superb interior light problem

[dohertyjj]

please help --- have had the same problem as a lot of superb and passat owners the dreaded water ingress in my 2004 superb so far I have managed to sort most things but the dome light refuses to work on the door opening or key removal (either front or rear) they will work manually so does anyone out there know the colour coding of this particular wire (or where can a wiring diagram be located) and its location as at this stage I have redone all the joints I can find have even changed the ccm unit to no avail (I assume the central locking has to be recoded on changing this unit but everything else worked except the light) At this stage it's really bugging me the carpet nearly lifts up every time I open the passenger door I have been at it so often

just a thought the back right door doesn't register as been open on the dot metrix and the puddle lights only work on a very frosty night( at least I'll not slip getting into the car) could this be related to the light problem?

[rotodiesel]

Have a look here:

http://www.headfuzz.co.uk/?q=vw_ccm

rotodiesel.

[dohertyjj]

Have a look here:

http://www.headfuzz.co.uk/?q=vw_ccm

rotodiesel.

thanks for the info but still beat have gone through the joints I can find but must be one alluding me I assume that the delay and door switch wiring system runs through the ccm but the on off direct switch doesn't but the tracing of it just has me beat a At this stage I could eat the wires with frustration somebody some where must have the colour coding or the pin location on the ccm

[Fred Bloggs]

I have lost my front interior lights, but the rear interior lights are working fine. I have looked a couple of times for wiring issues but cannot find any. I have not had water ingress issues either. The fault eludes me.

[dohertyjj]

does your manual switch work if not it could be a fuse or a faulty earth if it does it would sound like you do have a similar problem to me (remember the top of the carpet may not be wet cause the underlay will soak a lot you could have a pollen filter seal issue) from the research I have done so far it would seem that there is a clump of black/red wires in the passat that all join together somwhere but I cannnot locate these in my superb (need to get to a breakers yard and see a complete loom stripped out) problem is there aint too many superbs in breakers yards

[Fred Bloggs]

All the usual things like fuses etc have been checked multiple times. I've taken out the light unit and hard wired the bulbs to test them, they work fine. The little red LEDS in the front interior light cluster do work normally, but the courtesy and the 2x map lights do not. In addition the sun visor mirror lamps, the glove box lamp and the puddle lamps do not work.

The rear cabin courtesy lights work just fine. There is no sign of there ever being water under the carpet (I've looked more than once), the pollen filter seal has been replaced and the plenum drains kept clear. I regularly make sure that leaves, muck etc.. are removed from the usual places and that water runs away freely. Additionally, the under carpet wiring harness is in as new condition very, very clean and tidy on this 55 plate car.

In a nutshell, my fault scenario has none of the "normal" known faults and I do not really want to invest (possibly hundreds of?) pounds in anyone looking for an obscure fault to be honest. I can live without the interior front lights, but if a fix did come to light I'd love to fix it.

[dohertyjj]

The same as myself no money parting hands-- at this stage it's just annoying I have at this stage located a few superbs in a breakers yard and have talked to the yard owner who has no problem allowing me to check the wiring loom but he reckon's that it's a very complicated piece of kit so if I get a chance maybe i will examine it and i will let you know if I discover any thing It surprises me that some one hasn't figured the interior light wire colours as these seem to give a lot of trouble

something else that comes to mind somewhere in my travels someone told me that there may be a unit of some sort in the rear right door (maybe someone can clarify that)haven't checked this myself but I do know that my rear right door doesn't show up on the dot metrix on the dash

[rotodiesel]

As a general point, VAG make use of crimped "nodes" in the wiring loom to common the feeds to the (multiple) interior lamps. These joints are badly made, uninsulated and taped into the loom which sits near the floor pan and gets wet. Some of these nodes are permanently live to provide the feed to the interior lamps.

Wolfsburg clearly don't understand that live uninsulated connections energised permanently with DC will corrode whern they get damp. This is the basis of electrolysis and needs to be added to all the other facts of Nature that Wolfsburg don't seem to have worked out - like leaves falling off trees into scuttles, gravity, etc etc...

You should check for live feeds where required at the consumer end and strip the loom to find the cause of any missing ones. if you have no "door open" indication the likely causes are broken wires in the door jamb or a faulty microswitch in the latch assembly. Either can be found with VAGCOM.

rotodiesel.

