Lights have been, and indeed still are, in a constant state of evolution since the advent of the car. Beginning with gas lamps on carriages, later incandescent bulbs on the "horseless carriage", even later halogen gas lights on cars and now the advent of xenon gas charged headlights and LED (Light Emitting Diode) brake lights. Covered under this section are those modifications that have been made in order to increase lighting output and/or efficiency, as well as to individualize the car's appearance. Let there be light...

disabled drls (with functional brake indicator)

The DRLs on this car were removed because none of the European-spec VWs come with it, and because the xenon headlights were later installed (please see the respective section below for an explantion).

Do not remove relay 173 to disable the DRLs! There is a lot of work involved to remove the relay, and you lose the hand brake warning light in the instrument cluster. The chances of damage to the wiring harness are also greater than if you follow the instructions below. Credit goes whoever came up with this method of disabling the DRLs. This mod can be performed on cars with or without the Euro-spec lighting switch installed, and having the Euro-switch does not automatically cancel out the DRLs.

Remove the switch (see the removal instructions in the section below) and unplug the wiring harness on the back of the switch. Look at the back of the switch, with all the contact pins sticking out, and look for the pin with the label "TFL" below it. TFL stands for "Tages Fahr Lichter" or, literally translated, "day driving lights".

Take a piece of electrical tape and cut it so that the pin can be covered lengthwise. Make sure the tape is wide enough to cover the pin completely, but not so that it is too wide to fit back in the plug. When stuck on, the folded side of the tape should be facing towards you, and the open part towards the switch. Plug the wiring harness back in and reinstall the switch. If the DRLs switch back on at any time, the tape may not have stayed on when reinstalling the switch, or the tape may have worn out.

The TFL pin is the third pin from the right in the first photograph below:

european-spec lighting switch

To remove the light switch, push the knob inwards when it is in the "off" position and then turn it clockwise, it will click to a stop about halfway between the "off" and "on" icons. Then pull the switch outwards, the switch may be slightly stuck, some wiggling of the switch should free it. The switch is held in by two tabs that retract when you follow the above instructions, take a look at the replacement switch and the clips will be apparent. Unplug the wiring harness by pressing the harness clips on either side of the plug, remember which way the plug is orientated so that it is not plugged in the wrong way when reinstalling it.

To install the Euro-spec switch, push the knob inwards in the "off" position and turn it clockwise, as done above. Slide the switch assembly back in and lock it in position by turning the knob back to the "off" position.

With the Euro-spec switch, three light settings with the DRLs disabled should be available:

• Setting 1 is off
• Setting 2 will activate full interior lighting, tail lights, bumper marker lights and city lights (the small bulbs at the bottom of the inner lamp domes of the headlamp cluster). Foglights can be switched on in this position if available.
• Setting 3 will activate interior and exterior lighting

hella 'magic colors' smoked tail lights

The tail light housings on the Mk. IVs are actually made in different colors and black/smoked is just one of the choices. As the photograph below shows, the 'Magic Color' series of light housings actually looks sort of see through. These housings are illegal in most states because they do not have the required reflectors built into them, and although Hella does ship a set of reflectors in the box that the housings come in, most people do not install them. The fact that the housings are tinted does not dimish any light output at all, a key reason for this is that the housings are made by the same company that make the OEM housings. An identical version is available from In Pro, these are not different in any way, and are sometimes more expensive than the Hella versions.

Please refer to the in-site step by step guide to replacing tail lights for detailed information on removal and installation of the housings.

hella micro de foglights

The reason for purchasing the Micro DEs was to add lights that would work best in the fog (because of the light's yellow tint) while achieving a clean, OEM look to the front of the car. The color yellow in the color spectrum is supposed to be preferable for visibility in inclement weather, apparently this is because suspended particles (such as moisture in rain, fog and snow) are better reflected by this type of light.

Of note, there are two versions of the Micro DEs for sale, one being the vehicle specific kit for the Golf (and Bora/Jetta) IV. And the other being a non-vehicle specific one that only includes the lights, and none of the mounting hardware.

