UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hi People,

I have a 1.3 Coupe and of late have been having probs with the ignition.

Symptons... Dash Lights Stay On - Battery Low or Dead Overnight!!! Help

Do i need to get a new ignition switch, if so, does anyone know how to fit the blighter as VW say it is a long job. Remove S/W and Colum etc...

You help is needed by a desperate polo owner.

By the way, have had the car for 8 years and still happy with it....

If the battery is dead or low overnight, you could have a dicky alternator thats simply not charging the battery. If the coil had packed in, you would have no spark, so I guess that rules that out. Maybe try the battery too (some places do free checks). Hope thats of some help.

Karl.

on my escort the car would run fine allday then all of a sudden you park up and it would need bumping to get going again..then at night lights would fade...turned out the bushers in the alternator needed replacing or summat...cost £50 whatever they did.

I would charge the battery all night put it on and it started fine..then next day ..click...click.

I tried to change my ignition switch, you have to take off the steering wheel & the indicator stalks. But then i got stuck, you need some sort of tool to remove a retaining clip thing & i was buggered. It tells you wot the tool is in Haynes so if you look at that then you will no wot u need. It doesnt take too long to do tho......

Thanks muchly for the info...

Managed to change the ignition switch, took some time but you have to remove the steering colum! One of the bolts is a shear bolt so that took a bit of time... Then you have to locate the little screw that holds the switch in place and presto... job done!!!

Not sure if it has cured the prob, but will let you know at a later date.

Thanks once again for the advice...

Nutty...

wouldnt the dash lights staying on be more of a problem of the light switch??? the mk3 AFAIK doesn't have any dash courtesy lights that come on simply with a turn of the key, if the side/headlights are turned off. You have to have some kind of exterior illumination before the guages and switches illuminate.

the light switch i think, from what i remember of haynes' wiring diagram, controls side lights (4-way parking and dim-dip), headlights (dip/full beam), foglight switch power supply, and the dash lights. It also has the brightness control for them, after all.
(one-side-only parking lights being on the indicators)

plus they'll come on with the light switch regardless of whether the ignition switch is on or off. them staying on if you've removed the key but the light switch is on is not a sign of anything wrong

surprised that it would drain the battery overnight though, there can't be more than 5w between the whole thing, which should be good for 24 hours on a regular battery??

could it be you've left the light switch on and have come from/are used to e.g. an oldskool panda or other fiat/similar car where every last light turns off with the ignition key, unless you press the little nubbin on the barrel when turning ignition off?

probably a buggered battery, I think Halfrauds do battery checks for free,.

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear... It is the warning lights that come on when the ignition is switched off...

I haven't had the problem since i changed the ignition switch, but that is not saying its over...

Thanks again for the help...