# Backlighting on Steering Wheel buttons does not illuminate



## Phat Cat (Dec 25, 2004)

*In the dark*

I am unable to get the steering wheel buttons to illuminate. According to the manual the lighting should come on by default with the other cockpit lights; it doesn't. I've pushed the manual override button just inside the left steering wheel buttons; still nothing. Is there a setting somewhere in an infotainment menu for this, or is this my first service issue?
Also, am I the only one who finds it difficult to insert the key in the ignition slot at night? Or is this supposed to be illuminated too?


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## hmorse (Nov 14, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (Phat Cat)*

I have never had a problem with the button on the left side of the steering wheel. It turns the lights on and off without any issue.


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## Jack Orr (Mar 15, 2000)

*Re: In the dark (Phat Cat)*

A light on the ignition key at night is a bad omission IMO.
Jack


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## sjd9346 (Apr 21, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (Phat Cat)*

Yes, its tough sometimes to get that key in the ignition!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (Phat Cat)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Phat Cat* »_I am unable to get the steering wheel buttons to illuminate.

You mentioned that you pushed the little button on the side of the steering wheel. In theory, the steering wheel lights should come on by default whenever the lights are on, the little button on the side of the steering wheel turns off the steering wheel control backlighting for one operational cycle only.
If the lights don't come on when you start the car, perhaps there is a fuse blown - just add it to the list of 'little things' to be looked at when you take the car in for first service.
Note that if you are 're-cycling' the car - meaning, you want to start a fresh power-on cycle, to see if something is working correctly - it's a good idea to turn the car off, get out, lock it, and leave it alone for about 2 minutes. If you just turn the ignition off and then on, without getting out and locking the car and leaving it alone for a minute or two, the car will assume you are still on the same 'operational cycle', and not reset to default settings. This is by design, as a courtesy to the driver. It can, however, be a PITA when you are troubleshooting.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (sjd9346)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sjd9346* »_Yes, its tough sometimes to get that key in the ignition!

There is a fix for that: Retrofitting Keyless Start to North American Phaetons.
Michael


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## Paldi (Sep 4, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (PanEuropean)*

Michael, didn't you once post a photo of your Phaeton with an aux light bulb next to the steering wheel? Classic!


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (Paldi)*

Ah yes - I remember that one, it was the temporary fix when we were trying to find out what the answer was to the 'Ambient Footwell Lighting' question. The final answer, by the way, is that Phaetons don't have ambient footwell lighting, but Touaregs do. I suppose it makes sense to have this lighting on the truck, I can't really see a need for it on a saloon (sedan) car.
Michael
*The 'Ambient Footwell Lighting' workaround*


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## trekguy (Aug 16, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (PanEuropean)*

Funny this subject should arise again. I was browsing through the VW websight, and low and behold, ambient footwell lighting is STILL listed as a standard feature on the 2005 Phaeton. 1-800-Phaeton is checking into this oversight for me(again!).
Michael, as an aside, I had an opportunity to use a Toureg for long a weekend trip (as my dealer temporarily "lost" my ignition key while servicing the Phaeton) and I found its ambient lighting to be very coooool. It gave the interior a sultry, mood-setting, welcoming atmosphere I find somewhat lacking in the very dark Phaeton. Those 2 red LED's under the mirror just don't provide enough light for nigttime driving activities, like juggling the cell phone or looking for the coffee cup. The Audi A8 has a fantastic ambient lighting selection; you can choose between "city" and "highway" modes, to an infinite degree, including the illuminated door panels! With the ambience the Phaeton interior provides, I can only imagine how good it can be with those tiny 4 lights added. ps. Do I need to get a life?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (trekguy)*


_Quote, originally posted by *trekguy* »_ PS: Do I need to get a life?

No, no, not at all. I wonder if the European Phaetons have ambient lighting? I think we have figured out beyond any doubt that the North American Phaetons don't. 
I'll try to remember to check, if I ever get out of Africa.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (Jack Orr)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Jack Orr* »_A light on the ignition key at night is a bad omission IMO.

