Side light parking light error warning

[Koopsy]

Lights problem with a 2011 SEAT Exeo with standard DRL and Xenon headlight options. First a right parking light warning, now both left and right parking light warnings. I am assuming that these warnings relate to the side-lights at the front of the car as these are the only lights that don't work as I believe they should. Both front side-light bulbs have been changed. The front side-lights only work when DRL switch is on and then no rear lights (should there be with DRL?). If parking lights activated (turn indicator switch to left or right when engine stopped) only the corresponding rear light works, no front lights. If main light switch on (either the auto or side lights or main lights positions), rear and main lights come on correctly but not the front side lights! Any ideas?

[Flash2]

Welcome to the forum.

Have you has your car long? What's the history of the fault?

The lighting circuits on these cars can be a little tricky to diagnose because when the bulb failure warning is triggered the power supply ECU switches off the power on the circuit.
What I think I would do to start with is switch on the DRLs so that the front side light bulbs light, then check for voltage on the side light wire at the headlamp connector. Leave the lamp connector plugged in and probe the side light wire with a test lamp or volt meter. The side light wires are Grey/Black on the left headlamp & Grey/Red on the right. See if you have 12V on those wires This test is to see if the side lamp bulbs are being powered by the ECU or if they are linked to the DRL wiring inside the headlamp.

Of course, you can disregard all that if you've had the car for a while and this fault has just appeared and nobody has been messing with your headlamps.

Jim.

[Koopsy]

Hi Jim, I've had the car since new, no mods not even a chip! Any idea where I can get a wiring diagram for the Exeo (perhaps same as a4 b7)?

[Flash2]

I think the wiring will check out OK. The lamps light so the wiring between bulbs & ECU must be OK, and the switches all work so the wiring between the switches & ECU must be OK too.

How did the fault appear? Did you just get a bulb failure warning and then notice the side lights out? Did you have any work done on the car before the fault appeared?

It might be worth finding someone in your area with VCDS and have it checked for trouble codes in the central electrics ECU. VCDS would also be able to confirm the switches are sending the correct signals to the ECM and that the ECM is activating the correct outputs in response to the switch inputs.

Jim.