Dipped beam warning?

[Quatrelle]

Bit trivial I know, but could someone kindly check that there is no warning light on the dash for dipped beam? I'm used to one on the Laguna.

My reading of the driver's handbook is that there isn't, and I haven't got one, but the car will soon be having its last service before the guarantee expires (only two years in France:() and if there should be one I want it fixed.

The MFD was changed some months ago, and when I got the car back I'd lost the ability to mute the radio from the steering wheel - it wasn't worth taking it back for that, but if there should be a dipped beam warning that'll be two things to fix as a result of the new MFD.

[Spudrig]

Quatrelle you are correct there is no warning about the dipped beam on the dashboard display! I just assumed that VAG cars didnt have a warningas my friends Polo doesnt have one either. I've been wondering this as well as my family's last 2 cars (Peugeot 307 and before that a Renault Scenic) both had dipped beam warnings. Seems like the Passat just has a full beam warning! I was thinking that it might just be French cars that have the dipped beam warning, but then I remembered my uncle's Seat Ibiza has a warning?? So there goes my thought that VAG cars didnt bother with warnings.

Its probably just VW trying to cut corners and save a few quid (cough cough fuel pump for instance!!) :p

[gamichea]

Agree you are correct, Quatrelle. I particularly noticed this when I first had the Passat as all its Audi predecessors had a "lights on" warning light that came on with the sidelights. I don't find it an issue because the instrument illumination tells me sidelights are on.

[Quatrelle]

Thanks for the replies - it puts my mind at rest. The fact that I've only recently noticed it shows how little night driving I do!

It came to mind when I was driving through murk and mist hanging over some nearby mountains recently (not very high mountains), put the lights on auto, and was trying to work out if the lights had actually come on - the instrument illumination wasn't very obvious in the halflight (and I was looking where I was going).

Thanks again.

[Stuart W]

Agree you are correct, Quatrelle. I particularly noticed this when I first had the Passat as all its Audi predecessors had a "lights on" warning light that came on with the sidelights. I don't find it an issue because the instrument illumination tells me sidelights are on.

Problem is that the instrument illumination doesn't tell you whether you're on sidelights or headlights without the warning light.

Of course, a quick glance at the light switch confirms what's what, and indeed I think that's been the case with most cars I've driven.

However, the only car I've driven with a dipped beam warning light was a Puggy 405, which had the light switch on a stalk, thus it wasn't immediately apparent whether you were on sidelights or dipped beam.

Perhaps that's one reason some cars have the warning light and some don't?

If that is the case then Quartelle's point about the auto lights is interesting, however.

On a slightly different tack, does anyone with an SE have a bonnet open warning light? I'm sure I saw one in the manual, but mine doesn't have one, and I once left my bonnet open slightly and another driver flashed me to stop so he could tell me :Blush2:

The car is out of warranty now, so I probably won't get it sorted, just curious.

[gamichea]

Problem is that the instrument illumination doesn't tell you whether you're on sidelights or headlights without the warning light.


Yes but if you keep the light switch on auto, which I do 99% of the time, you know you are on headlights when the instruments are illuminated.

Also, doesn't the auto symbol on the light switch illuminate when auto position is selected, extinguish when the lights come on automatically and re-illuminate when the lights go off again?

Not sure about a bonnet open warning light but there must be a switch which trips when the bonnet is released because I once spent a while trying to get the wipers to service position without success, then remembered I'd released the bonnet catch preparatory to checking levels. Closing the bonnet restored the service position function.

[Stuart W]

Sorry, I was talking about the (bog) standard system, gamichea, I don't have the auto function on my SE :(

[henley_regatta]

Yes but if you keep the light switch on auto, which I do 99% of the time, you know you are on headlights when the instruments are illuminated.

Also, doesn't the auto symbol on the light switch illuminate when auto position is selected, extinguish when the lights come on automatically and re-illuminate when the lights go off again?


This behaviour is correct (at least it is on my SE).

However, I still find it hard to tell when the lights are on *in the daytime*. My sensor seems to like turning the lights on through every underpass and bridge, and I've found that after a while it just seems to say "oh, let's play safe and leave the lights on". It's quite hard to tell that when driving in reasonable daytime conditions: the absence of a light-green-glow from the AUTO position can't be easily seen, neither can the dashboard illumination.

I'm pleased the system "fails-safe" (lights ON, not lights OFF), and I'm not too bothered - my last car was a Volvo which Just Had The Lights On All The Time so it's not like I'm missing anything here - but I have to say the system isn't quite as clever as I'd hoped it would be ;)

[johnloaderuk]

I have the auto function on my Sport model, and it would be nice if a light was on the dash as the one on the light switch is a bit dim, as well as being out of the way. I also parked my car the other night with the column stalk in the high beam position, and wondered the next morning why my lights wouldn't go onto high beam. It seems the car will only turn the auto lights on in the dipped position, regardless of where the stalk has been left. There was I trying to push the stalk forwards (which of course, it already was), nearly breaking it off. Had to move the stalk back to the dipped position, then back to high beam. This feature may be in the handbook, but I haven't seen it.