Convert tail lights back to OEM

[raynkel]

I bought a 97 Golf with Altezza lights.

The won't pass Pennsylvania inspection. Fail. No side markers.

So I need to convert back to OEM.

I bought OEM lights, but to my surprise VW has decided to use a long plug for the lights as opposed to the rest of the world that just runs wires to each bulb socket....

And of course the past owner cut the wires on the passenger side and hot wired that side. The drivers side seems mostly intact except one wire (black/red) that is hanging loose.

Plugging in both plugs I was able to get turn signals working on the drives side, but no brake lights.

Does anyone have any helpful insight before I start into this? Do I NEED a plug for the passenger side or can I just tap into the socket with connectors

Thanks in advance for anything you can provide.

PS, anyone want to buy a set of Altezza lights ?

[Marek K]

I'm not sure what you mean by "long plug." Our daughter has our Jetta at college right now, so I can't check it. But I believe, like with all VWs, that there was a connector at the end of the wiring harness that plugged into each tail light bulb tray.

If the previous owner cut off the connectors on the wiring harness, then if you're very, very lucky a VW dealer might still be able to get hold of them. Otherwise, you're probably forced to jury-rig connections with spade connectors or something. I just can't visualize right now what the bulb tray connectors (sockets) look like.

Oh... I think you'd have to pay someone to take Altezza tail lights off your hands...

[VDub2625]

Thery use a few different plugs on each side, which go to different things. On the driver side, some wires that feed the passenger side pass through the bulb tray. On the passenger side, the third brake light connects to the tray.

Your best bet is to go to a junkyard, get the trays and lights, and cut the harnesses from the junkyard car (remember to leave as long a wire as possible), and just match the colors.


Colors:
Black/Red Brake
Black (or Black/Blue, I think they updated it for Mk3s) Reverse
Gray/Red right tail
Gray/Black Left tail
Black/Green and Black/White turn signals (cna't remember which side is which, check the front bumper lights, they're the same colors)
Brown ground

[Marek K]

Your best bet is to go to a junkyard, get the trays and lights, and cut the harnesses from the junkyard car (remember to leave as long a wire as possible), and just match the colors.

Yeah, that's the best idea.

According to Bentley, the wire colors on a Mk3 are (wire/stripe):

Right tail light: grey/red
Right turn signal: black/green
Right brake light: black/red
Left tail light: grey/red
Left turn signal: black/white
Left brake light: black/red

High center brake light coming off of the passenger-side light cluster is also black/red.

Reverse lights on trunk lid: black/blue

And ground is always brown, of course.

[raynkel]

Thanks. The original plug was still in place on the drivers side. I few wires needed reattached, but was basically there.

The passenger side I got creative. I took the bulbs with sockets out of the Altezza lights and using long screws, drilled through the socket and into the back of the taillight itself. It works... not pretty, but works.

I will try to source a passenger side plug and hook that up, but with inspection due, I had to get it working.

I had trouble figuring out why the third brake light was not working. Somehow the prior owner though two ground wires running to the third brake light was a good idea

Now I get to focus on a lower ball joint...

Thanks

[VDub2625]

According to Bentley, the wire colors on a Mk3 are (wire/stripe):

The parking light wires are not green. Gray in German is abbreviated GR. (grau) while Green is GN. (grun). Same reason yellow is GE. (gelb) and red is RO. (rot).

They fixed it in the Mk2 bentley but lef tthe Mk3 bentley full German

[Marek K]

The parking light wires are not green. Gray in German is abbreviated GR. (grau) while Green is GN. (grun). Same reason yellow is GE. (gelb) and red is RO. (rot).

They fixed it in the Mk2 bentley but lef tthe Mk3 bentley full German

Doh, you're right. Good catch, thanks.

Those abbreviations aren't standard German; they're unique to VW wiring diagrams. Even though I know German, I always get confused whether "gr" stands for grün or grau... even though the legend is right next to each wiring diagram.

I'll bet the Germans get confused too, because German VW wiring diagrams also have the legend next to each diagram.

I corrected my post above.

At least I got the black/green correct for the right turn signal!!