be a 90spec MK2 Golf/Jetta one, afai there are no other 90spec cars with the same headlight switch on, possibly the Corrado with the MK2 sized switch would work?  Not sure if the smaller switch is early/late spec on the rado tho.

As for the headlight loom, again you'll want a 90spec MK2 Golf/Jetta one, thankfully though the headlight loom is seperate from the engine loom. Also for both the headlight and switch loom any spec MK2 should do you, they're all the same.

[DoogalDoogz]

Ok thanks for the info mate, i must be the loom from the fusebox to the switch as its from the switch block in the dash where the wire is burned to bits. Ill take a look at it soon when i find one of my mates whos alrite with electrics and then see what needs replacing.

Tar for the help

[jayc]

just out of interest.. what does the resistor do exactly? if i remove it will i gain some extra brightness lol as the mk2 headlamps are pretty poor at best

[jayc]

just had a little look at the haynes to see if i could tell myself but as i thought its not in the diagram :S im quite curious now

[rubjonny]

what it does is brings the dipped beam on dimly with the sidelights