polecat702

The stop lamp warning doesn't come on any more, but I have brake lights, and tail lights, all of them. Plus the gages quit working, except the amp meter. Checked all the fuses, and they are good.

Any ideas. I had a problem with the interior lights, but they're working, though not as bright.

It's an 89, and I'm getting where I don't like it much any more.

Mrmerlin

Joe did you by chance install all new fuses? into your new to the car CE panel?
If so could they have been harbor freight fuses?
Some of the issues your reporting are usually caused by fuse issues

polecat702

I don't buy cheap anything. They're all buss fuses, and brand new. I did save all the old ones, got a bag of them, plus new relays. I don't know if I got a bad ground, whatever.

I know this, it's bourbon thirty!!! Tomorrow is another day. BTW, the car fires right up. How long it'll run , is the question.

The Forgotten On

Sounds like it's fuse 24. I had the same issue with my gauges not working except for the volt meter yesterday.

The lights did go out entirely when it failed, but mine failed in a weird way.

The fuse did pop initially but it remade contact after the wire inside split and rejoined its other half and kept working for a while. I'll get a picture later.

My failure was caused by the trunk popper switch shorting out internally on the driver's side switch. I'm just postponing fixing it as I can just use the key instead.

It is also common for the dome lights to short out against the roof of the car and cause the fuse to get overloaded. The best remedy for this is the VW lights as they are completely enclosed.

The car will also run normally with this fuse blown. Ask Mongo

pwhite52

I've been looking for the VW part number on the dome light. Can you enlighten (pun intended) me?
Thanks

polecat702

Roger, has them.

Mrmerlin

I just had to ask as sometimes the fuses look good but they are not always the same quality.
New fuses have a habit of breaking internally and then still giving an intermittent connection,
try installing an old fuse back into the slots that have failed operation.

That said did you ever replace the overhead lights?
Its very possible with a black car that the original lights have melted due to sunshine heat and lamps being on,
this lets the wire break off the lamp then it shorts and smokes the harness from the roof to the B pillar then to the CE panel.
Ii have replaced a few of these harnesses already.
Best to disconnect the battery and pull the three lamps from the overhead ,( with the battery connected this is when the positive to ground can happen)
inspect them and put heat shrink on every connector so if it breaks off then it wont short out and replace the lamps

polecat702

OK, thanks Stan.

nosnow

I had a similar problem on my 89. It was a fuse and was caused because of how it was seated. I also used BUSS fuses but I noticed the blades seem to be ever so slightly thinner than the originals. Moving the fuse around and adding contact cleaner fixed the cluster lights and gauges but not the stop lamp warning light. The brake lights work but the warning light does not, I stopped searching.

As an aside I had a lot of issues with the original cluster, in the end I had to take two clusters and merge them but still no stop lamp warning light. 89 was the first year with the digital cluster and although I like it there seems to be some age/heat related issues that crop up and no one appears to fixe them.

polecat702

Thanks Gentlemen!!
I had to reuse an old fuse, the new one doesn't fit as snug. Everything is working again.

Mrmerlin

Ahh haa great news

The Forgotten On

Glad it was something easy

Mrmerlin

make sure to put a old fuel pump fuse in as well

nosnow

Is there a place to get fuses with the old dimensions? If not next time I go to pick and pull I'm taking fuses.

Ducman82

Check for corrosion on the fuses holders.