Golf MK2 interior controls - what is supposed to light up?

OK, I've dismantled a spare switch I have to see if I can get its bulb. Turns out it's blown. Anyway, although people are saying that the switch illumination is very dark, I think this is intentional because the little green filter in the switch is pretty thick. I'm going to get grain of wheat bulbs for both heater panel and headlight switch and use them. Does anybody know if the headlight switch remains lit after the lights are turned on? I guess I'll find out.

I don't know about LEDs (especially non green ones!)... Something in me tell me I should use the original method of lighting, even though LEDs will last forever. But then again, I'm an object conservator, and I don't like modification! Up with factory steel wheels, down with non OEM alloys (etc.)!

Just repaired my clock (bad connection to the printed circuit) and replaced a blown gauge bulb, and it's looking glorious!

 

I'm sure the headlight switch remains lit after the lights have been switched on.

 

a warm white led would give a oem ish look ....try a mix of resistors until its at the brightness you like

 

I tried various LEDs but never really got the result I was after, even after playing around with removing the green filter and the white plastic diffuser.
I ordered some grain-of-wheat bulbs (4mm, 12v) from eBay which fit perfectly. They're a little brighter than the bulbs that were already there but to be honest I think they've lost some of their brightness over the years anyway.
These bulbs gave a much nicer backlight glow than the LEDs, much closer to stock looking in my opinion. I haven't yet tried them on the heater controls but if they're the same bulbs as the switches I can't it being a problem.
I paid 6.98 for 50 bulbs (including delivery from China!!) so I'm hoping I'm good to go for another 20 years or so.

 

Do you have a pic of how your switches look now? and a link to the bulbs? Cheers.

 

I'm not sure the picture's going to work, as the illumination is almost certainly too dim to show up on an iphone photo.
Ebay link is http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390170653231
Hope that helps.

 

You will need to take out the green filters in the switches too, as they only let that wavelength of light through (which probably wont match the green of your LED, and a white LED is different to a white filament, so they will appear dark)

I also didnt do it the way mentioned above, i just soldered in the LED to the holder (same as the bulb) but then i soldered the resistor in 1series with the blue and white wire behind the switch itself - much more room for the diode then, and much easier! Any replacement LED's required are going to use the same reistor anyway (roughly) so all good

 

Now I've finally got the car back I can post pictures of the fixed bulbs.
I bought ebay "4mm Clear 12V Grain of Wheat Bulbs mini bulb" for the switches (Fogs, Rear Window and Lights) and also a "12V 0.96W Wire Ended Filament Type" bulb from Maplin to repair the heater panel illumination.
This is the result (grainy iPhone - sorry)





Looks like factory illumination to me, didn't fancy the LED look myself.

 

In case anyone needs some help, I've done a slightly vague "How-To" thread on replacing the bulb in the heater panel:
http://www.clubgti.com/showthread.php?271822-How-to-fix-heater-panel-illumination