hi.........yes, the heater controls are illuminated on most waterboxer
vanagons.
Not sure what year it starts......my 83 Westy had a bulb in the back of the
heater controls.
I 'think' an 82 diesel vanagon does not.
if you pop off the heater lever knobs ............sometimes not
fu..........., then you can pop out the plastic plate the levers move
through.........
and see where a bulb sticks into it from the rear.
you 'might' be able to at least see that bulb holder,  by taking out the ash
tray looking down in there that way.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Allan Streib" <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 7:15 PM
Subject: dash lights (was: [WetWesties] pumped out -VOODOO)

> Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> writes:
>
>> on the dash light bulbs..........they so easily don't make contact.
>> next time it happens, rap on the top of the instrument cluster - that
>> often will make the light come back on.  The 'next level up' is to
>> remove the instrument cover, and wiggle the dash light bulb holders -
>> those white things.
>
> Had this problem with my tach illumination just tonight.  I smaked the
> top of the dash, and the tach light came on and the speedo light winked
> out!  Hit it again and it swaped back.  Third time was the charm and
> they both stayed on.
>
> I agree that flexible plastic "circuit board" wiring for the instrument
> lights is just a classic VW "economy" design.
>
> Is there supposed to be any illumination of the HVAC controls?  Mine are
> totally dark and I'm not familiar with them enough yet to be able to
> know by feel what is what.
>
> Allan
> --
> 1991 Vanagon GL