[tb113409]

Awesome website, first time poster. I am currently having 2 issues with our 96 passat wagon. The headlights are working sporadically. The day time running lights aren’t working and the low beams don’t work when the headlight switch is turned on (the little green light next to the switch comes on, the maker lights/ instrument panel lights seem to work fine). The high beams will come on if you pull and hold the lever back but won’t click into place and stay on. This problem is seemingly slowly correcting itself. If you drive a little ways and attempt to cycle on the high beams, they eventually will click on and stay on and then you can click them off, the low beams will start to work and the little green light next to the switch will turn off. The run up to this was a low voltage start in which the trip odometer reset itself and the radio went into safe mode (I have sense read the warnings about this). I have only checked the low beam fuses so far and just beginning my quest for illumination, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I couldn’t find any threads on radio reset, can someone please direct me to reset instructions, I do have the radio code. Thanks to everyone that has put so much of their time into making this site awesome and making it easier to work on these beloved cars and keep the diesel faith.
Cheers

 

[chittychittybangbang]

IIRC you can use the knobs to dial in the radio code or press the buttons to change each digit, then press another button to go to the next digit.

No clue on the headlights but could it be a bad relay? This is just a total guess since I've never looked at the headlights system on that car. The high beams aren't really on, those are the "flash to pass" lights.

 

[tb113409]

Thanks, the headlights where a bad ground when a solderless connection installed by the previous owner worked its way loss. Can you please offer some more detailed information or point me to instructions somewhere, for getting my radio out of safe mode. No matter what sequence of button or knobs I manipulate seems to do anything other than turn the radio on or off.
Cheers

 

[chittychittybangbang]

I no longer have an owner's manual for that model but this should be correct:

Press and hold the Scan and Seek buttons until 1000 appears. Let go of the buttons.
Input the code, each button press will change that digit.
Press the Scan-seek buttons again to confirm the code.

If you input the wrong code it will flash safe. If you input the wrong code again you have to leave the radio on for an hour to try again.

 

[Keithuk]

What do you mean the radio went into safe mode I've never heard of safe mode on a radio?

I've just google it this and

It all depends on the year of the car and the radio package it has. I have a 2000 Passat with the monsoon and if you leave it alone it resets after about 10 minutes. Some have to be reset at the dealer using the VW tool. The rest code is one that the original owner makes and dealers tell them to write it down in the manual so they can find it latter so it will probable cost you $100 bucks or so to have it reset.

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-267533.html

So nothing would function it asking for the radio code, it appears that safe mode is asking for the radio code do you have it?

 

[chittychittybangbang]

What do you mean the radio went into safe mode I've never heard of safe mode on a radio?

So nothing would function it asking for the radio code?

Yes, on the mk3 radios if you disconnect the battery it will often lock itself for anti theft. It can be avoided if you put a 9v battery adapter into the cig lighter plug. The new radios remember which car they're installed in, you can even remove them and put them back in the same car w/no problem. You only need the code if installing in a new car.

 

[tb113409]

Seek and Scan did the trick. Thanks again for this website and all of those who participate in the forums.
Cheers

 

[Keithuk]

So a Seek and Scan of the stations reset it I thought it didn't work totally?