VCDS error message: Time limit for interior light

For quite some time, the following error message has been appearing intermittently in the "Comfort System" control unit (46) of my Golf IV:

00953 - Interior light timer
. . . . . . .25-10 - undefined switch state - Sporadisch

Does anyone know which switch is likely being referred to, or what else could be causing this error message?

"This message usually only appears in connection with a door/boot lid."

"Since this is not the case for you, the only other thing that comes to mind is the switch directly on the lamp. Are you using the switch regularly? Perhaps read the measurement blocks of the individual switches with VCDS, and if necessary, also check the error memory, while fiddling with the respective switches. "

"Best regards,
Guste"

If you are referring to the switch for the interior light above the rearview mirror - I have used it occasionally; the two light switches on the rear doors as well.

The fault memory only contains the above-mentioned error message.
The measurement blocks in the VCDS system only show the switch positions of the door lock contacts and the type of locking (e.g., locked or unlocked).

Of course, the Turkish contacts also turn on the interior light (when the light switches are in the correct position). However, according to VCDS, the aforementioned door contacts function perfectly.

Therefore, there apparently does not exist a direct control option via VCDS for the sliding or lever positions of the interior lights.

It's possible that the current flow through the interior lights is being monitored by the control unit, and this is how it detects whether the switches are on or off. But I don't know for sure.

Anyway, I have checked the doors and switches several times, but nothing happened.

Could it also be that the error message was not completely entered in the VCDS error list?

Have a good drive,
Günther

I just took a look at the English version of VCDS.

The error description there says:

00953 - Interior Light Time Limit
............25-00 - Unknown Switch Condition

So, it doesn't really help much!

Perhaps there's another issue at play that doesn't particularly bother me, but is a constant occurrence:

Occasionally (minutes to hours), a brief click-clack sound can be heard from the control unit.
This causes the (turned on) interior light to briefly turn off and then back on, regardless of whether the ignition is on or off.

Does anyone else on this forum experience this issue with the interior light?

Best regards,
Günther

Do you mean by "turned on interior light", that you have activated the interior light via a switch on the light fixture? Or do you mean that a door is open, and therefore the interior light is activated?

I am familiar with the flickering interior light when the door is open in an Audi. However, this only occurs with the ignition on and the door open. When activated via the switch, it lights up constantly. The clicking of the relay you described is also audible. I suspect there is a contact switch in the door switch. As soon as you manually connect the ground wire to the output of the switch, the problem disappears immediately, and the light remains lit constantly.

Best regards,
Guste

The brief interruptions occur both when the "always on" switch is in the "on" position and when the interior lights are activated by opening a door.
This has nothing to do with the dimming function; it works perfectly on all four doors.
Furthermore, the short relay clicking described above, from the control unit, can also be heard even when the interior lights are not activated (with and without the ignition).

@ Guste:

Regarding a potential issue with the contact switches on the Türkontakt, the question naturally arises: why do their positions ("door open" or "door closed") then always appear immediately and correctly in VCDS?

Best regards,
Günther

This message has nothing to do with the Turkish contacts. The problem is likely that the wiring to the interior lights, or possibly your interior light switch, is simply faulty.

If it were just one indoor light, that might be the case.
As I said, there are three. In that case, all the switches would have to have the same fault.
However, I think that is unlikely!

Best regards,
Günther

.

Zitat:

That would mean all the switches must have the same fault.

Um, why? If one switch has a short, open circuit, or ground fault, that's enough.

Or does your LS only trip out if you create a short in all the sockets?

I have removed all the lamps.
No faults were detected regarding any short circuits or similar.
All switches are functioning correctly.

In my opinion, the 3 switches do not provide a direct "ON" command to the control unit,
because there would need to be a separate input for each one.

As mentioned earlier, I assume that a (small) current flow through the lamp is measured by the control unit - and only then is the full voltage released when a switch is turned on.
So far: Pure speculation! - I'm still investigating.

