Mk2 Golf Instrument bulbs - bloooody hell what a faff! Need advice

I only have one left working over the speedo, and so I need to presumably replace the others - including the MFA light (is that replaceable?).

Anyone able to tell me what kind of bulbs I need to get from Halfords? Does the MFA have a bulb at all? I don't have another car to let me take the bulbs out first before going so need to know in advance. Ta!

 

not much to say:
you have there 3 little bulbs- the third one is for the mfa/digital clock (cars with the big coocoo clock have only 2).
you want the white bulbs over the black ones, as they give stronger light.
and thats it.

 

The halfords flip chart bulb finder thingie has the dash bulbs on it, they come in a plastic holder - look for them on ebay to give yourself an idea of what they look like before you go.

 

or nip up the stealer and get the right ones

 

Is the MFA/clock backlit? I have a 1987 MK2. I'm sure the bulb has gone because I'm sure I used to be able to read the MFA/clock in the dark.

 

Yeah it is.

 

Right I got some new bulbs from Halfords. Got the dash apart, and removed the reeeeaaaally annoying bulb holders on the top of the dash. The left bulb was working, but when I looked at it one of the twin tiny filaments was broken, one was intact. The right bulb wasn't working at tall, but looked fine.

Next I couldn't get the flipping bulbs out the holders - I ended up accidentally crushing the right bulb >_< and couldn't get the left bulb out the holder. Had to scoop out the right bulb remanents with a tiny screw driver... put them both back in but when I flip the lights on I get nothing from either bulb now! GAH! From a lit speedo and a dark rev counter, to dark speedo AND rev counter.

Not sure what I've done wrong here. Both holders seem to be re-inserted as firmly as they were originally in (i.e. finger hurtingly tight).

Any idea what to do now? Every other light seems OK - bar the MFA which didn't light up before anyway.

 

they come with holders if you get the right part...easier to get the proper ones from the stealers

 

Listein to this man. There only a couple of quid from a dealer and they just clip into the instrument housing then. The hardest bit should be getting the dashpod in and out!

 

Just don't understand how a working bulb from before I removed it is no longer...

 

they often fail when you disturb em

best to replace the whole set

 

Might have a go changing them for LEDs, bought a set off eBay ages ago to do me switches but never got round to it. Only issue is that the speedo cable is tight as anything and I couldn't pull it off the back in the space it allowed me - was worried about damaging it.

 

dont think the halfords lamps fit correctly, dealer only part

 

It's wrong to assume that the main dealers are always going to be the most expensive route of getting the older cars fixed, in this case it would have cost less than 10 and they simply unscrew and screw straight back in, would have taken 1/2 hour max to do the whole job.

 

Exactly - always check the stealer part prices first and ask on here if you're unsure - a lot of people have the VW parts lookup program with prices. You should have taken PB's advice first thing in the thread and saved yourself grief and the extra 's by going direct to your dealer and getting the bulbs in the holders ready to screw in. There will be many cases of "been there, done that" advice, so listen to what people say

 

Hi
In my experience, it is one day to go to the dealer and pay for the parts. Then another half day wasted to go to the dealer and collect the parts.

 

It's easy to say go to the dealer, but someone did say to get them at Halfords - no chance of getting them from a dealership on a Saturday.

 

You can quite easily get parts from the dealers on a Saturday. Just not after 12...

 

Does anyone have any idea what the part numbers are? (dash lights and MFA light). Will give my local VW dealer a call on Monday.

 

or a day messing around driving out and wasting money on the wrong parts, then faffing around trying to bodge the wrong parts into you car and find they dont work

then next week go to the dealer like everyone said in the first place , so by now its took twice as long and cost double

theres these things called telephones...bell up the stealer and ask if they have the parts or can order them , then call in and collect next time you are passing

these forums are a great help , but it really is best to listen to what people tell you , halfords is best avoided when at all possible