Have just discovered that the brake lights on my 1998 Passat are always on when the headlights/rear lights are on. The high level light is also on. When I press the brake pedal there is a slight increase in intensity but not really enough to show that I am braking (or so said my wife who drove behind me last night). Also, when I press the brake pedal after switching the mian lights off the front lights light up at low intensity.
Is there anything simple I could look/fix or is it a trip to the VW garage for diagnostics?
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Remove one of your rear bulbs and try and repeat the problem. If the problem is still there, replace that bulb and move on to the next one.
Pound to a penny one of the bulbs is either not seated correctly and is supplying power across the wrong circuit or you have the wrong bulb in one or two of the holders.
A favourite is accidentally swapping a two element stop/tail light with a single element bulb. The pins are slightly different and it\'s common for a bulb to be forced in, supplying a current across the earth.
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Sounds like a short somewhere, could be as simple as a bulb incorrectly installed. Does a passat have a 5/21 rear tail/brake light bulb, if so that will be your problem a bulb put in wrongly or the wront bulb. Revmove both rear bulbs and try it. When you brake does the side lights come on, ?? Regards Peter
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Thanks for the suggestions: I'll try them later. I'm sure the brake and rear lights share a bulb so I'll do some removing/swapping to see what happens.
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I also have a passat and have experianced the same prob as you, when you brake the front drivers side bulb lights up (Dim)- I found that I had a blown fuse for one of the rear brake lights.... wierd I know, but replaced it and front bulb never seen to light again, trust me I check on a regular basis...
Also.....
Recently I changed both tail light / brake light bulbs on my passat and noticed that when SWMBO braked (with side-lights off) the brake lights were dim, when we then turned on the lights they immediately became the same brightness as would be for brake lights but when she braked with side-lights on, there was no increased brightness.... problem was that I had put the bulbs in wrong way round and the wrong filament was lighting up.
try removing the bulb, slightly turn and re enter ..... would suggest you turn the lights on then insert the bulb in the holder making sure that only the lower filament lights up, then get someone to brake for you and the upper filament should light, presto brake lights sorted...
Ps mind fingers as those bulbs get hot quick!
Hope this helps.
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just looked in haynes manual, the other option is that because the centre light is permanently on, it could be the
"stop-light switch" which is located on the pedal bracket behind the facia...
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Strange things happening with rear lights/ stop lights/ flashers are often caused by faulty earth return wires. If the earth return is poor current tends to find it's way through the other bulbs. Check the earth wires (I think they are coloured brown on VW's) from the rear light clusters.
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Check the earth wires (I think they are coloured brown on VW's) from the rear light clusters.
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Get yourself three feet of flex. Bare the ends. Fix one end under a bolt that makes a good earth somewhere in the boot area and then use this as a supplementary earh by just touching it on the existing earth of the rear light. If you are not sure which is the earth then put a fuse holder in the flex.
You will soon easily notice if it is a bad earth.
My Sierra and many other cars suffer from a poor earth for back lights so I have added a pair of supplementary earths. Job done.
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