Best regards, and please avoid short circuits
Günther

Schematic diagram available in the upload area.

Best regards,
Günther

(@ Malte:
Thank you for the message. Unfortunately, I'm just getting around to replying now, and I don't have much time at the moment.
Everything you've written is correct. I have the schematic already - see the Upload area.)

Recently, I also noticed that after opening the doors (the interior light turns on via the door contact), it turns off again after a few minutes (the doors are still open), and it also doesn't turn back on using the continuous light switches. It only turns back on after several more minutes and clicking the relay – regardless of whether it's turned on via the door contact or the continuous light switch.

Have a nice day,
Günther

Greetings to all!

I spent a few more hours yesterday evening trying to fix the interior light problem.
I am now certain that the error lies in the control unit (HELLA).
Very likely, it is a software issue, or possibly a component failure on the circuit board.
Replacing the control unit would be critical, especially if it is the same model, because the spare part number has remained unchanged, and
- according to the VW parts supplier - the software/hardware cannot be updated.

The solution, therefore (great, great, great!!!):
Disconnect and remove the 18th connector in the 23-pin connector of the STG, specifically the red-blue wire (0.5 mm²). Connect this wire to the red-black wire (1.5 mm²) using a jumper connector. The red-blue wire is the "positive" wire for all interior lights. The red-black wire comes from the S14 fuse.
This means that the ability to switch off the "positive" power supply for the interior lights via the STG is bypassed, thus preventing malfunctions.
After commissioning, the dimming function and the switching function (if a door is open for 10 minutes) are restored (although it takes several minutes). These two functions are controlled via the "ground" connection.
So, everything is now working (after 9 years) for the first time.
The error message mentioned earlier: "... undefined switch position" no longer appears. *Pop the champagne!*
The only drawback (sometimes): The permanent switch-off function, which turns off the interior lights after 1 hour (if Walter forgot to set the switch), is no longer functioning.

Here's the reference to the wiring diagram in the upload area (/viewtopic.php?t=21866).

This refers to the STG with part number 1J0 959 799 AH.

-Günther-

Golf 4 AJM 01 Full Ausstattung, Navi, Standheizung, MFL

Current Situation:
Interior lights are flickering!
Trunk light is not working!
Mirror lights are not working!
When the front lights are pressed, they work, but then they stop working again!
When the door is closed, they do not turn off!
When the car is locked, they are off if they were on, but not if they were off!
Error 0953 appears immediately after deleting, when the light buttons are pressed!

Since I had to replace the ESP due to a failure on the QBS and the g202 RANN, I followed the instructions in this forum and others, and immediately started the installation...

(The black box on the left side of the steering column, complete cover below the steering wheel, needs to be removed)

I opened it up and immediately saw 3 cold solder joints on the board, and then soldered them all. (Caution: I can solder!)

Installed...

Mirror lights are working. Trunk is working. Error 0953: lights do not come back after repeatedly pressing the light switch! Error 0953 is gone! The front interior lights only worked after replacing the LED bulbs (the CAN bus connection was loose, but it still didn't work properly). I also had a mechanic work on it (previous owner) - various cables were connected to the lights... with a junction box on the front light, which I couldn't fully understand... the LED bulbs that still didn't work properly after the ZKS repair.

PS: When closing the door, it doesn't always work. It only works after activating the FFB. I suspect this is due to the door lock switch... However, the door opening is detected cleanly when the door is open, as the ZKS prevents/can prevent a door lock when the door is open. Could there be 2 switches in the lock?

PS2: Please don't be mean, but modifying cable trees due to faulty control units is, in my opinion, very crude. I would rather leave it as it is...

Why don't you create a new topic for your problem? It's much easier to just start a new one instead of attaching it to an existing, solved topic. So!
hg
Herbert

If you actually expect to be helped here, you should observe the basic rules of spelling, such as punctuation, commas, and capitalization.