Dashboard display symbols

[davew]

2000 A4 1.9 TDI

Maybe a dumb question but what is the symbol to the left of the digital clock that looks like an upside down pin with what looks like an umbrella above it. The symbol comes on from time to time as does a snowflake above the outside temperature display. My manual is in German and I live in Sarajevo so getting an English manual is somewhat difficult.
Any ideas where I can get a manual off the internet somewhere?
I get occasional warnings in black but usually about the KPH1 and 2 and something about a Brecht Licht which I translated as a brake light though they work fine. Bloody frustrating seeing these things and not knowing what they mean.
I have been reading through some threads and see a few common problems I share.
1. Stereo goes to full volume when I adjust it 'sometimes'. I understand it is a chip and happens when it is cold out? Seems reasonable.
2. Turbo seems to stop working from time to time. Has happened 3 times on the highway when driving between 100 and 130 kph. I put it into neutral, coast while restarting it, and seems to work ok again. Someone mentioned air flow meter? Can anyone explain this in computer controlled car brain dead terms. My 1991 Camero Z28 was much more fun to work on and much more simple.
Would appreciate and feedback.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Find someone with VAG-COM. They will read the fault codes, and possibly rec-code your car for English language in the displays!

HTH, Rgds

[davew]

Found someone (I think) in Sarajevo that may have the VAG-COM and waiting for a reply. Thanks for the info.
Any thoughts on the other problems I mention?
Heres another stupid one for you......
I bought the car and was informed it had a factory alarm. I installed Zeder so was not too concerned when I agreed to buy it 'but' where and how do I find this ghost of a factory alarm?

Cheers again and will post again when I get the car re-coded.

Dave

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I'm struggling with your umbrella!! The snowflake is merely an ice warning from the external temeperature sensor. Any good with ASCII. Fire up character map on your puter and try!

Manuals - ebay??

KPH1 & 2 are user settable speed warning chimes - number one is set each journey, and number 2 is a permanent set. You can disable both!

Brake light warning - pretty obvious - either handbrake not fully released, or faulty or mis-adjusted handbrake switch. The message only displays when you are driving at more than 5mph???

The stereo full volume thingy is a known prob, unfortunately, not my area. Ask in the ICE section on that one.

Turbo issue is ECU controlled, so you'll have to wait for the fault codes!

HTH, rgds

[davew]

I agree the umbrella thingy is a bit of an oddity. It is right in the digital clock display and shows up 'at times' right in front of the time. I first noticed it about 4 months ago and it happens every week or so. Can't find anything like it on the ASCII code chart so will take a picture of it when it appears again. Little bugger probably won't show up again just to make me look like some sort of nut.
Will shoot the pic off to you as soon as I get it.

Cheers

Dave

[gary_m]

This is a long shot, but could your car be equipped with 'rain sensitive' wipers?

I had these in a previous car (not Audi) and I have a feeling that the fault warning light was a little umbrella.

Don't you just love mysteries? :D Good luck with your quest :)

[davew]

First I have heard of those.
I looked them up on internet but not too sure how to tell if my Audi actually has them. How can I check if it does.
Seems to make sense I guess but why would the umbrella symbol be on the left of the digital time display and not where the other symbols are shown above the outside temperature display?
Mystery is better once solved in this case ;)

Thanks for the input:beerchug:

[Teutonic_Tamer]

This is a long shot, but could your car be equipped with 'rain sensitive' wipers?

I had these in a previous car (not Audi) and I have a feeling that the fault warning light was a little umbrella.

Don't you just love mysteries? :D Good luck with your quest :)

Nope, not on a year 2000 A4. My 2003 S4 don't even have 'em!

[Sam]

Rain sense wipers require a different rearview mirror.

Where you mirror attaches to the front windscreen you may or may not see a small box. From the outside you can see the sensor - if it's fitted.

Edit, no longer stumped.

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97308

It's a radio-controlled clock!

Ithankyou

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I agree the umbrella thingy is a bit of an oddity. It is right in the digital clock display and shows up 'at times' right in front of the time. I first noticed it about 4 months ago and it happens every week or so. Can't find anything like it on the ASCII code chart so will take a picture of it when it appears again. Little bugger probably won't show up again just to make me look like some sort of nut.
Will shoot the pic off to you as soon as I get it.

Cheers

Dave

:arms: Lightbulb moment: after some :sleeping: , I finally remembered what your "umbrella" is all about, and don't even think of Mary Poppins!

Does it in any way look like a radio antenna - something like a "Y" maybe?? If so, you have a radio controlled clock, and when the symbol is displayed, you are receiving time data signals from and RDS radio station, to automatically update your clock!

Do tell me I'm right!!! :approve:

You could even alter your clock to read "wrong", and watch for it to self correct.

I'm waiting for my tube of Smarties!!!! :D

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Edit, no longer stumped.

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97308

It's a radio-controlled clock!

