Scirocco Register

My main beam warning lamp has stopped working. The indicator one has been intermittent too, so (as that will fail the MOT) I have started to investigate.
Removed the instrument binnacle - no mean feat - sounds so easy easy in the Haynes manual!

Used contact cleaner on the white & black connectors. Indicator tell-tale (green)seems to work OK, as do the red oil pressure & ignition, but still no (blue) main beam indicator.
Checked & 12v is getting to the white (16 way connector) - blue/white wire.

But, is it an blue LED or a bulb in the binnacle? Blue LEDs weren't that common back in 1987 (& were expensive).
Googling it, it seems that in other VWs of the era it was a bulb behind blue plastic.

Either way, has anyone ever manged to change it?

I'm a bit worried that in dismantling the binnacle I'll jigger everything else up. How is the bulb held in, is there a holder?
The cheap & cheerful alternative is a separate tell-tale mounted on the dash somewhere (looks like they are cheap enough on eBay) - wouldn't look right though.

Advice please.

It's a very small bulb. You can swap it if you are willing to strip down the cluster a bit. You may be able to get away without having to take the flexi circuit board off the back, but it's been a while since I took one apart.

Just stick a blue 12v led in a small potting box and run a feed from one of the high beam bulbs. Will get you thru the test

Cheers chaps. While I have the binnacle out I'm tempted to have a go, hope I don't regret it.

I did this little write up last year which shows how to strip the clocks down to get to the bulbs if you need it - viewtopic.php?f=11&t=17624

So the cross head screws hold on the front! I was looking at it thinking that I needed to undo everything, then peel off the flexi-pcb, then try and get inside from the back.
Might give that a go then.

Mine does look different from the back though. It has the same gauges, but has some sort of a vacuum unit bolted on the back (but it doesn't have the mpg gauge like my previous GTX).

I'll see if I can upload a pickie.

Your write-up made me smile. On my last GTX, the bulb in the instrument light went. I got the binnacle out, but broke the bulb holder, so stuck it back in with bluetak. It worked fine for about 3 years 'til it must have vibrated free. I couldn't face getting the binnacle out again so left it looking just like yours (only the tacho lit).

That was another thing holding me back, I couldn't remember how to get the bulbs out & was scared I'd break the holder again.

farley381 wrote:So the cross head screws hold on the front! I was looking at it thinking that I needed to undo everything, then peel off the flexi-pcb, then try and get inside from the back.
Might give that a go then.

Mine does look different from the back though. It has the same gauges, but has some sort of a vacuum unit bolted on the back (but it doesn't have the mpg gauge like my previous GTX).

I'll see if I can upload a pickie.

Yeah, just those 8 screws and then the front will fold down. Looks like you have the MFA clocks.the PCB can stay in place!

As you said, pretty easy, once someone else has worked it out. Though I struggled a bit until I un-clipped the white & black edge connectors.
Definitely a bulb. I wondered whether to go the LED route, but in the end, after a bit of digging, found out that you can use the bulb out of a T3 Camper.
I know LEDS last forever, but the first bulb lasted 28 years! Got one off of eBay (genuine VW too).

Nice...You should fill that space up with lights...Get it looking like a christmas tree!