Date:         Thu, 15 Jan 2004 12:12:01 +0000
Reply-To:     tp@WHSMITHNET.CO.UK
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tony Polson <tp@WHSMITHNET.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: Blue High Beam light replacement
In-Reply-To:  <000901c3dacb$7f328760$6801a8c0@williamvafwvvc>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"

developtrust writes:

> I got several responses about the high beam blue light last week, but how do
> you replace it. I assume you need to take the instrument cluster off. But
> then what? I don't see an easy way to get at that bulb. William



Hi William,

After you remove the instrument cluster, you will need to remove the small
panel that contains the warning lights.  It's attached by two Philips
screws.  Be very, very careful with the plastic foil that carries the wires
to the lights.  You may also need to remove the clock assembly - another two
Philips screws - to avoid stretching the foil.

The bulb is a small white grain-of-wheat bulb that has a translucent blue
plastic cover over it.  The blue cover can fall off the instrument cluster
while you're doing this job.  Make sure it's still there when re-assembling
everything, otherwise your high beam light will be bright white.

It's tempting to consider replacing the bulb with a blue LED.  However you
would need to break the relevant wire in the delicate foil and solder in a
resistor, as VW have already done for the other warning lights which are all
LEDs.  For someone as clumsy as me, that is a near-certain broken foil, so I
just replaced mine with the standard white bulb.

Tony