Bit of a light problem

[k0e1]

Hey everyone sorry for asking these basic questions but as i was changing my numberplate lights one of the LED turned on but the other one didnt so whilst the engine was running i took it out (the one that wasnt on) and then next thing I know the other LED turned off. So i thought OK i'll put the original lights back in and now none of them turns on. There are no error lights on my dash. Any idea what happened? Im thinking maybe i tripped the fuse? Any help would be appreciated.

[ill0gitech]

I had the same thing happen with the interior light. turns out by having one of the LEDs in the wrong way, the others turned off.
Might be worth testing if nobody has a better idea.
Meanwhile, I think there was another post on the fusebox layouts, you could try searching for that working out which fuse you could have blown.

[k0e1]

Yeah turns out i blew the fuse. Sigh. back to VW to get a replacement for that fuse.

I had the same thing happen with the interior light. turns out by having one of the LEDs in the wrong way, the others turned off.
Might be worth testing if nobody has a better idea.
Meanwhile, I think there was another post on the fusebox layouts, you could try searching for that working out which fuse you could have blown.

[noone]

its a fuse, they cost nothing... buy a pack of 20 off ebay for a couple of $$$. good to have a few spares in the car for such occasions. You may find there are spares in the fusebox.

[Savant]

Yeah turns out i blew the fuse. Sigh. back to VW to get a replacement for that fuse.

So putting the LED globe in the wrong way causes the fuse to blow?? Seems unusual. Never had that issue with my 300C.
Is this issue peculiar to the Polo?

[gavs]

Wouldn't think so but it is a different wiring system so by reversing the polarity, even though I doubt it, you could have caused a current spike due to the resistance of the led...

[noone]

Probably just a small arching when you connected / disconnected the bulb. Fuses are designed to go before the parts they protect, could have been a slightly weak fuse.

[k0e1]

yeah no idea why it happened either. I tried to do a search for the fuse layout for the polo gti but couldn't find one. Anyone has one handy which they could upload. Hoping to see if I can switch one of the fuses in the box (hoping that there is a spare) to replace the broken one.

[ill0gitech]

I found this thread
If you have a very close look at the image of the fuse box you'll see microscopic numbering. Despite logic and reason, Fuse 1 seems to be the bottom right hand corner (as opposed to the top left) and moves through the micro-fuses.
I've also read that there are a number of fusing layouts, which is why they don't provide a card. So this is really best guess for me.

This card shows what looks like a number plate light fuse being fuse 2. So that tells me the small, 10amp fuse second from the bottom right.
But I've just seen another article indicating it's a 5a fuse in slot 7 (small 5a fuse, 7th from bottom right)

[wai]

...you'll see microscopic numbering. Despite logic and reason, Fuse 1 seems to be the bottom right hand corner (as opposed to the top left) and moves through the micro-fuses.
I've also read that there are a number of fusing layouts, which is why they don't provide a card. So this is really best guess for me.

It is absurd, but the reasoning behing the odd numbering is that the fuse panel is designed for LHD vehicles. When it goes into a RHD vehicle, instead of simply moving it to the right, it is rotated about the centreline of the vehicle. So in a LHD vehicle, the No 1 fuse would be top left. Hope you follow

I find it amazing that the fuse panel has such tiny and difficult to read numbers. I have been taking photographs of mine (Caddy Maxi Life) and still cannot see/read the numbers on mine. Also it is incredible that VW can get away without a sticker showing the layout of the fuse panel.

[cstb_87]

So putting the LED globe in the wrong way causes the fuse to blow?? Seems unusual. Never had that issue with my 300C.
Is this issue peculiar to the Polo?

Putting globes in when the car is still running is why it blew. When ever working with electrical parts always have the car completely turned off. Once the parts are in turn the car back on to test and if it doesn't work turn the car completely off again and continue working.

[ill0gitech]

Putting globes in when the car is still running is why it blew. When ever working with electrical parts always have the car completely turned off. Once the parts are in turn the car back on to test and if it doesn't work turn the car completely off again and continue working.

This may not always hold true, and may not be why the original poster's case happened. CANBUS and many other modern cars still run small current even when the keys are out, and all power should be stopped. The only way to be sure is to disconnect the battery, which is somewhat annoying, but safe way.

As an example, when my interior lights and boot light are off, and the keys out of the ignition, there is still 12v@0.7mA running through those sockets.