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Left Rear Turn Signal Not Working

39802 Views 23 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  Adrianporoch, 
TDIRunner
2006 VW Jetta TDI

Occasionally, my left rear turn signal will stop working. The dashboard light for a burned out bulb will turn on and the turn signal light will blink quickly. Both are the normal indications for a burned out bulb. However, after a while, this will go away and everything will work fine. I have noticed that most of the time it only happens when I have the headlights on. I replaced the socket that holds the bulbs in place because I thought that it might not have been getting a good connection. However, this has not solved the problem. Does anyone have any ideas? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.
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Seatman
What about the earth next to the rear light fitting maybe. You could try switching the indicator on or maybe the hazard lights then fiddling with the wires for that light and bulb to see if it affects anything.
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chittychittybangbang
There could be a problem with the wiring going back to the light somewhere in the body.
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F
You may find the CECM has a dry joint on the PCB, or see if there is a fuse (look in fusebox A under the hood)
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T
Strange right rear turn signal problem

Finally, someone in the world has the same ##%#@@$ problem I do. Intermittant left rear turn signal. Some days it is fine, other days the bulb out indicator appears on the dash and the left rear bulb stops working. Shut the car off, come back in an hour, then it works fine. I recently changed the left mirror signal assembly because it too was erratic. The rear is a problem still. I changed the bulb with right side that works fine, no improvement. I've checked contacts and provided an additional ground, no improvement. Does anyone have a suggestion? Something wrong with the CAN BUS? Bad wire going back to the bulb? Please help.
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tsandfor said:
Finally, someone in the world has the same ##%#@@$ problem I do. Intermittant left rear turn signal. Some days it is fine, other days the bulb out indicator appears on the dash and the left rear bulb stops working. Shut the car off, come back in an hour, then it works fine. I recently changed the left mirror signal assembly because it too was erratic. The rear is a problem still. I changed the bulb with right side that works fine, no improvement. I've checked contacts and provided an additional ground, no improvement. Does anyone have a suggestion? Something wrong with the CAN BUS? Bad wire going back to the bulb? Please help.
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hey there,

where you able to solve this problem? i have the same issue where i just replaced the bulbs and its doing it again but if i turn it on and off it goes away.
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Keithuk
Bulbs can be a bit funny. If you look at the element it may look perfect but as it warms up it could be breaking contact. You say you've changed the buld holder but you haven't said you replaced the bulb with a new one, change the bulb for what they cost then you know its good?
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Originally Posted by tsandfor
Finally, someone in the world has the same ##%#@@$ problem I do. Intermittant left rear turn signal. Some days it is fine, other days the bulb out indicator appears on the dash and the left rear bulb stops working. Shut the car off, come back in an hour, then it works fine. I recently changed the left mirror signal assembly because it too was erratic. The rear is a problem still. I changed the bulb with right side that works fine, no improvement. I've checked contacts and provided an additional ground, no improvement. Does anyone have a suggestion? Something wrong with the CAN BUS? Bad wire going back to the bulb? Please help.
i just post few minuts ago about the same problem!!!

And now im so nuts to know a lot o people having the same problem, how can we fixed that? hoooo god!!!
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TDIRunner
My problem went away by itself. I know that doesn't really help anyone and it probably just makes it more frustrating. I changed the bulb and the bulb holder and I used the bulb grease that they sell at Auto Zone. However, the problem continued. I tried to look for a short in the wiring, but I couldn't find anything. It is possible that while I messed around with the wiring, I somehow separated the bad wire from whatever was causing the short. Sorry that isn't much help, but at least there is some hope.
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F
no unfortunately not, but i has been awhile since ive had the lights turn on. how about you+
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B
anyone find the problem to this? My left rear turn signal is doing the same exact intermittent thing. The mechanic said they put dielectric grease on the connectors and it went away for a day or so, now it's back. Possible the relay is failing?
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goldcoast
New to this forum and I am a girl :laugh:

I am glad I am not alone, I too am having problems with rear indicator but the right one. Taken light cluster out and checked bulb....looks ok, replaced plugged back in and hey it worked.....for about 2 minutes! Then back to the same problem.

Any ideas, do I go and get a new bulb and try that or take to my local VW dealer (car is under warranty) for them to look at and charge me extorionate amounts????


Help..........
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goldcoast
goldcoast said:
New to this forum and I am a girl :laugh:

I am glad I am not alone, I too am having problems with rear indicator but the right one. Taken light cluster out and checked bulb....looks ok, replaced plugged back in and hey it worked.....for about 2 minutes! Then back to the same problem.

Any ideas, do I go and get a new bulb and try that or take to my local VW dealer (car is under warranty) for them to look at and charge me extorionate amounts????