Ithankyou

Damn it, you beat me by five minutes :( - you'll let me have the sweets though ;)

[Teutonic_Tamer]

First I have heard of those.
I looked them up on internet but not too sure how to tell if my Audi actually has them. How can I check if it does.
Seems to make sense I guess but why would the umbrella symbol be on the left of the digital time display and not where the other symbols are shown above the outside temperature display?
Mystery is better once solved in this case ;)

Thanks for the input:beerchug:

As per post #8, it shouldn't have a rain sensor, but, if you really wanna check: ign on > turn wiper to intermittent > if wipers sweep at fixed intervals you don't have rain sensor > if wipers dont move get watering can and wet area of screen near rear view mirror > wipers will flap until screen dry!

HTH

[davew]

I will set the time wrong and see if the little umbrella shows itself.
If it does you are right and another mystery solved.
I was kind of thinking the rain sensor idea was dodgy as I have seen it come rain or shine. Don't really see the sense of a rain sensor anyway.
Will repost when the thing shows up again.

Cheers for the effort I am sure I will have more questions coming soon. This is a great site for info regarding basically any problem with my car so I appreciate your help

By the way sunny and 10 in Sarajevo now. Gotta like it:Blush:

Dave

[Teutonic_Tamer]

By the way sunny and 10 in Sarajevo now. Gotta like it:Blush:

Dave

Lucky devil, it's freezin' 'ere, been p!$$!ng it down all morning, and now as grey as John Majors Spitting Image puppet.

BTW, you don't happen to er.. wear multi-coloured clothes? PM if you want!

Rgds

[davew]

Been pretty well an entire day and the miserable little umbrella wannabe thing has not shown itself yet. My time was set to 10 minutes fast so should have adjusted by now one would think. Perhaps the radio controlled clock theory is off as well. Any particular time span between radio time updates??? Will keep an eye out for the little bugger though and let you know what's what.

Dave

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Been pretty well an entire day and the miserable little umbrella wannabe thing has not shown itself yet. My time was set to 10 minutes fast so should have adjusted by now one would think. Perhaps the radio controlled clock theory is off as well. Any particular time span between radio time updates??? Will keep an eye out for the little bugger though and let you know what's what.

Dave

Well, in the UK, the RDS time data signals are only broadcast on certain BBC FM frequencies. Maybe you are out of an appropriate area, or maybe the data singals were down due to maintenance or summat!

In the UK, the data signals are broadcast every minute, but depending upon the way the headunit hardware is designed, it may only look for the signal - once, say every time the unit is switched on: it if receives a signal=bingo, if it doesn't, then no auto correction???

Rgds

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Any updates yet, Dave?

Rgds

[davew]

Its been a while and the little bugger hasn't appeared yet. I've been pretty well everywhere lately and zip? When it does show up I will take a picture of it and maybe we can see what it is. 'If' it was the radio controlled clock it would have shown itself by now one would think.
Will keep you posted.

Dave

[Sam]

When it does show up I will take a picture of it and maybe we can see what it is.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid39/p68a5c6b232a17e208ffcc5f583e0ea5b/fd0c351a.jpg

Does it look like this?

[MSB]

Hi

That symbol is the radio controled clock. I have the same thing in my Audi A3, and the manual says that is what it is. The thing is though, it also says that if it doesn't find a signal for three days, then it goes into manual mode. My question is, so how to you get it to go back into auto again? Any ideas?

[MSB]

Hi, anyone know the answer to my last post yet?

[MSB]

Does no-one know how to get the clock to auto set again? Help greatly appreciated. Thanks

[davew]

Still no stupid umbrella. Is there any chance this has to do with time changes? Perhaps when the time changes again it will re-appear. As I only saw it just prior to the Spring time chance perhaps I will also see it during the Fall time change. Will let you know and post a pic this time

Dave

[paul b]

Hi Dave
You can buy an English manual on CD on e-bay. Shove it in your computer and off you pop.
Paul

[davew]

Stupid symbol showed up again on the 10th November and is still there. I have attached the pic though its a tad foggy as was taken with phone camera.
Any ideas as to what this stupid thing means?

Cheers

Dave

[paul b]

From reading the manual in my A6, I believe it is something to do with the car searching for the correct time, or something like that. There is no problem. I will find my instruction manual and post exactly what it says later.
Paul

[davew]

Cheers for that. Showed up on the 10th and then was gone on the 15th. From replies I have gotten seems like it could be that. Nothing else makes sense so we will presume it is that.
Look forward to the next post explaining it exactly.

Cheers

Dave

[paul b]

Sorry Dave, almost forgot to reply. Below is quotes from my owners manual:
When the clock is in "radio control" mode the signal reception symbol (a radio tower with radio waves) appears in the display. It is then not possible to change the minutes or the date manually.
If you take your vehicle into a different time zone, the hour display will need to be adjusted manually to local time by using the adjuster button.
If the radio-controlled clock does not receive a valid signal it will automatically switch to the normal clock mode after 3 days, and the signal reception symbol will disappear.
Phew! Glad that's done with!:D
Paul

[MSB]

So how do you get it back into radio control mode?