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Electrical issue has me confused

9

9FingerTommy

New member
Location
Indiana, USA
Hey all,

I have a 2008 GTI 5-Door DSG.

Last week my blower resister went out. Bought a cheapo online replacement. It went out too within a few days. I also noticed during this time that my right front headlight would flicker at times and sometime cut out completely. I am thinking these are related.

Could the HID cutting out be causing too much voltage and that blow the blower resistor? Or is the resistor blowing causing headlight issues and I just had a bad cheap part for the replacement?

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
3carmonte

3carmonte

Gelbrain
Location
Seminole, FL
Car(s)
2007 GTI DSG Coup
I don't see the correlation. Resistors can't raise voltage. They limit current and create a potential difference "voltage-drop" from one end of the resistor to the other. In the blower circuit they work in series with the blower motor to slow it down with a resistor of different value for each speed except high speed which is no resistor, just the whole battery/alternator voltage going right to the motor. They say a butterfly flapping it's wings in India can cause a hurricane to form off the African coast but I think your headlight has it's own issues. Bad ignitor possibly?
 
9

9FingerTommy

New member
Location
Indiana, USA
3carmonte said:
I don't see the correlation. Resistors can't raise voltage. They limit current and create a potential difference "voltage-drop" from one end of the resistor to the other. In the blower circuit they work in series with the blower motor to slow it down with a resistor of different value for each speed except high speed which is no resistor, just the whole battery/alternator voltage going right to the motor. They say a butterfly flapping it's wings in India can cause a hurricane to form off the African coast but I think your headlight has it's own issues. Bad ignitor possibly?
Click to expand...

Could 100% be separate issues. Just trying to make sure so I know how and what I need to fix. Thanks for the input!
 
M

MagicMK

Drag Racing Champion
Location
PA
9FingerTommy said:
Hey all,

I have a 2008 GTI 5-Door DSG.

Last week my blower resister went out. Bought a cheapo online replacement. It went out too within a few days. I also noticed during this time that my right front headlight would flicker at times and sometime cut out completely. I am thinking these are related.

Could the HID cutting out be causing too much voltage and that blow the blower resistor? Or is the resistor blowing causing headlight issues and I just had a bad cheap part for the replacement?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Click to expand...

Maybe focus on the fan, blower, first -- did you just change the resistor and not the fan as well? Maybe your fan is bad and it's blowing out your resistor and it has nothing to do with your headlight flickering issue -- how old are your HID bulbs? I know that one of my 2008's HID bulbs went out at least 2 or 3 years ago. Did you ever change your HID bulbs, yet?
 
9

9FingerTommy

New member
Location
Indiana, USA
MagicMK said:
Maybe focus on the fan, blower, first -- did you just change the resistor and not the fan as well? Maybe your fan is bad and it's blowing out your resistor and it has nothing to do with your headlight flickering issue -- how old are your HID bulbs? I know that one of my 2008's HID bulbs went out at least 2 or 3 years ago. Did you ever change your HID bulbs, yet?
Click to expand...

I only changed the resistor. As for the bulbs I haven't changed them but I have only owned the car for just over a year so I do not know how old they are.
 
M

MagicMK

Drag Racing Champion
Location
PA
9FingerTommy said:
I only changed the resistor. As for the bulbs I haven't changed them but I have only owned the car for just over a year so I do not know how old they are.
Click to expand...

Well, that would be my guess - I changed all 3 of those things. I changed the fan AND the resistor, together, about 3 years ago -- and changed both HID bulbs with new Hella bulbs (as a pair) about 2 - 3 years ago, as well. If you just got the car, maybe old owner was holding out on the bulbs. I know Advance wanted $100 a piece -- found a place online that sold them for about $87 shipped for both, and they were Hella. As for the fan, I believe I found the parts on Amazon -- the resistor and and blower. I think the blower being bad (and they are known to go) causes the resistor to go early. That would be my recommendation -- replace your blower -- they're cheap, and relatively easy to fix. Then change your resistor as well. While you're in there, check your cabin air filter as it may be very dirty -- the old owner may never have replaced it.

Oh, and as for the light flickering issue -- I'd recommend changing the bulbs. It's possible your HID ballast could be bad, but much more likely that the bulbs, themselves, are going. I know the sealed units are made by Hella in Germany and sell for about $400 a piece, new, from a non-dealer, so hopefully your bulbs are just bad. I'm not sure if the HID ballasts can be replaced separately - you'd have to look that up.
 
9

9FingerTommy

New member
Location
Indiana, USA
MagicMK said:
Well, that would be my guess - I changed all 3 of those things. I changed the fan AND the resistor, together, about 3 years ago -- and changed both HID bulbs with new Hella bulbs (as a pair) about 2 - 3 years ago, as well. If you just got the car, maybe old owner was holding out on the bulbs. I know Advance wanted $100 a piece -- found a place online that sold them for about $87 shipped for both, and they were Hella. As for the fan, I believe I found the parts on Amazon -- the resistor and and blower. I think the blower being bad (and they are known to go) causes the resistor to go early. That would be my recommendation -- replace your blower -- they're cheap, and relatively easy to fix. Then change your resistor as well. While you're in there, check your cabin air filter as it may be very dirty -- the old owner may never have replaced it.

Oh, and as for the light flickering issue -- I'd recommend changing the bulbs. It's possible your HID ballast could be bad, but much more likely that the bulbs, themselves, are going. I know the sealed units are made by Hella in Germany and sell for about $400 a piece, new, from a non-dealer, so hopefully your bulbs are just bad. I'm not sure if the HID ballasts can be replaced separately - you'd have to look that up.
Click to expand...

Already have the new resistor but haven't installed it yet. I will shop a new blower too! And I'll for sure try new bulbs. Thanks for the advice!
 
M

MagicMK

Drag Racing Champion
Location
PA
9FingerTommy said:
Already have the new resistor but haven't installed it yet. I will shop a new blower too! And I'll for sure try new bulbs. Thanks for the advice!
Click to expand...

Welcome, and good luck. Please follow up with your results - these threads are most helpful when they go from problem to resolution. Some people post the problem, but then never follow up with their resolution - so, let us know how everything worked out.

As an aside, I also purchased a high end scanner to help diagnose some of these supplementary systems trouble codes that are outside of the normal DTC trouble codes that the sub $50 scanners can detect. If you're going to keep the car for a few years and do some of your own diagnostics and work, consider an Autel MX808. They sell for less than $400 and offer extremely sophisticated mechanics level, manufacturer specific, model specific, diagnostics.

Good luck.
 
GTI's

GTI's

Drag Racing Champion
Location
MD
MagicMK said:
As an aside, I also purchased a high end scanner to help diagnose some of these supplementary systems trouble codes that are outside of the normal DTC trouble codes that the sub $50 scanners can detect. If you're going to keep the car for a few years and do some of your own diagnostics and work, consider an Autel MX808. They sell for less than $400 and offer extremely sophisticated mechanics level, manufacturer specific, model specific, diagnostics.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Ross Tech Dealer Level Tool for VAG at half that price at $200 and they have a great forum for the scan tool.

https://www.ross-tech.com/

https://forums.ross-tech.com/forum.php
 
GTI's

GTI's

Drag Racing Champion
Location
MD
Its coverage ranges from 1995 to current models, so old or new does not matter.

OP WD for climatic Hvac if you have climatronic just ask.

 
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