Dash light holders...

[makaio]

While I was replacing the light bulbs for my ventilation control unit, the bulb holders broke off.

My question is, has anyone else had this happen? If so how did you fix it?

Thanks!

[Oldporsche]

I have run across this problem before. Here's what I found.

The salvage yards actually have these. I located some in a yard that advertises on the net. The kicker was the didn't fill any orders of less than $25. Nothing like sticking it in an envelope with a stamp on it!

You might try PAP or DC automotive, I haven't tried them or Parts Haven, Ian's Eurosport etc.

On an off chance the VDO repair facilities may stock this item. I haven't tried there yet.

Here's some part #'s for the '74-'89 models:

999 632 007 00 bulb holder-single pole
999 632 009 10 bulb holder-2 pole-small bulb
999 632 002 00 bulb holder-2 pole-large bulb

Very often the wires on the rear of the guages is very brittle.
You might check previous threads about fusing this circuit. I broke the insulation on the wire for the one of the bulbs in the gas guage. When I pulled on the light switch I had an immediate fire on my hands.

Good luck,
David Duffield

[SeaDweller]

If I'm reading you correctly, what broke are the sockets on the back of the panel. If that's the case, there's really not a whole lot you can do but replace the panel (which involves replacing the whole assembly).

When I bought my car, I of course looked at it in the day time, and checked the exterior lights for operation, but didn't really give the interior items a second thought. The first night I drove the car, I noticed small bulbs through the panel slits that were just hanging in air. In an excrutiatingly painful process, I tried to reset them in the sockets. They kept falling out, so I pulled the panel only to find the tabs broken off.

I bought another panel assembly, thinking I could just swap the plastic face itself, but the assembly is "integrated" into the front panel, which is a very poor design in my opinion. As such, I replaced the whole assembly, which wasn't much fun.

In retrospect, I think if you could find a plastic tube with an inner diameter that's the same as the outer diameter of the socket, you could slip it over (glue it) the old socket nubs and make a new socket. You'd probably have to remove (break off) any tabs that are remaining so it wouldn't have to be extended out so far.

[makaio]

Thanks Michael,
That's what I'm thinking. I'm going to try to find something at radio Shack, and just glue it up there. Worse case, I'll go to Parts Heaven, and pick up a used control panel.