I have been searching to find some info or see if anyone else has had a similar problem as me.

I have a 2005 GTI 1.8T automatic... I've noticed that the interior lights on the instrument panel, and most noticeably on the CD player display pulsate. It's as if I had a large stereo and the lights were dimming with the music. Only they aren't dimming with the music, in fact, they do it with the stereo turned completely off.

I took into the dealer twice. The first time they replaced the dimmer switch, saying that was the fault. Immediately, it continued doing the same thing as I picked it up. I returned, they had the car for a week, and now they say what it is doing is normal.

I have never heard of, or seen another VW do the same thing. They claim that it is from the O2 pump kicking on. And I will give them the credit and say that it does appear to only happen in situations were the O2 pump should be on. However, I do not think it is normal for the load of the pump to vary so much that the lights dim... apparently, they do.

I am just looking for opinions or people who have encountered the problem before I take this to the next level and really become an annoying customer....

 

i'm curious, do you have an aftermarket cd player?
I had an aftermarket cd player installed and shortly after my deck would blink (pulsate), i figured out it was just that something was mis-wired. But i'm not so sure about your instrument panel?

 

Factory stereo, the car is entirely stock.

 

My '05 GTI doesn't do it.

 

hmmm.. then i'm completely stumped. It's not normal for that to happen, so i would become an annoying customer hah. Have you had the battery checked out?