The third generation VW Golf (AKA the Mk3) remains one of VW’s most impressive cars, even though production on it ceased in 2001. Consider the fact that she kick-started the turbo diesel engine craze in Europe, featured a slew of customization options, and was getting upwards of 32 mph back when nobody was getting 32 mph and it shouldn’t surprise you that she won European Car of the Year upon her release in 1993. Some owners experience odd electrical failures in the generation 3 Golf.
All at once, the trip computer and the interior lights go dark. The central locking system doesn’t centrally lock anything, and the cigarette lighters never get that beautiful red glow. There’s a chance that the radio doesn’t work either, but the car itself starts up just fine and runs without a care in the world. The fuses look fine, which probably only adds to the frustration as to where the phantom power outage is taking place.
The blame could lie in a number of different things: the fuses might actually need replacing, even though they look okay. It could be that a voltage spike from the battery knocked one or two of the little suckers out, but left no trace for your searching eyes. Or, if not the fuses, one of the two fuse boxes could have a bad connector coming out of them. Faulty ground wires can also lead to these types of problems.
The last likely option falls with the battery of the alternator, both of which need to stay in good condition if your Golf is to run smoothly. Fortunately, solving the electrical problems poses little difficulty for a trained VW repair specialist, and they will get you back on the road, doors locked and running fine.
Search for a local, independent Volkswagen repair shop with Volkswagen mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.