Help..........
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On way home last night from work, a random guy stopped and said that my brake light was flashing. So once again took light cluster out to look at the bulbs, cleaned the contact on the bulbs replaced cluster, and the indicator works, but now the brake light doesn't......what is going on????
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R
I am having the same problem on my rear left blinker. I replaced the bulb and problem still exists.
The blinker problem for my car only occurs when the headlights are on. Whats funny is that the blinker does actually blink for 3 times but then stops.

I can get the indicator light to go away and blinker functionality to return if I turn off the car and turn it back on.

I'm beginning to wonder if this is a faulty ground. This is just a guess from my research online but I am going to clean one of the grounds I can get to in the trunk and see how it goes.

Will post any positive results I have...
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B
Did you find out what the issue is?

raztor said:
I am having the same problem on my rear left blinker. I replaced the bulb and problem still exists.
The blinker problem for my car only occurs when the headlights are on. Whats funny is that the blinker does actually blink for 3 times but then stops.

I can get the indicator light to go away and blinker functionality to return if I turn off the car and turn it back on.

I'm beginning to wonder if this is a faulty ground. This is just a guess from my research online but I am going to clean one of the grounds I can get to in the trunk and see how it goes.

Will post any positive results I have...
Click to expand...
Did you find out what the issue is? I am having the same odd problem. I start the car everything works, I keep the brake pedal pressed the left turn signal and brake light goes off I turn the signal right and then left it works again. I turn the signal right and leave it for five minutes or less and it stops working. I repeat and works again. It also works if I stop the car leave it for 3 minutes and start again ... is like this car has a mind of its own ...:confused:
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P
Anyone find a answer to this? I am having the same issue with the right rear turn signal only when the headlights are on.
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D
I have the same problem (driver rear turn signal). I just purchased the car last week. When I was trying to fix it, the only thing that worked was when I had the emergency flashers on I pulled out the small black 2 prong plug and replugged it in. The larger 4 prong plug (with the green spring clip) didn't help anything.

That's the only thing I did that helped. We will see if it fixes it permanently.
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D
I have a similar issue in my 06. On particularly hot days (such as this afternoon) my turn signals won't work. I'll get the "quick flash" and the "light burnt out" dummy light. Then after a while, they work.

I've been having this problem for about a year now, but have been too lazy (busy ? ) to pull out the volmeter and really troubleshoot it. Plus, it's "fixed itself" by the time I get home, so I've never actually even been able to jump out and see if it the bulbs really aren't working or not.

I suspect a bad solder joint, based on an experience I had with an old Honda. On that car, on particularly hot days it wouldn't start. Like literally turn the key and nothing ( no cranking) would happen. But leave the doors open for a few minutes, let the car air out, and it would start. Weird, right ? Turns out the main relay had bad solder joints, and over time the joints developed microscopic cracks. When it got really hot inside (like 100+ degrees) they would expand to the point where the cracks were large enough to not pass electricity. FORTUNATELY this problem was pretty well documented online and the solution was simple: remove the pdb, desolder and resolder everything (with better solder joints :) I did that, the problem never recurred.

The symptoms I'm experiencing are so similar - intermittent only on super hot days, self fixing (presumably because the AC is running) - that I suspect a similar issue.
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kevrobster
Have there been any developments on this issue? I am experiencing these exact symptoms with my 2005.5 Jetta on the rear left blinker, AND right front parking light. For several months it followed temperature--hot days it wouldn't work, cold days it would. Now it pretty much just doesn't work ever. Pulling and reseating bulb makes no difference. Replacing bulb makes no difference. Pulling and reseating wiring also makes no difference.

I attempted some basic troubleshooting one day, and it seems like VW in their infinite wisdom decided to program the canbus system so that when a bad bulb is detected, it immediately disables power to that bulb. To test this theory I pulled out a working bulb from the opposite tail light while it was lit, and when I reinstalled the bulb it did not light until I turned the ignition off and back on. This is great in theory, to prevent damage in case of a short or something, but how the heck can you get out your multimeter and troubleshoot the circuit if no power is being applied to it? Can anyone confirm/refute my understanding of this? And if that is true, does anyone know of a way to override this "feature" with VCDS or otherwise for troubleshooting purposes?

Also, does anyone have a diagram/schematic showing the lighting circuits? It would be nice to know where the wiring runs, where the relay is, where the module is that controls lighting (is it the body control module???), and if there are any other devices wired in the circuit that could have failed.
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donutman
I have had the same left rear for about six years now. Just live with it. It only quits in the rain. If you turn 'the lights off and turn on your left turn signal on for a couple times then turn your lights back on it is ok. German Engineering.
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