Owners of other VW Group vehicles such as the Beetle, CC, Tiguan, Golf, Touareg, Jetta, GTI, SportWagen, Eos, Rabbit, Bora, Vento, Lavida, Coccinelle, Maggiolino, Fusca, Audi A3, A4, S4, A6, S6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, A5, S5, and TT may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The Passat is equipped with standard mini blade fuses which can be purchased at Walmart, any auto parts store or online at Amazon.com.

Some VW models may instead have the relatively newer style of low profile mini blade fuses.

Please check your vehicle before purchasing new fuses.

The engine bay electrical box is located on the driver side of the car next to the 12V automotive battery and behind the air filter box.

Gently pull forward the black plastic tab on the front edge of the fuse box cover to release the clip.

Then gently push in the tab on the rear edge of the fuse box cover to release the 2nd retaining clip.

Pull the cover straight off the fuse box and set it aside in a safe place.

There is a fuse location diagram in your owner's manual.

The fuse puller tool is attached to the back side of the interior fuse panel access cover.

Move to the driver side of the dashboard and locate the small notch at the bottom of the outer edge trim panel.

Pull off the access cover and set it aside in a safe place.

Remove the white plastic fuse puller tool from the rear side of the access cover.

Place the jaws of the tool over the fuse you'd like to check or change.

Pull the old fuse straight out of the socket.

To check the old fuse, hold it up to a light source.

If the thin metal bar in the translucent plastic center part of the old fuse appears to be burnt or broken, then it is most likely "blown" and should be replaced with a new one.

If the thin metal strip or band seems to be intact, then the old fuse is probably still good.

But since new fuses are so inexpensive, it should still be replaced as part of your electrical problem troubleshooting process.

If you suspect that your issue is a faulty relay, you'll need to use a multimeter tool to check it or you may find it easier to just swap in a new relay.

Be sure to replace the mini blade fuse with a new one of the same amperage rating (e.g. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25A).

Line up the clips on the rear of the access cover and gently push it back in to place.

Check the electrical component you were having issues with such as the headlights, power windows, tail lights, horn, radio, windshield wipers, A/C (air conditioning) system or the 12V power outlet.

If you are still having the same electrical problem, there might be a shorted wire somewhere or the component itself is faulty and will need to be replaced.

For more, check out all of my Volkswagen Passat DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.