VW Bora Turn Signal Fault Points to Electrical Issue

I had a similar issue with my 2000 VW Golf with pretty much identical electrical systems. As someone with basic car maintenance experience, I first suspected a simple bulb replacement would fix it. After checking the turn signals and finding no obvious issues, I took it to a workshop. They diagnosed an electrical fault in the wiring harness connector to the turn indicator assembly. The cables had corroded over time, causing intermittent contact issues. The repair involved cleaning the connector pins and replacing a damaged section of the wiring. Total cost was 95€ including diagnostic time. Since the fix, the system has worked flawlessly with no more error messages. For your Bora, could you share: Whether both turn signals are affected or just one side, If other lighting systems show problems, Whether the error messages appear constantly or intermittently, If you notice any moisture inside the lamp housing This information would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced, though electrical faults can be tricky to diagnose without proper testing equipment. Getting it properly diagnosed at a workshop specializing in VW electrical systems might save time and money compared to replacing parts based on guesswork.

Just had my latest service 2 weeks ago, and they did a full electrical system check. Based on my experience here, you might want to try the simple fixes first. The flasher relay was actually the culprit in my case. The signal lamp would work intermittently and throw similar error codes. After replacing the relay unit for 45€, all electrical fault warnings cleared up instantly. Before you go deeper into wiring investigations, check if the indicator light blinks faster than normal, thats often a telltale sign of a relay issue rather than a wiring problem. If the relay swap doesnt solve it, then exploring the wiring connections would be the next logical step. A proper electrical diagnosis might cost around 60€ but could save money on unnecessary lamp replacement. Would you mind checking if the blinking speed changes depending on the temperature? This detail helped diagnose my issue.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the flasher relay fix. My initial diagnosis of the wiring harness issue makes me wonder if I should have tried replacing the relay first. The blinking speed definitely varies, but I noticed it happens more when the car has been running for a while, not really temperature related. Makes sense since electrical components can act up when warm. A signal lamp replacement would have cost around 85€ plus labor, so starting with the flasher relay at 45€ is definitely the smarter troubleshooting path. The automotive lighting system on these VWs seems to be quite sensitive to relay issues. Your tip about the faster blinking as an indicator for relay problems is spot on. That would have saved me some diagnostic time and money. Will keep this in mind for future turn indicator issues. One question, did you need to clear the error codes manually after the relay replacement, or did they reset automatically? My workshop had to use their diagnostic tool to clear the codes even after fixing the wiring.

Thanks everyone for the help. Yes, the error codes cleared automatically after the flasher relay replacement. The electrical fault warnings disappeared during the first drive cycle. For those finding this thread later: trust your instincts on checking basic components first. My turn indicator issue was resolved with a simple relay swap. No need for expensive diagnostic sessions or full lamp replacement. The blinking speed test is really helpful, mine was definitely faster than normal when the relay was failing. The complete repair including parts and labor came to 45€ for the relay plus 30€ installation. Much cheaper than the wiring investigation route. And to answer your question about temperature, in my case the indicator light problems were consistent regardless of engine temperature. The intermittent nature of the fault was more related to how long the signals were used rather than how warm the car was running. The automotive lighting system has worked perfectly since the repair. No more warning messages or erratic turn signal behavior. Would definitely recommend starting with the flasher relay if anyone encounters similar symptoms.