A sharp observation. There is a reason behind this, although it doesn't solve the problem, it might explain it: Phaetons sold in every market in the world except North America have a much brighter front cabin dome light. There are normally three bulbs in the front cabin dome light, and when any door is opened, these lights will come on automatically. If the door is opened and the key is NOT in the ignition, these lights will stay on for either 2 minutes, or until the key is placed in the ignition and the car is started, whichever occurs first.
Phaetons sold in North America are equipped with the 'OnStar' telematics system. The control buttons for the OnStar system occupy the space where the third (middle) bulb of the front cabin dome light normally goes. This means that our North American Phaetons only have 66% of the front cabin dome lighting that is normally provided.
I guess the designers of the car had not planned for the installation of the OnStar system in the North American cars, and they thought - quite reasonably - that the three dome lights in the front cabin would be sufficient to illuminate the ignition key area.
*European Front Cabin Dome Light*
















*North American Front Cabin Dome Light*


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

*Re: In the dark (PanEuropean)*

Please explain why the amount of overhead light in the USA spec cars is insufficient to make the key visible. It's never an issue on my Golf, and the key cylinder is tucked behind the steering wheel. How can the dash mounted key cylinder be a problem to see?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (GTINC)*

Several reasons could account for this. I traded in a 2002 Golf for my Phaeton, here are my observations: The Golf is a smaller vehicle, with less distance from the dome light to the ignition key. If I recall correctly, the two directional overhead lights (map lights) on the Golf also illuminated when the door was opened, the Phaeton map lights don't. The ignition switch on the Phaeton is shaded from the dome light by the instrument panel overhang, and not directly in the line of sight of the driver as it is on the Golf. I have posted a picture below (a VW publicity photo) that shows a Phaeton with the ignition key in place in the switch.
Lastly, just simple differences in the size of the person, how they set up the seat, steering wheel, stuff like that could account for them either seeing the key-hole directly, or not seeing the key-hole when they are sitting down and belted in.
Michael
*Phaeton with Key in Ignition*


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## ThwartedEfforts (Jan 12, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (PanEuropean)*

Spare a thought for us who drive on the other side!
The ignition barrel is located right next to my door - VW do not 'flip' the location of the components but merely move them from the left to the right - and it's hard to find the hole in broad daylight, let alone after dusk.
For UK buyers it's a _major_ oversight that the lock has no illumination


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (ThwartedEfforts)*

As illustrated below. Thanks to Philip (ThwartedEfforts) for the photo.
*Right Hand Drive Phaeton*


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## Paldi (Sep 4, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (Phat Cat)*

Phat Cat, regarding the lack of illumination on the ignition key, here is a link to the "keyless start" main post, including instructions on Retrofitting Keyless Start to North American Phaetons. After you accomplish this modification, you won't need to use your key.








http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1683482











_Modified by Paldi at 5:58 PM 2-9-2005_


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## Phat Cat (Dec 25, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (Paldi)*

Only trouble is that my V8 does not have keyless entry.


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## pilgrim7777 (Oct 27, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (trekguy)*

It is true the Phaeton cars in the UK do not have footwell lighting whilst the Touareg does if you set it up to do so. I must admit I would have chosen to have ambient lighting in the foot well of the Phaeton. Some of the UK Treg guys have put or painted the bulbs red which gives a red glow which is neat little feature. As for the ignition light I do not find that a problem because of the keyless ignition start button.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (pilgrim7777)*

Hi Terence:
I gotta admit, I am totally perplexed about this whole "ambient footwell lighting" issue, which originally came up way back in October in this thread: List of Dealer Programmable Options, and has since resurfaced from time in a few other threads: Are seat adjustment controls internally illuminated? and Winter Floormats.
My own personal guess - and I stress this is just a guess - is that no Phaeton in the world has ever had ambient footwell lighting. I bet that the person who constructed the North American website was just doing 'cut and paste' of feature descriptions from the Touareg web page, and accidentally picked up that line.
Mind you, if we Phaeton owners keep buying our own diagnostic scan tools to customize programmable functions to our own taste, it might not be long before VW Individual offers the "OBD connector illumination package", so we don't have to grope around in the dark trying to plug the cable of the scan tool into the connector that is stuffed way back in the depths of the driver footwell...








