> Anyone got one for sale or giveaway?
>
> Golf's relay serial number is   357 955 531
>
> Others part numbers maybe:      3B0 955 531
> 1HM 955 531A
> (531B and C don't seem to be programmable!!!)
> Replace your windshield wiper relay (it's probably the taller white one
> with "271" stamped on the top) with this one, and it's done!

A couple of years ago, a listmember posted the former part number, having
read it right off of his old relay (which was programmable).  Someone
ordered one from me, and I sent him the relay that my distributor provided
under that number. He received it and it was not programmable. (This
resulting in the obligatory "Bus Depot sucks, they sent me the wrong part"
thread.)  So I tried a different distributor and got the identical
non-programmable relay; both distributors adamantly insisted that the ones
they sent me crossreferenced to the ones I'd ordered.  So the third time I
ordered one from VW themselves for more than twice the price, just to be
absolutely sure - and guess what - got another non-programmable one,  for
twice the price!

It turned out that VW had superceded all three of the above numbers to the
same relay -  and it was not programmable.  If you look it up in the
reference book that the VW dealers use, you can actually follow the trail.
The 357 relay supercedes to the 1HM relay, which supercedes to a 1HM 955
531B, which supercedes to the 3BO relay.

Of course, that was about two years ago.  It's always possible that VW has
gone full-circle and is once again shipping programmable ones, but I
wouldn't count on it.  If anyone feels lucky and decides to give it a try,
I'd definately recommend checking on the store's return policy first (as
many stores will not take back electrical items once installed).  The other
possibility would be to find a retailer with old inventory (predating the
supercision) but that would be even less of a sure thing since it has been
several years.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

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