Beach interior lights fuse location - S131, S132, S133 etc.

BeachBound

BeachBound

Lifetime VIP Member
Messages
15
Location
North Wales
Vehicle
T5 Beach
We bought a 2015 T5.1 VW California Beach a few months ago, and I've been ironing out its issues as best as I can, including fitting a new leisure battery.

I thought this would fix the fact that the interior lights in the rear passenger/sleeping area never worked. However, whilst the 12v sockets under the 3 seater bench and in the boot now work, the lights in the ceiling moulding and the Poptop 12v socket don't.

I've spent some time perusing through the forums to chnical documentation, and it seems the likely culprit is fuse S133. I assumed this was in the fusebox under the passenger seat, but these are all labelled SF rather than S, and I can't find the location of S131- onwards in any diagram.

In the meantime, I've visually inspected all the fuses I can see under the seat and replaced one that had blown - a 15 amp fuse for a 12v socket away from the others.

Any ideas where I can find the S131 series of fuses? Are these just what's labelled as SF13-?

There is a cryptic mention of a coupling station on left of seat box (10 pin), but I'm not sure that is relevant to these fuses.

Thanks in advance

20250824_140218.jpg
 
Have you checked the fuses in the dashboard fuse box?
 
Rich20 said:
Have you checked the fuses in the dashboard fuse box?
Click to expand...
Only in the diagrams where I couldn't find anything relevant, but I'll go through the dashboard manually if I can't find them elsewhere. Thanks!
 
BeachBound said:
These are the ones I'm hunting for

View attachment 142042
Click to expand...
You are looking for 1 x 10 amp and 2 x 15 amp fuses. Your picture shows such fuses under the passenger seat.
VW fuse positions vary between vehicles BUT the fuse value and Fuse box do not.
I would suggest checking each 10 and 15 amp fuse with a multimeter for power across each fuse. Visual inspection is not the best way.
Also, are the fuses you see in the correct position. Check each fuse for 12v between fuse and chassis bolt/Earth stud.
 
WelshGas said:
You are looking for 1 x 10 amp and 2 x 15 amp fuses. Your picture shows such fuses under the passenger seat.
VW fuse positions vary between vehicles BUT the fuse value and Fuse box do not.
I would suggest checking each 10 and 15 amp fuse with a multimeter for power across each fuse. Visual inspection is not the best way.
Also, are the fuses you see in the correct position. Check each fuse for 12v between fuse and chassis bolt/Earth stud.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice - I appreciate it as I'm not at all familiar with electrics. I've also learnt a lot from your previous posts on related matters.

I've now bought a multimeter and will learn to use it. Unfortunately it's pouring down outside at the moment or I'd be out grappling with the passenger seat.

What do you mean by your last sentence, exactly? That I can test the seat of each fuse, occupied or not, to see if it is powered?
 
BeachBound said:
Thanks for your advice - I appreciate it as I'm not at all familiar with electrics. I've also learnt a lot from your previous posts on related matters.

I've now bought a multimeter and will learn to use it. Unfortunately it's pouring down outside at the moment or I'd be out grappling with the passenger seat.

What do you mean by your last sentence, exactly? That I can test the seat of each fuse, occupied or not, to see if it is powered?
Click to expand...
As you are not the 1st owner someone might have put the fuse in the wrong socket, a non-powered socket.
 
BeachBound said:
These are the ones I'm hunting for

View attachment 142042
Click to expand...
Those fuses for the 12v socket on the B pillar , c pillar and boot are all under the passenger seat , I had one blow and replaced it.

Can't remember the actual fuse location but you can see them clearly by pushing the passenger seat fully back. The fuses are in the holder closest the cross frame of the seat base as in your photo

It's dark now I'll see if I can get a decent photo to post

Edit: have a look at my fuse layout t6 Beach pretty much every option fitted
You can see two fuses are not original (no white writing) start with those two positions for the rear sockets . (Note yours is a T5 and will differ IMO)

There is only one 10a fuse so presumably that's the other

You are missing a fuse in the rear slot 2 (from left) compared to mine and the 10a is in a location 7 on yours and eight on mine which may just be how VW wired it on the production line , but work checking as WG says

Hope that image is some help,

I belive the 25a on mine is a OEM tow bar

IMG_3187.jpeg
 
Last edited:
A useful thread Identifying a sole fuse holder on T5 models !

vwcaliforniaclub.com

12v dashboard socket fuse location

I know fuses are a running issue but I seem to have exhausted my thread searches on this one... I have a handy 12v socket on the top of the dashboard (with the flip lid) which has stopped working and have failed to locate the fuse. Checked the fuse locations under the passenger seat, below the...
vwcaliforniaclub.com vwcaliforniaclub.com
 
Some more reading

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Which fuse?

Can anyone tell me the number of the fuse for the 12V cigarette lighter socket that is down by the rear seat/sliding door (next to a cup holder)? Can't work out which side of the card that lists the fuses refers to which of the two fuse boxes, and there seem to be quite a few fuses labelled 12V!
vwcaliforniaclub.com vwcaliforniaclub.com
 
Perfectos said:
Those fuses for the 12v socket on the B pillar , c pillar and boot are all under the passenger seat , I had one blow and replaced it.

Can't remember the actual fuse location but you can see them clearly by pushing the passenger seat fully back. The fuses are in the holder closest the cross frame of the seat base as in your photo

It's dark now I'll see if I can get a decent photo to post

Edit: have a look at my fuse layout t6 Beach pretty much every option fitted
You can see two fuses are not original (no white writing) start with those two positions for the rear sockets . (Note yours is a T5 and will differ IMO)

There is only one 10a fuse so presumably that's the other

You are missing a fuse in the rear slot 2 (from left) compared to mine and the 10a is in a location 7 on yours and eight on mine which may just be how VW wired it on the production line , but work checking as WG says

Hope that image is sone help,

I belive the 25a on mine is a OEM tow bar

View attachment 142076
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, really helpful!