Installation is an easy procedure with the included instructions, however the wiring was installed professionally on this car and was done at the same time that the high pressure washer system was being put in. The vents that the lights mount in do not clip into place like the stock ones, instead they are held in place by two screws on either side which requires drilling into the bumper.

The vehicle specific Micro DE kit will work for cars with either North American or European spec bumpers.

hid (high intensity discharge) headlights (bosch/oem)

There are 2 basic beam patterns, one for cars in North America (DOT) and one for cars everywhere else (SAE). The DOT beam pattern is outdated and as a result does not disperse an optimal amount of light. For Mk. IV owners, there are 2 basic solutions for improved lighting:

• European-spec halogen lighting
• High Intensity Discharge lighting

The second option offers the greatest improvement in light output for a variety of reasons. HIDs produce 70% more light than halogen headlights while at the same time using less power (35 watts). HIDs produce less heat and use the European spec beam pattern. This type of light is more often referred to as "xenon" lighting because the highest percentage of gas contained within the lighting capsule is xenon. The lighting "bulb" is called a capsule, in this case, because an arc of electricity is generated between two electrodes to produce light, instead of using a physical metallic filament.

A certain car manufacturer's motto for their HID option is that they "turn night into day", and nothing could be more true. Sunlight emits a color temperature of 5250 Kelvin, HIDs emit a color temperature of 4150 Kelvin or higher. The type of light that a HID headlight emits has the ability to make the reflective material (phosphorus) more visible. Phosphorus is contained in everything from the lines painted on streets, to the text used on road signs.

In order for HIDs to be street legal on a car in the United States they must be an option on the particular vehicle in the United States. While the DOT does not require this, the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) requires that cars equipped with HIDs must also be equipped with an automatic beam leveling system and a headlight cleaning system. This seems to be logical since the leveling system eliminates glare as the vehicle changes in height due to load and terrain variations, and the cleaning system removes glare causing foriegn matter from the headlight lense. It is the fact that these systems are often not installed in HID equipped cars that is the source of the bad press for xenon lighting. In reality, HIDs represent one of the most significant lighting achievements in automotive history when installed with the proper parts.

Prior to being sold, this car was equipped with the OEM HIDs for a Mk. IV Volkswagen Golf, the high pressure headlight cleaning system and the autoleveling system.

All paraphrased factual information sourced from: Illumin.

Movie: HIDs turning on, close up. - Currently unavailable, sorry!
Movie: HIDs turning on, far away. - Currently unavailable, sorry!

high-pressure retractable headlight washers (hella/oem)

Although this option is available in the European market for all Golfs, it is absolutely unavailable in the North American market. The reason that this system was fitted to the car was to satisfy what is actually a law in many countries outside North America. A layer of foriegn matter (including dust, road salt, moisture, etc.) is deposited on headlight lenses on a daily basis which, if not cleaned, diffuses the light beam. This causes a glare that, although not overly apparent in cars equipped with standard halogen headlights, is exacerbated by HIDs. Hence the need (or safety regulation) for headlight washers.

Headlight cleaning systems originally consisted of wipers with built in sprayers, in effect miniature windshield wipers. This was changed in the mid 1990s to a high pressure system which uses a pump to blast washer fluid onto the headlight when the windshield washers were activated and the lights are on. Hella actually designed the high pressure washer system for the Mk. IV Volkswagens, and as such makes a retrofit kit.

The washers will only work when the lights are switched on and the wiper stalk is pulled back, or pushed forward to activate the windshield/rear glass washers. They cannot operate at all when the lights are off as the relay does not allow the necessary eletrical current to pass through.

Installation is not easy and is best left to a qualified mechanic because of the wiring and routing of the hoses. The benefits of the system are obvious however. Even if this system were fitted to a car with halogen lights, it would have the same effect of keeping the lenses free from dirt. The main benefit is the inclusion of a 5.5l washer fluid reservoir, as opposed to the 3.0l one found in the cars without the washer system.

