Resolved The Dreaded No Dash Lights or Tail Lights

[JackStieben]

By dash lights and tail lights went out a little bit ago. I unplugged all my tail light bulbs and put them back in and it fixed the problem for a bit, I did notice that the one of the bulbs behind the tachometer went out so I replaced all the bulbs behind the gauge cluster. I bypassed the dimmer switch, I unfortunately cut the wires so I can't use a paper clip to bypass it through the white connector. I connected the black wire to the black/yellow wire. I also replaced all the fuses and relays. Tail lights, cigarette lighter, etc. Today I replaced all the turn signal and brake light bulbs and it fixed my right turn signal from flashing faster than the left but the dash/tail lights still do not work. The brake lights, head lights, and service lights all still work. I am truly at a loss and any help would be appreciated.

 

[luv2rallye]

Did you swap the taillight relay with another one to see effect?
Ground the green-white wire on the tail light relay to see if that will activate that relay (and tail lights).
If it does, your lighting switch in the column is bad.
If not, does the relay click but the lights don't go on?
You may have to start measuring voltages at the taillight relay, "Tail lamp" fuse, taillights.

 

[Galipso]

Im skeptical about bypassing the dimmer switch. U've replaced the fuses but one could have popped right away when u tried to turn it back on. U've got fuses under ur dash and under ur hood, when mine went out, its bc i crossed wires on my small side light and blew the fuse in the box under the hood. I guess u have to go backwards and see what u could return to stock behind the dash

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Another idea. I don't know its terminology but when I got my 98 TSI the smaller black module on the back of my fuse box wasn't working so I swapped in a junkyard item and fixed it. I know they are very expensive new if you can even get it. Just sharing my experience.

 

[JackStieben]

Okay so I tried 1 more fuse for the tail light slot in the engine bay fuse box. It made all the lights work again, but it popped within 15 minutes of driving. The new one popped within the minute, well, I got excited and did a first gear pull and then it popped when I let off. Now, when I replaced the tail light and turn signal lights, it fixed my right blinker from blinking extremely fast. I'm wondering if there's some bad wires or connections by the right tail light. I'm trying to avoid using a multimeter because I don't understand them at all even when people explain it to me. Electrical and I just don't mix.

 

[luv2rallye]

Sounds like a partial short. Check those wires for shorts. Also it's rare but sometimes 1 filament can short to the other filament in the same bulb.
Finding shorts: http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/finding-a-short-partial-short-or-battery-drain.179481/#post-1496998

Multi-meter usage primer: http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/multi-meter-usage-primer.404574/

 

[JackStieben]

So a little update, it has been driving fine after I changed the right tail light wires. But when I was doing a pull, it sounded like the ECU started clicking rapidly and the dash lights cut out again. The car kept working just fine, and the clicking only happened for about 10 seconds. There was a weird burning-ish smell afterwards but the car turned back on just fine. The tail light fuse blew and when I changed it, the lights worked just fine after that. Car ran fine on the way home, just the clicking and smell. I'm going to pull out the ECU tomorrow and take a look to see if I burned out a capacitor or something.

 

[Galipso]

Im not sure if you've done any rewiring under the dash near the peddles, but something i experienced before was a wire being pinched between my clutch pedal and firewall so everytime i put the clutch down too far it would rub and short the circuit. If you have any splices into your ignition wires or ECU or kill switches or after market switches wired up, just check them all for exposed wires down there by the peddles or pinch points

 

[JackStieben]

I fixed the problem today. My side marker wires were loose and rubbed up against my tire. It exposed the bare wire and rubbed them together. I ran some new wire, heat shrink and taped it up to protect everything and voila.