OK, firstly, check the battery voltage. Sadly, Golf Vs have a nasty habit of draing the battery very quickly and easily!
The ESP/anti-skid light, and the
amber steering light usually come on after low battery voltage, and should clear after (a) the batt has reached normal voltage (static: 13.6 volts, charging 14.2 volts), and (b) the car has been driven in a
straight line, at low speeds (below 30mph) for at least 100 metres. This can sometimes take more than one attempt to clear.
Secondly, if you unplugged the ESP switch (or any other warning-light monitored circuit), you must NOT turn on the ignition, or fault codes WILL be stored. Being as your were fiddling in the location of the ESP switch, I'd guess you disturbed the wiring for the airbag/SRS controller which is close by.
Did you disconnect the seat wiring?
Finally, on safety-critical circuits, such as airbags/SRS, ANY tampering or fault in the circuit will PERMANENTLY illuminate the warning light. The only way to clear the warning light, is to clear the fault codes. If the light only came on as a result of fiddling with the wiring, then clearing the fault code will be a lasting remedy. However, if the fault codes are cleared, and there is an actual fault with any of the SRS components, then the warning light will re-illuminate. On modern cars, the most troublesome SRS components (apart from wiring connector issues) are the seatbelt tensioners, mounted on the front seats near the buckle.
And a final-final (that's my crap english! :embarassed:) warning - when the airbag/SRS warning light is illuminated, then the entire SRS sytem is disabled (all the airbags, seatbelt tensioners, seatbelt load limiters, etc) - and should an eagle-eyed plod stop you, you'd be liable to get nicked for an illegal car. And should you be involved in a prang, then bye-bye insurance - who would refuse your claim because a safety-critical standard feature was inoperative. This stance is also standard for any ABS/ESP warning light too.
