Tutorial: Fix your Mk4 Aircon / Heater cluster lighting - pics

[Stan]

There are plenty of tutorials with pics (a lot with broken links, though) on Vortex and I thought we need some more here.

This is a tutorial on how to fix your AC/Heater cluster lighting on a Mk4 Golf.
I had this problem that when my interior lighting was on, the heater cluster lighting was out. Excuse the time on the radio, some pics were taked out of sequence...my car and pics.

This is how to fix it.

The cluster looks like this:



No lighting (radio lights do work, instruments lights do not - pic for demo purpose):



The lighting source is a single globe and when it goes you lose the whole cluster. The globe is located behind the fan switch.

Set it to speed 2 and pull it out. I just grabbed it, but you my want to use pliars - use something on the jaws, though to protect the switch:



Notice the plastic tube that helps spread the light across the cluster. Put the switch carefully aside, and look in:



The globe is located in the centre. Notice the red surround that gives the lighting its colour:



The globe simply pulls straight out. Mine was a tight fit and I needed pliars to get it out. Try not to smash the globe getting it out. The globe is a push fit instrument globe. I already had a spare (I always pick up globes and fuses when ever I am at the wreckers...). They are pretty cheap and easily found at Autobarn and the like:





Just push the new globe straight in. Align the base of the globe vertically, or you will be pushing all day! I needed pliars once more - be really gentle here

The switch pushes straight in:




Simple, quick - easy to do. However, if I had not seen how to fix it somewhere else, I would not have had a clue. So now we have it here too.

Test - easy as pie, it works:

[Golf Loon]

Excellent write up mate. We need more like this.

[Stan]

Thanks GL, I too often read, "look it up on Vortex" and then there are no pics anyway...

We need more Tutorials with pics guys - next time you do any job, take some as you go and post them up. If we get enough we could have a Tutorials section...

[goodfella]

What a simple fix, fantastic write up...

the Indicator leds on my indash 6-stacker have stopped working too, just need to find magic globe for that!

[Stan]

What a simple fix, fantastic write up...

the Indicator leds on my indash 6-stacker have stopped working too, just need to find magic globe for that!

Thanks mate. Actually if you were brave enough to pull it apart you are likely to find it does only have one or two, I have had stereos like this.

[Manaz]

A great write-up - I've added a link to this thread to the "MKIV FAQ and HOW TO THREAD" sticky.

[Stan]

wow...thanks Manaz, hopefully someone will find it useful!

[saMfish]

Just wanted to bump this to make sure people see it :p nice and simple fix for your heating cluster that makes a world of difference.

[Dyldo]

What a simple fix, fantastic write up...

the Indicator leds on my indash 6-stacker have stopped working too, just need to find magic globe for that!

sounds to me like the makings of another tutorial there Goodfella!

[Brisbane's Bora]

Good stuff, I remember reading that people used something like a water balloon and placed the open end over the bulb, then used the pliers to pull it all so it didn't break.