Hi all,

This week I acquired a second hand (probably more like 4th hand) VW Polo. I'm not sure how to refer to the exact model so I will quote the following from the Service Schedule: "6N1 OF4 Polo 44 EU2 5G". This leads me to think that it is what you refer to as a 6N1 model (is that a mkIII?).

I've slowly been fixing up little issues here and there and now the latest one has me stumped. As the title of this post suggests, there is no warning sound when, for example, one takes out the keys and leaves the headlights on. I'm sure the same warning sound is probably used for a few other things but this is the easiest one to test.

I've looked through the fuses, and they all seem to be intact (although I had to replace one yesterday to solve a different issue). If anybody can help I'd be grateful. Hopefully it's as simple as replacing a relay but that said, I'm not even sure where the relays are.

Thanks for your time.

Matt

First welcome to the forum.

The drivers door switch is the most likely faulty item, it's a dual switch, one set of contacts for the interior light, the other for the door open buzzer warning

Hi Nige, thanks for your response.

I've found the switch, and sure enough it is the switch responsible for turning the interior light on and off. I suppose in order to rule out your suggestion I would need to take the switch out and take it appart and see that all moving parts connect. I've never messed around with car electronics before, anything I should know before diving into this?

And how easy should it be to extract the switch?

EDIT: Should also add that I had a good mess around with the switch to see if I could cajole it into a position where it might activate the buzzer. No luck.

Thanks again,

Matt

Edited 30 May, 201412 yr by matt21

On the drivers door switch there should be three wires, Brown = Earth, Brown/White = Interior light, & Brown/Yellow the wire for the buzzer, if you use a paperclip and short the Brown/Yellow to the Brown wires that will eliminate the door switch and should make the buzzer sound when the lights are ON

Thanks Nige, I performed the test with a paperclip, keys out of ignition and headlights on. There was no buzzer sound though. What's next to check?

EDIT: And just to reassure I did perform the test with interior light wire and that did have an effect.

Thanks

Edited 30 May, 201412 yr by matt21

Ok what year is the car? as the early pre 97 had a separate buzzer in the relay panel above the fuses and later models the buzzer is in the speedo unit, the easy way to tell is the location of the fuel & water temp gauges, if they are at the bottom corners of the display it's an early model or if they are in the top centre it's a later model

Nige did all 6ns have a warning buzzer for the lights? My 1999 6n 1.0l hasn't had a buzzer go off warning that the lights are on since I bought it.

They are all wired for the buzzer, the later ones I think can be selected via VCDS/Vagcom Can't check that at the moment as my other laptop with all the info has crashed after a Trojan virus!!

It will be the later unit then (1999 and fuel/temp guages are at the top centre of the dash). Does this mean the whole speedo unit needs replacing ?

The buzzer is also used for the low oil pressure warning, it can be tested either with VCDS/Vagcom or disconnect the wire from the oil pressure switch and start the engine and it should sound the buzzer, if it doesn't then the speedo is at fault

It's very common for the buzzer in the speedo to fail on these. You could replace the whole clocks but that's a little bit overkill. You can get a replacement to wire in on ebay or indeed Maplins. They are around £5-£10 each.

PoloD.

I'm having trouble locating the oil pressure switch. How easy is it to get to, could somebody find me an image or a diagram? I've got two Haynes manuals for different polo models here but the one seems not to have such a switch and the other doesn't seem to be the same vehicle.

It should be at the back of the engine, under the inlet manifold

Hi all, sorry that it has been a while since I last reported in on this matter. It isn't resolved and I had bigger fish to fry with a battery that kept draining (and two garages have looked and can't track down the issue. Right now it seems to be holding charge though).

I had low oil levels recently and sure enough, the engine cut out with both the oil pressure warning light AND the beeping of the buzzer. I guess this goes to show that the buzzer does indeed work. It just isn't being activated by the lights being left on. And then again, the switch in the door seems to work. Confused, I am.

Maybe the recent draining of the battery is a clue?

If you pull the speedo unit out, have a look at the BLUE connector Pin 21 is the "Door Open" connection (looking at the rear of the speedo the pins number from the top 1-16 on the outer edge and then 17-32

I should update that it is solved for anybody else who may be interested.

I'm not totally sure what's going on, but in the end it seems that the [ALDI retailed] radio installed by the previous owners was causing trouble somehow.

I removed the radio in order to see if it had any impact on the battery draining (interestingly the radio was very warm which signals to me that it probably was impacting). To my joy the buzzer for the headlight warning then began to work. If this makes sense to any electrician I'd love to hear a summary of "what was probably going on".

Thanks for all help.

The only thing I can think is somehow the radio was feeding a 12v supply back down the "S" supply line, this would then be picked up by the speedo unit that the key was still in the ignition, so inhibiting the lights on buzzer

Just joined the forum after buying my second Polo since I had a X reg (first time round bread van) as my first polo. Got a 1999 Silver Polo CL. (Got a 1971 early bay as well)

Excellent forum £5 paid for itself already. Lights on buzzer wasn't working. read this thread and tried shorting brown/ brown and yellow circuit and still no buzzer.

Took out bright pink Ministry of sound cd radio that was fitted and hey presto, buzzer is fully functional.

Would not have had a scooby do without this forum.

Thank you for your help.

Steve