[Fred Bloggs]

Thanks dohertyjj, good luck with looking for clues, this one has be stumped. Quite why it is that the rear courtesy lights work OK, but the front ones don't, I really have no idea.

[Fred Bloggs]

The snag is, Roto, on my car there is and never has been any sign at all of damp under the carpets in my motor. I've been aware of the problems with water ingress since I bought the car and have been scrupulous in preventing water leaks occurring. When you look under the carpets this has paid off, since it all looks exactly like new under there still (it's a 55 plate car).

[rotodiesel]

You still need to check the nodes in the loom if your tests show there is no 12V feed to the consumers. The problem is that atmospheric damp or any condensation will wick its way into the loom and cause corrosion - I have seen "dry" cars with green crimps inside the loom with the wires falling off.

Test carefully before pulling your car apart, but the joints in the harness are a definite weak spot. Some of the detailing here is worthy of a French car...

I wonder if Wolfsburg have this worked out on the B6?

rotodiesel.

[Fred Bloggs]

Thanks Roto.

[dohertyjj]

I agree totally with you roto diesel not up to a standard that you would be led to believe that the germans accept --if this was a japanese problem it would be a major recall and big news all over the world but such is life ----- the interior light problem that myself and fred blogs has I suspect comes from the same source -- a multiple crimped bunch of wires somewhere on the floor so the hunt goes on (it's not life or death but i aint gonna let it beat me)

[Fred Bloggs]

I agree totally with you roto diesel not up to a standard that you would be led to believe that the germans accept --if this was a japanese problem it would be a major recall and big news all over the world but such is life ----- the interior light problem that myself and fred blogs has I suspect comes from the same source -- a multiple crimped bunch of wires somewhere on the floor so the hunt goes on (it's not life or death but i aint gonna let it beat me)

Good luck, I've all but given up, I'm afraid.

[netgeni]

Hi all I have the same problem.

just a quick thing every one talks about the connections in the loom under the front passenger seat.

I have gone through mine and repaired fixed C/locking fault but still have the front interior light issue mentioned.

I know my car had the issue with the alarm going off etc and it was taken to Skoda and was repaired. The job looks poor in my opinion from what I can see at the minuet

When I was checking my loom I noticed that there were no repairs to the bit under the passenger seat but there has been repairs to the bit under the rear passenger foot well !!!

I can’t easily get to it I need to take the front passenger and rear seats out to have a good look at the repair but haven’t got the time at the min.

so it may be worth having a look at the wiring under the rear passenger foot well as Skoda have had a go at my one and I am assuming it fixed the issue with the alarm !!!!!!!

Maybe some one can say if there are any connections in that part of the loom that can go bad ??????

May help may not but got to keep trying dont let it beat you...

[sam2000]

I am the next one in turn to have the Water ingress problem. Funny thing is I knew about this and I kept thinking I should get this done but didn't get around to doing it all this time. I finally got the seal replaced by a local mechanic.(just gave him the VW bulletin about the seal - didn't ask him to look at the drain holes or anything - because at that time I didn't suspect there was any leak at all) Just two days later when the car was on the ramp for a an oil change, I noticed water was dripping down just below the passenger foot well. The guy doing the oil change suggested it could be the air con. But when I got home I lifted the carpet and it was quite wet underneath. Just then I remembered that my wife told me one of the rear interior lights stopped working about a month ago. So I am guessing the leak has started long before I put the seal. I was just too late I guess

So what should I do now? Should I take it to the same guy again along with the instructions for fixing it ? Or should I take it to a VW specialist? Is it possible that my mechanic may have accidently disturbed something while replacing the seal that the water ingress has become worse? He is an experienced mechanic but not a VW specialist. Would it be safer to take it to some VW specialist this time? Anyone who got this done around High Wycombe? Any recommendations?

Edited 26 March, 2010 by sam2000

[sam2000]

Someone please help me before my car dies!!

does anyone know any machanic around Bucks or London area who could do this job for me?

[sidewaze samm]

the VW bulletin does say to water test after replacing the seal - maybe he didn't (or did, but didn't notice he was filling the car with water!).

Like you, I've known about this for ages and have only recently taken the bungs out, but not had the seal replaced yet. Everything's still working, but i guess I should look under the carpet soon...

best of luck.

[sam2000]

the VW bulletin does say to water test after replacing the seal - maybe he didn't (or did, but didn't notice he was filling the car with water!).

Like you, I've known about this for ages and have only recently taken the bungs out, but not had the seal replaced yet. Everything's still working, but i guess I should look under the carpet soon...

best of luck.