There is also a washer kit, available through Hella retailers, that closely resembles those found on the last generation BMW 5 Series (E39). They still require cutting into the bumper cover, however as there are no moving parts, they should be compatible with the NA spec bumpers.

Movie: High-pressure retractable headlight washers, close up. - Currently unavailable, sorry!
Movie: High-pressure retractable headlight washers, far away. - Currently unavailable, sorry!

Photo courtesy of www.reimundez.com

impact headlight savers

These are made out of heavy duty clear adhesive vinyl, available from 3M, and were custom cut to fit the Mk. IV Golf headlights. This particular set has already made up for their purchase cost as one or two scuffs have been found in the vinyl, no doubt the result of impacts that would have otherwise damaged the headlights' glass lenses. As all European-spec Golf are made of glass, these impact savers will keep them safe from road hazards.

rear foglight (with functional indicator)

This is a very important safety feature in cars that is (unfortunately) not mandated by the DOT, which is actually strange considering the amount of driving that can be done in North America, and the sometimes severe weather conditions. On the downside, the owners of cars that are equipped with them often have no idea when an appropriate time to use them is, or that they even exist. The reason that the rear foglight was installed in this car is because of the fog and the winter weather conditions that often cut visibility down to several feet in the upper northeast.

A foglight basically acts as a brake light that can be left on when not braking. This helps by alerting drivers approaching the rear of a car in hazardous weather conditions, leaving them ample time to manuever or slow down. As the photograph below shows, it does attract a lot of attention when conditions neccesitate its use. The wiring for the rear foglight indicator was found to be included in several early release Mk. IVs, this one thankfully has it and can be seen in the other photograph.

Several people have asked me for installation instructions, and unfortunately a proper step by step guide was never made. However, here is a basic outline of what is needed and what has to be done in order to properly install a rear foglight.

Tools needed:

• Soldering iron

• Length of wire. Available from Radio Shack and sold in reels of ~20 ft. An 18 gauge wire should be sufficient.
• "VW wire repair" kit (pic 1 and 2). Available from VW dealers, it should be a short piece of yellow wire with a metal connector clip on both ends.
• Heat shrink tubing
• Electrical tape
• Brake light bulb (pic 3)

1. Cut the VW repair wire in half and connect it to one end of the Radio Shack wire. Use the soldering iron to solder a firm joint, then insulate it with the heat shrink tubing and a piece of electrical tape when cool.
2. Remove and disconnect the headlight switch. Look for a pin labled NSL on the back (socket) side of the switch. There might be a grey wire in the corresponding place on the plug, this activates the rear fog icon in your instrument cluster if your car has this (and few cars do). You will need to splice into the wire and connect the other side of the RadioShack wire.

   If you do not have the grey wire you need to connect the other side of the VW repair wire to the other end of the Radio Shack wire. Both ends will click into their places on the switch plug, and on the tail light bulb rack.

3. Remove the fuse panel, the piece of trim around the hood release, the pieces where the door is, as well as the part by the rear seat. They are all held in place either by plastic clips or screws (removable by hand) which can break or bend if forced.
4. Once all the trim is out of the way, snake the wire so it sticks out through the headlight switch cavity and lay the rest where it will be hidden by the trim, and not cut by any sharp edges.
5. Connect or splice one end of the Radio Shack wire to the grey wire in the headlight switch plug, if applicable. Or simply click the VW repair wire into place once it has been soldered on. Plug the other end of the wire into the bulb rack that corresponds to the rearfog bulb. Once both ends have been connected and the switch has been replaced, the rear foglight should work.
6. Once tested, replace all the trim while keeping the wire hidden.

smoked side indicator light covers (oem)

These were installed to match the Hella 'Magic Colors' tail light housings. Installation is simple, and is another great 'newbie mod'.

Tools needed:

• A plastic picnic spoon
• Soft/thin towel
• The replacement light covers. The part number for them is 3B0 052 215 041.