My Glove Box light seems to be on all the time. Can anyone tell me where the switch is and how does it operate ?

Thanks

The switch is integrated in the lighthousing.

Try to take it out, but carefully, start at the end first. Just lever it out a bit and then slide it towards the back of the glovecompartment.

The mechanic of the switch is a bit, ahumm, delicate. It will break easily.

I had to disassemble mine, because of a the same failure.

Don't remember exactely how I did it, but after a lot of cursing and half an hour later, I got it right again.

But if the car is still in its warranty, just go to see your dealer.

Thanks Magic62,

In that case it may be like the VW Golf one that is linked to another Post about the switch falling apart.

Sounds like a fun afternoon as the car is out of warranty

Mine was still in warranty, but I couldn't wait for an appointment at the dealer. So I tried it myself :rubchin:

Removed the light & switch without too much trouble. You need to take the far end out first and then move the switch to an angle and the black operating lever will follow. If you pull the nearest end out first you will brake the lever.

Pictures of the switch are on the Audi A4 forum here: Help re Glovebox Light Removal - uk-mkivs

The copper contact strip where the spring touches in the lower of the two images on this web site was out of position and not under the locating lug at the end. A bit of careful persuasion got it in place with the contact strip reasonably flat.

I had a bit of difficulty deciding if I had fixed it as the light only goes out with the door almost closed and it is difficult to know if your line of sight has been cut off or the light has really gone out. Got over this as I had a spare piece of plastic optic fibre - I put one end near the light and looked at the other end. You can see the light go out quite clearly. There is enough of a gap for the fibre to exit at the bottom of the door without crushing it or pulling it away from the lamp.

Mine didn't work, possibly from new, and required a new glove box as the operating lever missed the switch on the light when closong the door.

I had a bit of difficulty deciding if I had fixed it as the light only goes out with the door almost closed and it is difficult to know if your line of sight has been cut off or the light has really gone out. .

Use your mobile phone:)

Start video recording, put in glove box (lens up!), close glovebox, wait a couple of seconds, open glovebox, stop recording, view video.

Won't win any Oscars but...

or get a small child to climb inside

Wish I'd read this thread before attempting to remove the glovebox light/switch assembly to fit an LED bulb. Managed to b***er it up and now the spring and operating lever are lost somewhere in the inner workings behind the glovebox . Ironically, the light still works but only in a permanently "on" position, which rather defeats the idea.

I'm tempted to have a crack at removing the glovebox to go in search of the missing bits. Any tips on removing it enough to just have a poke around? Will I need to disconnect the A/C pipe and airbag switch or can I get reasonable access by just undoing the 4 or 5 visible screws?

I managed to retrieve the missing parts (spring and lever) from behind the glovebox and the switch wasn't actually broken, but despite following the pictures in the link to the Audi forum above, I cannot figure out how to get any tension into the spring, which is essential to the operation of the lever and the light. Looks like a visit to my dealer for a new part tomorrow. £13 from a UK dealer should mean change out of NZ$30 for me here, but watch this space for some horrendous mark-up!

Despite your very clear instructions Mike, both I and a engineering colleague who fixes printers for a living and actually enjoys knurdling these sorts of things back together, failed to get the switched reassembled and working with any tension in the spring.

I went to my dealer and the Parts Department want $50 (about £25)) and 2-weeks lead time ex-Singapore for the part. The Service Department who sit next to the PArts guys told me to leave the switch with them and they would see if one of the techs could figure it out in a few minutes over lunchtime. I'll be impressed if they do...

The Service Department who sit next to the Parts guys told me to leave the switch with them and they would see if one of the techs could figure it out in a few minutes over lunchtime. I'll be impressed if they do...

So what do you know? I just got a call from the Service Department at my Dealers, Miles Continental in Christchurch. One of the staff who sits on Service reception had taken it upon himself to figure out how this switch went back together. As he put it, "I wasn't going to let the bu**er get the better of me", so on and off during the day he fiddled with it until lo and behold it was fully and correctly reassembled. He even took it out to the car and reinstalled it and confirmed it works correctly :sun: .

Fantastic service from the VW/Skoda team in Christchurch (as always, I have to say). They estimated that it had taken them about 3 hours of fiddling but they wouldn't accept a penny for it. I'll drop them a few beers, next time I'm passing, it's the least I can do.

And to finish this story off, the correct size LED festoon bulbs arrived today, so I took my life in my hands and carefully removed the glovebox light-switch again - the correct way, this time, gently easing it out from the back first - and installed the LED replacement bulb. Lovely bright light in there now and the switch is still in one piece .

h'i mike

04tony from dublin

i have struggled for maybe a month now  with no glove box light.

but after reading you're brilliantly clear instructions ,

the light is shineing once more .

thank's a lot for you're time & trouble.

04tony