Thanks Sidewaze,

Yes this was exactly what I was thinking as well. He is a pretty honest guy but I think he lacks the skills for this sort job. So I don't want to take it back to him. Now I am looking for someone who knows about this problem and has fixed it in the past. Hopefully I will find someone soon. Unfortunately I am not good at doing this sort of thing myself.

Edited 27 March, 2010 by sam2000

[dohertyjj]

Thanks Sidewaze,

Yes this was exactly what I was thinking as well. He is a pretty honest guy but I think he lacks the skills for this sort job. So I don't want to take it back to him. Now I am looking for someone who knows about this problem and has fixed it in the past. Hopefully I will find someone soon. Unfortunately I am not good at doing this sort of thing myself.

when you say that water was dripping underneath the car doesn't sound like the pollen filter seal seems to me that that hole under the battery is blocked whip out the battery and check first as for an expert on repairing the wires under the floor anyone with a knowledge of lifting the carpet and locating the joints in the loom and can use a soldering iron will be able to sort most of the problems just check out the link from some of the others above it's not rocket science if water has got into the module (the little black box inside the big box) then you may have to visit a breakers yard it will cost you about £50 for a used one (you may have to recode the central locking on a replacment box) . This problem is like a vocation once you start down the path of repair it becomes addictive and you be driving along thinking of areas under the carpet to check next god bless those VW engineers the *****RS

[sam2000]

when you say that water was dripping underneath the car doesn't sound like the pollen filter seal seems to me that that hole under the battery is blocked whip out the battery and check first as for an expert on repairing the wires under the floor anyone with a knowledge of lifting the carpet and locating the joints in the loom and can use a soldering iron will be able to sort most of the problems just check out the link from some of the others above it's not rocket science if water has got into the module (the little black box inside the big box) then you may have to visit a breakers yard it will cost you about £50 for a used one (you may have to recode the central locking on a replacment box) . This problem is like a vocation once you start down the path of repair it becomes addictive and you be driving along thinking of areas under the carpet to check next god bless those VW engineers the *****RS

Thanks dohertyjj,

So you think the seal is fine and it is a blocked drain? I first saw the water dripping when the car was on the ramp but later I did check the front passenger foot well and it was quite wet.

The problem is I am hopeless when it comes to this sort of thing so I think it would be safer to pay an experienced person to get this done. I couldn't even figure out how to lift the carpet! All these instructions on this forum simply says 'Life the carpet' as if it is something simple and obvious. But couldn't go any further than lifting the mat and just feeling wet carpet.

Edited 29 March, 2010 by sam2000

[sidewaze samm]

... whip out the battery ...

but be careful if you have a dodgy back

[dohertyjj]

but be careful if you have a dodgy back

[/quo

rotodiesel you seem to have a good knowledge of this problem would I be right in thinking that if you replace the control module you have to recode the central locking system? it's just that I have a control module but the central locking is not working and I dont want to mess with it as my problem is in the loom so it may be of use to someone else

Edited 2 April, 2010 by dohertyjj

[netgeni]

dohertyjj I had a problem with my central locking and it was down to the corroded wires in the loom. the front part in the passengers foot well, red and black wires.

Dont know about the re-coding the unit but sound like it would make sense to match all the components up.

Is it all the doors or just some you had a problem with?

my rear drivers side would not open.

I managed to fix all my problems this weekend just by repairing the loom.

FIXED

As an update to my last post from some time back my interior light issue was sorted by damaged wiring in the back passenger side (between front seat and rear seats) not at the front foot well where every thing i saw/read pointed towards!!!!!!

5 blue wires + 3 green wires and 3 purple ones these were back a bit more nearer the rear seats. these wires did have stripes on them cant remember the full colors sorry

There was a load of the typical red and black wires with a big connector there two.It looked like it had been repaired before (i know skoda done a repair on it for the alarm problem where it would go off for no reason)

so left that one alone but could be anouther place for people to check.

BTW it also fixed the puddle lights on the drivers door mirror.

I now have a fully functional interior lighting system. Blinding lol.......

Good luck to all with this problem......

I just hope thats it for me now .

[Fred Bloggs]

That's great news for you. I may well have a similar problem to you since repeated looks under the front passenger carpet have drawn a blank for me. Can you be a bit more specific regarding where the faulty wiring was and what it looks like please? Well done.