Relay 36 - parking light buzzer

[Jolteon]

My Australia Day entertainment: VW electrics?

Anybody know anything about Relay #36? My '94 VR didn't have a parking lights buzzer but my new '98 CL did. Went investigating and found that it's controlled by relay 36 in terminal 9 on the fusebox. That terminal was empty on the VR so thought maybe someone didn't like it and deleted it, but I plugged in the relay and nothing happens.

Tested with a multimeter and discovered that there's no positive out of #9 on any of the terminals, with or without lights on/key in. The door switch seems to work because the interior lights function correctly. Relay works when connected straight to the battery, and works fine on the CL.

Seen several threads on various forums of people with the issue but none of them have a solution... Thinking it could possibly have something to do with it having an aftermarket immobiliser or the rather sketchy radio wiring setup from the previous owner (which we have since tidied up). Anybody had this issue?

[Jolteon]

Okay after lots of searching and researching and head-scratching, I think I have reached the end of this issue and why some people can't get the relay buzzer to work! Going to post this up for all the other poor sods like me who forget to turn their lights off and want to do this, seemingly simple, little mod.

Came across the diagram on Central Electric 2 of all the pin outs of the fusebox which points to a grey/black wire on pin L/03 - note they list that it's only "models with Parking Light Buzzer". I pulled the fuse box down on both cars, the CL did have the wire, but on the VR it simply isn't there - so plugging in the relay won't do anything!

So unlike the front fog lights wiring, which on cars that already have rear fog lights they also run the wire through the firewall for the front, and just don't stick the lights on the end - in this case they just haven't run the wire at all!

So as far as I can see, the solution is either manually wire in the relay by splicing into the various wires for the parking lights and door switch as per this diagram (credit to Sam. on clubgti.com): (the one he lists as unused isn't really unused - it seems to work when getting current from either side or both)


Or alternatively you can go to Jaycar and buy yourself an aftermarket kit if you're not fussed about having all that mad OEM euro swag.

I'm not sure if the buzzer was an optional extra or if it just came standard on later cars - can't see it listed on brochures for US Mk3s from '94, but my friend's '95 VR and my '98 CL both have it, but my '94 VR does not (which is otherwise laden with luxuries). The '95 has, by the sounds of it, all the factory options including dual fog lights and sunroof (pretty rare in Aus?); but the '98 CL is as basic as basic gets with no electric features or anything. That suggests to me that perhaps with the updates VW made in '95 that included the addition of the buzzer as standard, unless whoever originally bought my CL from new thought that this would be the only option worth having - electric windows are pretty posh anyway. Whatever the story I guess it's safe to assume that if your car doesn't have it, it probably never did and hence has no wiring. The easiest way to check would probably be having a look for the wire on the back of the fusebox (a PITA to get to on both my cars).