Been having the brake light come on randomly at the moment, so bought a new brake light switch, stripped the dash panels back to replace and......... No switch to swap out???? There is just a hole where it should be.

I've had a good search on the web and looked at golfs etc and they all say the same, it should be there.

My car is an early 2006 Vrs hatch, any ideas peeps?

From that picture it looks like its missing  i will have a look at mine in the morning & see if its fitted there.....how weird. Have you looked on your other vrs to see if it has one fitted there? 

From that picture it looks like its missing  i will have a look at mine in the morning & see if its fitted there.....how weird. Have you looked on your other vrs to see if it has one fitted there?

I will have a look in the morning on my other Vrs but I'm totally baffled.

Could it be behind the master cylinder?

Sounds knackered,time for a new car Chris

Behave, you know what nick my motor is in but that there might be a little black number which is calling.
Get this and squeaking anti roll bar sorted and yes she might be up for sale.
Part for the family after 4.5 years:)

I'd then be looking for a switch in the braking system, old BL cars used to have a hydraulically activated brake light switch.  If you're lucky it's a separate easily replaceable part, worst case could be that the brake ECU registers a pressure change in the brake hydraulics and then instructs the electrics ECU to activate the brake lights.

I have had a look in my haynes manual & its says that models up to 10/2005 have a switch on the pedal bracket & models from 10/2005 have a switch on the bottom of the master cylinder.   (knowing what access is like in that area under the bonnet......good luck!  ). 

Mine is automatic DSG and the switch is located next to master cylinder under the bonnet. I hope this helps.

Looks like its under the master cylinder then, I'll see if I can find it and cheers for help guys

I'm having the same problem on my 2006 vrs. Ive just stripped out the dash to find the switch bracket with no switch. 

Think I've now found it under the brake master cylinder but how do you get to it to replace it? 

The brake light switch on the underside/side(? been a while) of the master cylinder is a magnetic type activated by piston movement with no serviceable parts.  It is held in place by a torx bolt IIRC.

 

Due to restricted access, rather than remove the master cylinder and disturb the pipe fittings, you could remove just the reservoir, which again is held in place by a torx bolt down at the lower outboard side.

 

Once removed the reservoir simply wiggles upwards free from two rubber grommets, you may have to disconnect or loosen the clutch feed at the top of the reservoir. Test the switch before reassembly! Just don't go mad with the brake pedal as you'll introduce excessive amounts of air into the master cylinder which will need time and repeated gentle/partial pedal application to purge up and out.

 

It's a messy job and you'll need to rinse down the area with water when done and replenish the brake fluid but with limited access your options are limited, at least you won't have to bleed anything.

Edited 8 September, 20187 yr by MicMac