A/C light went out

[stingr128]

My A/C panel light has been out for about a month now, im getting tired of having to search around for the knobs. can i replace the bulb myslef or will i have to bring it to the dealership once again?

[Ferris Buehler]

Taped pliers, well taped, and pull out the center fan knob. Use needle nose pliers to CAREFULLY remove the tiny bulb after of course you've picked up the replacement from the dealer.

[cartooney]

I found it useful to rubber cement two tiny strips of rubber (from a rubber band) to the needle noses. Helps to pull the bulb without breaking it.

[Raxo]

Thats it they already told u how to take the bulb i would make enphasis on BE CAREFULL taking the small bulb out of the center knob. The bulb is really small and the glass is thin, it breakes really easy and if it breaks then u will have major problems.
I replaced mine a week ago and got lucky cause the bulb came out(a little hard, but came out) and then when i was trying to figure out how to put it back in i broke it!! The good thing is that it didnt got stuck in there but damn i almost pissed my pants.

[MTHANDZ]

OK, here is my How-To.....
Bulb costs like $1.00 at dealer

Here is what you will need:
New bulb
Pair of pliers
Pair of needle nose pliers
Rubber balloon or glove
Piece of towel or rag

The HVAC unit is the piece directly below the radio with the temperature knob, fan-speed knob, and the air direction knob. It uses ONE (1) bulb to light the entire unit up.

Step 1. (one picture below)
Turn the fan-speed to the #2 setting, so it is straight up and down.

Step 2. (two picture below)
Use a pair of pliers wrapped with something to pull the knob straight out of the unit. I used a balloon in these pictures. You could also use rubber gloves, a towel, a rag, etc. The material will keep you from scratching the knob.

Step 3. (two pictures below)
Once the knob is out you will see the little bulb in the middle. It is surrounded by red plastic. The white plastic you see immediately surrounding the bulb is the socket that the bulb plugs into.

Step 4. (one picture below)
You will now need a pair of pretty small needle-nose pliers. They have to be small enough to fit inside the red plastic part and still grab the bulb. In the picture you will see I am using the balloon wrapped around the end of the pliers to provide grip on the bulb. The metal pliers will not be able to get the bulb out. They will keep slipping off. Pull the bulb straight out, just like you did to get the knob off. It is kind of a PITA to get out.

Step 5. (one picture below)
Once the bulb is out you can replace it with a new one if you already have it, or take it to the dealer and get a replacement bulb.

6. Now just replace the bulb by pushing it in (it is a small wedge type bulb). Test it to make sure it works, and push the fan-speed knob back on by hand. (no need to use the pliers again and risk scratching it)

All Done


Modified by MTHANDZ at 2:16 AM 6-30-2005

[Starship_Trooper]

Very well done MTHANDZ.

spanks.

[MTHANDZ]

Quote, originally posted by Starship_Trooper »

Very well done MTHANDZ. spanks.

patting self on back........

thank you, thank you

[Dubzinger]

i am having the same problem with my mk3 but when i went to the dealer they said they have no such bulb and that i would have to buy the whole unit which is like 80$..... so do you know the part # of this bulb and do you know if it will work with mk3 also?? any help is greatly appreciated

[MTHANDZ]

Sorry, I have no clue about MKIII's. If it is that green dash lighting I don't think it is the same. The dealer might be right.

[Dubzinger]

Quote, originally posted by MTHANDZ »

Sorry, I have no clue about MKIII's. If it is that green dash lighting I don't think it is the same. The dealer might be right.

Yeah but the bulb itself is not green it is a normal bulb but it has the green plastic around it to make it appear green like the mkIV has red plastic....could anyone atleast find a part # so i could check??

[SACK44]

Awesome guide! Just did it myself, was alot easier than I thought it would be (I don't consider myself very handy around cars). Two quick notes that will help someone like me was that I cut the rubber band into a little piece. I actually wrapped it around the bulb, made taking it out a breeze. Second thing would be that when you put the bulb back in it must be in the Vertical position. I couldn't get it back in cuz I had it horizontal. I thought I was going to break the bulb until I had a brain storm of turning the bulb vertical. Yes thank you, thank you

Heh once again great guide man, pics were perfect for it.

[aberkati]

hi

i cant see the pics. can someone please send me the guide or tell me how to see the pics. iam logged on so not sure whats the prob. thanks for any help.

