Weird green button in my Mk7 Golf TDI

[Harism]

Hey guys, this is the first time owning a Golf, I have a Mk7 golf 1.6 TDI Blue motion and I've noticed this green button just behind the steering wheel near the control for the lights. When you press it, it blinks 3 times and goes off again, but no idea what on earth it does or why its there?! It seems to me to possibly be aftermarket maybe but anyone got any idea what on earth it is?

 

[SRGTD]

I’ve never seen that in any VW I’ve owned. It does look to be some sort of aftermarket installation. Is there any sort of obvious aftermarket installation in the car that it might be linked to?

I had an aftermarket tow bar on a car I owned many years ago, and by law it needed to have a dash mounted
light source that flashed with the indicator lights on the trailer I was towing, so I knew the trailer indicators were working. I also had an aftermarket immobiliser installed on a car before the days of factory fit alarms/immobilisers and that had a dash mounted flashing (red) light when the immobiliser was active. The illuminated button you have could be something similar.

If you’ve only recently acquired the car, I’d be asking the garage / previous owner you bought it from if they can tell you what it is / what it’s function is.

 

[Carlosfandang0]

Definitely not something VW fitted!

 

[golfdave]

NOT VW...aftermarket & demand from the garage you bought it from to explain what the hell it is...

if its a base model "S" which did not come with an alarm, it could be aftermarket version...

 

[Harism]

Thanks for replying, there's no sort of signs what it's linked to other than the button the car is completely stock with no modifications, I mean I thought it was factory fit with the button. All it does is flash and then stop if I press it. So very odd!

 

[dosjockey]

Thanks for replying, there's no sort of signs what it's linked to other than the button the car is completely stock with no modifications, I mean I thought it was factory fit with the button. All it does is flash and then stop if I press it. So very odd!

You need to find out what it does before pressing it anymore. A switch can do anything someone wants it to do, and a lot of safety systems on these vehicles are electronic.

That said, if someone installed an aftermarket switch in a car that serves only the function of flashing when it's pressed, I'll laugh my ass off at the ultimate troll. ?

 

[IWMTom]

Thanks for replying, there's no sort of signs what it's linked to other than the button the car is completely stock with no modifications, I mean I thought it was factory fit with the button. All it does is flash and then stop if I press it. So very odd!

Pop the button out and trace the wire - this is a question that needs answering!

 

[Carlosfandang0]

Logic says it is something to do with lighting given where the button is! Could the previous owner have had some driving lights fitted or a light bar behind one of the grills maybe which is now removed? Trace the route of the wires as suggested above, to remove the headlight switch put it in position 0 and push the switch in and turn it while pushed in, and while turned pull straight out, you may then be able to see the green button wires, removing the cubby below the switch may also help see the button wires.

 

[Carlosfandang0]

Curious whether the OP discovered what this button did???

 

[Denny1]

I'd of just contacted previous owner and asked.

 

[SRGTD]

I don’t suppose we‘ll ever find out what the ‘weird green button’ was - the OP (@Harism) was last seen on the forum 27th Feb, so it’s likely to remain a mystery.

Frustrating that the OP hasn‘t updated us and has just left us hanging............

 

[videoman]

I'd of just contacted previous owner and asked.

do we have to guess what it was then?

 

[SRGTD]

do we have to guess what it was then?

Maybe a self-destruct button - perhaps that’s why the OP hasn’t updated us on what it is / was. On a serious note though, hopefully the OP is OK and staying safe and the Covid-19 isn’t the reason they‘ve not been on the forum for a while.

Maybe that mysterious green button is connected to some form of aftermarket immobiliser, or if the OP‘s car has (or has ever had) a tow bar fitted, maybe it’s something to check the electrics on whatever’s being towed are function correctly.

 

[imthanick_a]

I'm agreeing with SRGTD and guessing trailer lighting. I hate when OP's just leave a thread hanging

 

[MonkeyMD]