YOU might need to change a setting with VCDS for your lighting, sounds like your rig may have been set up to pull a travel trailer or something that had electric brakes on the trailer and over 1500 pounds in weight. Do a search for trailer hitch settings and how to long code it via Vag Com /vcds, for your year/model.

 

Sounds like you need to reprogram from ROW to NA settings.

 

If you have a factory hitch, it should be set up for you already.

Does the trailer use LED's or bulbs (LED's won't matter - just throw a code)? If bulbs, have you checked the bulbs to ensure they aren't both partially burned out (one of the elements)?

Are you using the7 pin plug or some sort of adapter (for a 4 or 5 pin plug)? If so, have you tried a different adapter?

Lastly, have you checked the trailer wiring?

 

Any update on the RoW to NA settings? I'm having the same problem and I think it might be due to this issue. All lights work except brake lights (electric brakes with module work just fine) and I'm getting a "left trailer tail light not working" fault on the dash.

 

On my T1 0000001 is ROW, 0000002 NA.

 

Is that something I can change on my own, or is that only something a dealer can change? And what are you referring to with 00001 vs. 00002?

 

As a touareg owner buying a VCDS cable and downloading the software would pay for itself on the first occasion it saved you a trip to the dealer. And there will be many such occasions on this sophisticated vehicle. Beware ebay copies. Buy direct frim Ross-Tech.com and get it right the first time.

Yes, this is precisely the sort of adjustment you can make to your vehicle. It is called coding. My T1 has 27 control modules, read mini-computers, and many must be coded. This enables VW to produce vehicles which can be adjusted to each country's laws, etc. Your T3 will have the more sophisticated Long Coding on some modules. VCDS walks you through those with the Long Coding Helper.

As I mentioned, on my T1 there are two codings given for the trailer module. These are the simpler 7-digit codes. If your T3 uses this coding system it should be coded to 0000002 for North America. At least one poster thought your trailer light issue might be ROW (rest of world) coding, 0000001.

Of course, you will probably use VCDS much more often to view and erase the fault codes stored by these myriad control modules. Many of them are intermittent or flaky but will nevertheless shut down a system until erased.

 

Any updates on fixing this? I am having the same problem with all lights working except brake lights and the message on the MFI dash display. I have a Curt hitch but with factory wiring. I'm not sure if the Ross-Tech cable will get here in time for my planned trip towing, so it would be good to know if switching to (or from) ROW was helpful.

 

I never followed up on this, got my Dad's Armada to do it.

 

I took mine to the dealer and after I finally convinced them it couldn't be changes in the dash settings on the LCD screen, they hooked it up to the computer, changed the settings to NA, and problem solved.