I didn't have time to to use the multimeter, but I did swap out all the 15a and 10a fuses for brand new ones. No luck, unfortunately.

However, your points about the difference between your fuse positions and mine gives me something else to try.

I have no experience of using the interior lights as they've never worked. Are they meant to just come on when the button next to each light is pressed, or is there an additional master switch somewhere?

Thanks for the links too - I'll have a look!
 
BeachBound said:
Thanks for this, really helpful!

I didn't have time to to use the multimeter, but I did swap out all the 15a and 10a fuses for brand new ones. No luck, unfortunately.

However, your points about the difference between your fuse positions and mine gives me something else to try.

I have no experience of using the interior lights as they've never worked. Are they meant to just come on when the button next to each light is pressed, or is there an additional master switch somewhere?

Thanks for the links too - I'll have a look!
Click to expand...
Maybe faulty lights ?

Can you remove one and check it with flying wires to a battery

Do yours have removable incandescent bulbs ?

Led upgrades are popular on incandescent bulbs but may have failed ?

If the bulb is replaceable start with that

Incandescent bulb can be checked by checking the continuity across both contacts
 
Perfectos said:
Maybe faulty lights ?

Can you remove one and check it with flying wires to a battery

Do yours have removable incandescent bulbs ?

Led upgrades are popular on incandescent bulbs but may have failed ?

If the bulb is replaceable start with that
Click to expand...

That may be beyond my technical abilities at the moment... However, they're all dead, as well as the 12v in the poptop, so I'm guessing something affecting the entire run, like a fuse, is more likely(?)
 
Perfectos said:
A useful thread Identifying a sole fuse holder on T5 models !

vwcaliforniaclub.com

12v dashboard socket fuse location

I know fuses are a running issue but I seem to have exhausted my thread searches on this one... I have a handy 12v socket on the top of the dashboard (with the flip lid) which has stopped working and have failed to locate the fuse. Checked the fuse locations under the passenger seat, below the...
vwcaliforniaclub.com vwcaliforniaclub.com
Click to expand...

Ah, another @bangorlad ! I'll have to track him down and persuade him to fix my fuses!
 
Here you go

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Upgrading interior lights on 2008 T5

I decided to upgrade the G4 interior bulbs of the California to LEDs to help with battery life when not on hook up. Chose these from the web. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MNK3FP2/?tag=unique09f-21 A 15 second job per light with a small screwdriver to remove clear plastic cover. Photo’s show...
vwcaliforniaclub.com vwcaliforniaclub.com
 
Perfectos said:
Here you go

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Upgrading interior lights on 2008 T5

I decided to upgrade the G4 interior bulbs of the California to LEDs to help with battery life when not on hook up. Chose these from the web. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MNK3FP2/?tag=unique09f-21 A 15 second job per light with a small screwdriver to remove clear plastic cover. Photo’s show...
vwcaliforniaclub.com vwcaliforniaclub.com
Click to expand...

Thanks, ordered just in case.
 
Perfectos said:
You are missing a fuse in the rear slot 2 (from left) compared to mine and the 10a is in a location 7 on yours and eight on mine
View attachment 142076
Click to expand...

Hmm, I tried putting in a fuse in the rear slot 2 which I'm missing, but none of my spare fuses will stay in the socket.

Does this suggest that the socket is broken (which would possibly explain why this was never fixed)?

Hopefully I'll have time to find where I put my new Multimeter this weekend...
 
BeachBound said:
Hmm, I tried putting in a fuse in the rear slot 2 which I'm missing, but none of my spare fuses will stay in the socket.

Does this suggest that the socket is broken (which would possibly explain why this was never fixed)?

Hopefully I'll have time to find where I put my new Multimeter this weekend...
Click to expand...
The fuse boxes have a bus bar than is a stamped bit of metal that provides the power feed to lots of fuses at once. The other side which is individual outputs are separate terminals with a wire attached. You can see in your pictures the bus bar side has a metal element in each side regardless if the fuse is fitted or not. If a fuse is expected to be fitted it will have a metal element in both sides (or should) . There is an issue called terminal back out, which is where the terminal isn’t correctly installed and the act of pushing something in forces it out. If you think the contact with the fuse isn’t made correctly then, unclip the plastic housing and push all the wires back into the housing if you can.
 
Last edited:
vbk1975 said:
The fuse boxes have a bus bar than is a stamped bit of metal that provides the power feed to lots of fuses at once. The other side which is individual outputs are separate terminals with a wire attached. You can see in your pictures the bus bar side has a metal element in each side regardless if the fuse is fitted or not. If a fuse is expected to be fitted it will have a metal element in both sides (or should) . There is an issue called terminal back out, which is where the terminal isn’t correctly installed and the act of pushing something in forces it out. If you think the contact with the fuse isn’t make correctly the. Unclip the plastic housing and push all the wires back into the housing if you can.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll have a look.

Just to make sure I understood correctly, are you saying that it's possible that the terminal behind that fuse socket could have fallen out slightly?

The issue I'm seeing is that any fuse I try and stick into that slot doesn't clip in - it just sits there loosely. However, I seem to be able to clip the same fuses into any of the other unoccupied slots.
 
Yes, correct if the metal contact (Terminal) that the fuse plugs into isn’t seated / latched correctly it can move rearwards as the the fuse is inserted.
 
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