Anwar

[NB99K]

Got some new pics for everyone. I was forwarded this thread via ChicagoVW.org. Great instructions. I will keep my pics posted indefinitely for everyone.

[71sbeetle]

Just did that to mine (bulb burnt out last night)

you can get the bulb from your local dealer (part # N 017 751 2) or you can also get it from your local parts store, Sylvania part # 2721 (do not use any other # like 73, 74 etc .... they are the wrong voltage) I paid $2.48 for a pair

[V_Dubster718]

Mine went out last week. I have the bulb, just haven't gotten around to replacing it.

[mtltdi]

I used a clear piece of fuel line hose to remove and reinstall the bulb. A small slit in the hose allowed it to slip over the bulb and grab onto it. The unslit end was used to push the bulb back into place.

[jettaprep]

THanks guys just did it in no time with your guys pics!!

[CorradoG60]

Quote, originally posted by mtltdi »

I used a clear piece of fuel line hose to remove and reinstall the bulb. A small slit in the hose allowed it to slip over the bulb and grab onto it. The unslit end was used to push the bulb back into place.

Thats how exactly I do it, and every one else at the dealership I work with

[aerofx]

good god I just replaced mine and it was pure hell!!!!

[Buran]

I broke the bulb when trying to remove it but just grabbed it by the ceramic filament support and it came right out -- also cleaned the glass shards out of the bulb well. The new one was a lot easier to put in.

I think if I have this problem in the future I will use a white LED instead. That way it will never burn out again.

[mawingo]

you can also wrap some teflon tape around the tips of the needle-nose... works like a charm

[Mk4Nadz]

thanks, bro. i've been meaning to sak about that. mine went out about 3 weeks ago, and it's a pain in the ass. thanks a lot

[arearhombus]

Hey MTHANDZ, your DIY on this one was mega handy to me. Thanks for the detailed photos. Glad to finally get that lit back up after darkness for the past two years!

[ReflexJettaVR6]

Quote, originally posted by Dubzinger »

i am having the same problem with my mk3 but when i went to the dealer they said they have no such bulb and that i would have to buy the whole unit which is like 80$..... so do you know the part # of this bulb and do you know if it will work with mk3 also?? any help is greatly appreciated

I had the same problem on my MK3, and bought just the bulb at the dealer, so they're just trying to take your money. Don't remember the part number, just letting you know you don't have to blow $80 on a new unit, it only costs like $1

[ogvr6]

hey thanks for the great info.came real handy.I needed it done, it's great timing.

[fonyx]

what I found to work best for removing the knob, removing stock bulb, and putting in a new bulb... was needle nose pliers with the tips wrapped slightly in duct tape... good grip for everything

these are day time pics, i'll take one at night to see how the unit lights up
i used a blue LED bulb as a replacement, whole process took about 5 minutes

[RoBeRt_68]

i wanna see how one looks with all led blue bulds

[fonyx]

well... it seems the LED light output isn't sufficient enough to light up any of the knobs... they were completely dark, i'm going to re-install my OEM bulb tomorrow...

on a side note, here is what the interior looks like with the dome lights being all LED's

[Raxo]

Quote, originally posted by fonyx »

well... it seems the LED light output isn't sufficient enough to light up any of the knobs... they were completely dark, i'm going to re-install my OEM bulb tomorrow... on a side note, here is what the interior looks like with the dome lights being all LED's

Yeah, a LED in the A/C control panel isn't a good option because a normal bulb generates light at about 315º with respecto to the horizontal. On the other side, a LED has lightning angle of 30º with respect to the horizontal, this means that the light coming from the LED wont be able to iluminate the sides of the control panel, just the front.

[VgRt6]

Quote, originally posted by fonyx »

"Blue balls" comment flood gates opening in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... .

Gary

[fonyx]

Quote, originally posted by VgRt6 »

"Blue balls" comment flood gates opening in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... . Gary

I"m surprised nobody has said "rice" yet ... seems to be one of the most popular words on VOrtex

[VgRt6]

Rice = immediate thread lock.

Gary

[SpoolinJetta18T]

use a piece of a rubber vacum line

[dj_dub]

thanks to this thread, i was able to replace my bulb today! vortex rocks!

[1781ccT]

Quote, originally posted by dj_dub »

thanks to this thread, i was able to replace my bulb today! vortex rocks!

Me too....well, I'll be able to do it tonight. But I'll have HVAC lights again.