Rear Fog Light Switch Tell-Tale lamp

[PaulG]

Hi,
Mine has burned out, don't know when, not sure it has ever worked in 12 years TBH, however, following the decision by Brickwerks to close their workshop I may need to branch out and organise my own MOT at some point soon, but not sure TBH how and why it has kept passing the test at Brickwerks local testing place. Anyhow, theoretically the tell-tale is an MOT requirement according to a reliable source. The spare switch isn't an easily available part as far as I can tell from Brickwerks shop, and some other on-line sources I have checked, so:-

1) Does anyone know where a working, preferably new and working switch can be sourced from please?
2) Is there a DIY repair to the tell-tale known, tried and tested please? It is a tiny weeny thing, I didn't even notice it was there until I was testing the fog light.
3) How can I wire a separate tell tale to a little dash mounted indicator lamp please?

BTW there is a 6 months extension granted by HM Gov for MOT's due after March 30th which would take mine to beyond the 2020 campervan-using-season TBH. I intend to double-check this with the garage if and when it opens again - currently closed for COVID-19 reasons.

Always grateful for all the help, never taken for granted, many thanks,
PaulG

[Mocki]

Firstly your MOT will auto extend a couple of days before existing due date.
Secondly , the tell tale must have been working , can’t see BW having a dodgy mot man .
It’s easy enough to add a separate tell tale off the switch wiring , but I would think that Mick at NWVW will have one and if he doesn’t McGill will

[bigherb]

Have you checked the actual bulb in the switch, turn the bulbholder 1/4 turn clockwise to remove.

[PaulG]

Hi Folks, thanks for the posts, and here is an update from me, hoping it will help others:-

So, I hadn't realised that there was a separate lamp in the switch, outwardly it is such a tiny thing I thought it must be integral to the switch as a whole. Anyway I discovered that although the switch does not seem to be available anywhere as a new part, the lamp is available from good old Brickwerks within a lampholder ready to just plug into the switch, so I ordered a couple of those to ensure I would have a spare (same lamp/lampholder is listed to be for the Hazard Warning Switch as well by the way).

Set about fitting the lampholder, deciding to test the switch again just to be sure before pulling anything apart, noting from one of the switch listings (might have been Brickwerks) that it is described as a 'two position switch for front and rear fog lamps'. Seems odd, anyhow it turns out that my van (without front fog) requires the switch to be switched to the second position to turn on the rear fog (which does work - single lamp in O/S cluster), and at that setting the telltale lights up!

Odd at best IMHO, but it seems to have been intended to work like this by VW from the factory since the switch is listed to be for front and rear, and it does seem to be undisturbed as far as I can tell.

So, in conclusion, all's well that ends well, as long as the MOT tester is aware that you need to go to the switch's second position for the rear fogs and the telltale to work - and previous testers apparently did since it's always passed on that aspect.

Just a thought at this point, do others have the same set up for their rear fogs please?

MOT extension - checked this morning and MOT has been extended by HM GOV to a date in October, so sorted there as well!

Many thanks as ever,
PaulG

[ajsimmo]

It's hard not to smile at this. You've owned it 12 years, you say? I can feel a new thread coming - "What did it take you more than a decade to learn about your van?"

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