Headlight issue

[Craig_]

So on Thursday morning my wife's cars right front headlight blew, this afternoon mine. I replaced mine this morning, h7 bulb.

I could see the old bulb blew, but the new one isn't working as well. It still gives the below error. I checked all the fuses and none of them seems to have blown. What am I missing here?


I'm thinking that maybe the error must be reset for it to work again, but I doubt any manufacturer would design it to be like that as that would be stupid.

 

[Neuk_]

Have you tried swopping bulbs between headlights? That looks like a Golf dash?

 

[Craig_]

Have you tried swopping bulbs between headlights? That looks like a Golf dash?

Passat, I've haven't actually tried that. Will see if that works maybe.

 

[PhireSide]

Could be the replacement bulb is faulty from out the box. I second the thought to swop with a known working unit.

OT, but why is that speedometer incremented in 10kph segments up until 60kph and then it moves to 20kph segments?

I had this with my ex-work Caddy as well and never understood why

 

[Neuk_]

Passat, I've haven't actually tried that. Will see if that works maybe.

Cool. I can't remember having to reset light bulb faults in my Golf but maybe it needs to be done. If the new bulb works on the left and the old bulb doesn't work on the right then maybe you have to get the fault cleared.

 

[Craig_]

Could be the replacement bulb is faulty from out the box. I second the thought to swop with a known working unit.

OT, but why is that speedometer incremented in 10kph segments up until 60kph and then it moves to 20kph segments?

I had this with my wx-work Caddy as well and never understood why

No idea why.

Cool. I can't remember having to reset light bulb faults in my Golf but maybe it needs to be done. If the new bulb works on the left and the old bulb doesn't work on the right then maybe you have to get the fault cleared.

Tried that, new bulb works on the left, old won't work on the right. Will ask some to reset on Friday and see if it works then.

 

[Neuk_]

OT, but why is that speedometer incremented in 10kph segments up until 60kph and then it moves to 20kph segments?

I had this with my ex-work Caddy as well and never understood why

I must check my Toaureg, I remember my Golf had this as well.

 

[Neuk_]

Tried that, new bulb works on the left, old won't work on the right. Will ask some to reset on Friday and see if it works then.

Are these normal or HID bulbs?

 

[Craig_]

I must check my Toaureg, I remember my Golf had this as well.

Work caddy is like this as well.

Are these normal or HID bulbs?

Normal h7 bulb.

 

[PhireSide]

I must check my Toaureg, I remember my Golf had this as well.

My guess is that it's to make the speedo more accurate at lower speeds, perhaps? Or easier to view?

It always looked so strange when accelerating in the Caddy. The first and second gear would feel super fast when glancing at the speedo, and then once it hits 60kph the needle's movement speed halved and suddenly I was reminded that I was piloting a brick

 

[Neuk_]

Normal h7 bulb.

That may be a better issue than having a failed HID ballast but there may be soem corrosion or something causing a faulty connection. Do you have the old bulb to try in the LHS headlight?

 

[Neuk_]

My guess is that it's to make the speedo more accurate at lower speeds, perhaps? Or easier to view?

It always looked so strange when accelerating in the Caddy. The first and second gear would feel super fast when glancing at the speedo, and then once it hits 60kph the needle's movement speed halved and suddenly I was reminded that I was piloting a brick

I would be guessing but it is probably to make it more accurate at low speeds, essentially more granular.

I never had that issue in my Golf It was fast so you could find yourself at double the speed limit, any speed limit very quickly as you were never looking at the speedometer.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Don’t need to reset the error code, it’s a simple circuit that doesn’t close and pushes the error out.

However I’ve had the exact same with a Golf before and it took some fiddling before it works, I think it’s actually the way it mounts into the housing that doesn’t make proper contact.

Oddly enough I found out in the process my one light was pirated and that one never had any issue due to the way the connector and mounting was different.

Try swopping to the known working one and confirming where the problem is exactly.

 

[SauRoNZA]

As for the Speedo it’s just a European thing making it simpler to operate under their super low urban speed limits.

 

[Archer]

As for the Speedo it’s just a European thing making it simpler to operate under their super low urban speed limits.

30km/h residential limits ftw

 

[HAL 9000]

I guess that the speedo in some VAG vehicles are usually calibrated like that so that when driving in European cities, where there are very low speed limits - below 60 km/h - you then get a far more accurate reading, preventing you from racking up lots of speeding tickets & accruing penalty points on your licence.

However, this UK Golf speedometer is more conventional, having large numerals for the even numbers, with smaller numerals for the odd numbers and markings every 5 mph in-between the numbers.

 

[TheChamp]

Is the rear light on the side with the blown headlight working?

 

[Neuk_]

I guess that the speedo in some VAG vehicles are usually calibrated like that so that when driving in European cities, where there are very low speed limits - below 60 km/h - you then get a far more accurate reading, preventing you from racking up lots of speeding tickets & accruing penalty points on your licence.

However, this Golf speedometer is more conventional, having large numerals for the even numbers, with smaller numerals for the odd numbers and markings every 5 km/h in-between the numbers.

View attachment 780490

That is in mph which may be a reason why it is in 10mph increments throughout the speedometer range.

 

[rodga]

Check the connections. I had a similar issue a few months ago, not with a vw though. Turned out one of the pins in the bulb fitting lost its springy-ness. So just used a screw ldriver to bend it back in place. It could also be corrosion as per nic comment. I highly doubt that you will need to reset the error before the bulb will work again.

 

[Craig_]

That may be a better issue than having a failed HID ballast but there may be soem corrosion or something causing a faulty connection. Do you have the old bulb to try in the LHS headlight?

Old light looks as if it a goner.

Is the rear light on the side with the blown headlight working?

All the other lights work.

Check the connections. I had a similar issue a few months ago, not with a vw though. Turned out one of the pins in the bulb fitting lost its springy-ness. So just used a screw ldriver to bend it back in place. It could also be corrosion as per nic comment. I highly doubt that you will need to reset the error before the bulb will work again.

I'll try that tomorrow. At a family member in the southern suburbs now to prepare for a party tonight.