No instrument panel lights...fuse good...I think.

[megadan 0]

Hi, new here, just bought a 1997 GTI VR6 a week ago. (golf i think, 1997 is MKIII right?) And I've been trolling around this and a few other sites trying to find my answer, with no luck, and the previous owner never mentioned this problem.

The manual didn't come with the car, and everywhere I look I see it classified differently, I think its a Golf but I'm a noob. Previous 2 cars were a 20 year old Buick and Mercury, so I'm excited to have a car to actually take care of and work on, once I learn more about it.

Few minor problems with the car, and it took me 4 days to figure out how to turn the interior lights on ><. Bought my Haynes manual, but of course with my luck, it covers every golf/jetta/gti, except for the 2.8 V6. The fuse locations in the book seem to be correct.

Anywho, the lights for my oil, speed, tach, and gas apparently don't work, unless I'm missing something.

I'm pretty sure its fuse 16, a 15A fuse labeled instrument panel (correct me if I'm wrong). Swapped it with a fuse I know worked, and still no luck. How many bulbs are in the cluster? Is it possible they've all gone out at the same time? The rest of the buttons in the car work, power mirror lights, heater controls, etc. And when i pull the 16 fuse, supposedly for the instrument panel, and start the car, the tach still registers...so I'm totally confused. I'd rather not spend a few hundred more dollars at the mechanic, already have to get the timing belt replaced (i think its a belt...can anyone confirm this, its hard to find out what i need, when im not even sure exactly what my car is...MKII, MKIII, all the mechanics I called haven't returned my calls) (90300 miles on it) and thats gonna cost enough.

Any advice/tips would be welcome. If worse comes to worse, I could go scout out some junkyards and rip out another full panel, but that would be a few weeks away.

[SiGainey 1]

ifit's a vr6, it's chains not a belt m8

[Karr-Man 0]

this may sound a bit obvious but have u tried the dimmer controls? all the dashboard lights are conneted thru a dimmer switch next to the main headlight switch, when the dimmer is turned all the way down the dash lights are pretty much off.

i only mention this as u seem really unfamiliar with the car (from yr interior lights comment)

[megadan 0]

Well the chain thing is good to know, thanks SiGainey....maybe it wont be as urgent that I get it replaced. Its not making any noise yet afaik.

I tried the dimmer switch, i found that dial It works with everything else, just not the gauge cluster. Are there bulbs available for it? Otherwise Im thinkin about ghetto-rigging it with an LED and a switch until i can figure out what the real problem is.