Michael


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## Phat Cat (Dec 25, 2004)

*Re: In the dark (Phat Cat)*

Realizing that this thread has meandered far away from my original post, if anyone is interested I did get the non-illumination problem fixed today. Both the steering wheel heating and button illumination were non-functional when I purchased the car. On the advice of VWNA, the dealer ordered two modules and a new steering wheel assembly. According to the service manager, it turned out that one of the electronic modules was putting out an incorrect voltage and replacing it solved both problems.
Now I can finally see the buttons at night, but I still can't see to put the key into the ignition slot. Maybe that's what the nifty little flashlight is for.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (Phat Cat)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Phat Cat* »_Realizing that this thread has meandered far away from my original post...

I really laughed when I read that! Yea, threads sometimes do take on a life of their own. It makes it a challenge to categorize them later on, for search purposes later.
I'm glad to hear you got the lighting problem solved. My guess was that probably the steering wheel control module (3D0 953 549, address 16) that was the problem. Be aware that many of these modules need to be coded to match the specific vehicle configuration when they are installed. For example, in the case of the steering wheel module, it needs to be coded to indicate the presence of the following options:
1) Cruise Control System (normal) vs. Adaptive Cruise Control.
2) Presence of a heated steering wheel.
3) Whether or not electric steering wheel tilt is installed.
So, if you encounter problems with any of these systems following the module replacement, it might indicate just that the new module was not coded correctly after it was installed.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: In the dark (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_ I wonder if the European Phaetons have ambient lighting? I think we have figured out beyond any doubt that the North American Phaetons don't. 

I finally got an answer to this question: The European Phaetons don't have ambient footwell lighting either. But, they do have greater illumination from the front cabin dome light, because they have three bulbs in that light, rather than the two bulbs present in the North American Phaetons (photo above).
Michael


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## atlantaallen2 (Mar 7, 2005)

Not only does the website list adjustable ambient footwell lighting, but the thick brochure does too.
Allen


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (atlantaallen2)*

There are quite a few errors in the 2004 brochures that list equipment or capabilities that were not included in the North American version of the Phaeton. I think VW has caught most of these errors by now, and corrected the documentation for 2005. I suspect that the 'ambient footwell lighting' was something that was assumed by the copywriters, because it exists on the Touareg, which is electrically very similar to the Phaeton.
Michael


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## jmdpjd1 (Aug 18, 2004)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

The ambient light in the Touareg is really a nice feature. To bad we don't get it.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (jmdpjd1)*

Photos re-hosted.
Michael


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## Reflect (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

I have an idea after seeing the pictures for NA phaeton. I will install a super LED I use for the license plate on my passat and emits a ultra white with bluish accents, should be great.


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_There are quite a few errors in the 2004 brochures that list equipment or capabilities that were not included in the North American version of the Phaeton. I think VW has caught most of these errors by now, and corrected the documentation for 2005. I suspect that the 'ambient footwell lighting' was something that was assumed by the copywriters, because it exists on the Touareg, which is electrically very similar to the Phaeton.
Michael

Errr... Sorry to be a spoilsport, but I do have footwell lighting in my French 2004 V8.
P.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Zaphh)*

Does the footwell lighting stay on when the vehicle is in operation, or does it only come on when the door is opened (in conjunction with the dome lights)?
Michael


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

It only lights up when I open the door.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Zaphh)*

Same as the North American Phaetons.
Michael


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Err... I'm afraid I didn't get it then. Were you expecting the lamp to stay on when driving ?
P.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (Zaphh)*

I was not, but the conversation at the beginning of this thread (which dates from about 4 years ago) discussed whether the Phaeton had 'ambient' footwell lighting, similar to the Touareg.
Michael


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## Reflect (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

make sure the icon with the car and the door open is lit amber and the light will turn on when u get in and you can see your feet and key hole. Why someone wants it on while driving? 
There a way to hack the off/on to make it stay on or you can install cool red LEDs as footlights to enhance the red theme going on.


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## 357Sig (Oct 9, 2008)

*Re: In the dark (PanEuropean)*

Michael, my car has a button on the right side of the steering wheel, but I'm fairly confident that it doesn't have a heated steering wheel. Do all Phaetons have a button there, whether they have heat or not?


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## Zaphh (Jul 5, 2008)

*Re: In the dark (357Sig)*

Yep.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Photos re-hosted.

Michael


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