[Vwdiesel] Dim Headlights

[William J Toensing]

I can't say if this is true with VWs but suspect it is. Many autos including Citroens do not relay their headlights but run the full power thru the headlight switches. I guess this is a way to save money. What they do is run the full headlight current thru the headlight switches. Some of the switches build up resistance when they get older. On my 1979 Citroen CX & my 1972 Citroen D-21 station wagon, the headlight switch would get warm from all the current going thru. I relayed both of them. If the headlights don't come on when the ignition is off, the current may go thru the ignition switch as well. I don't think auto engineers expect ignition, headlight, & other switches to last 20 to 30 or more years, & I think a lot of them deteriorate with age & use. On my Citroen CX diesel, the headlight switch replacement cost is over $250 & sometimes, when using the dimmer switch, the headlights would go out. I therefore installed fog lights with a separate switch & circuit which I leave on at night. Therefore, if the headlights go out due to the faulty switch, I still have lights I can see with.