Minor issue with Auto lights

[Renesis]

New member here, and have just bought a 2005 A6 and I didn't want my first post to be a cry for help but I'm having a couple of issues that hopefully you knowledgeable guys can clear up for me :confused:

Most of my cars are equipped with automatic lights (I'm a lazy bugger) and I always have it set on auto. Whilst driving to work this morning, I pulled up behind a van and noticed my dipped lights were on even though it was bright outside and the sun was shining directly on my windscreen. I've noticed this before in bright daylight, but didn't really think anything of it. About 30 minutes later, it darkened a bit and started to rain (very light shower) and when I set the wiper stalk to position 1, it was wiping every 2 seconds even though it was on the lowest sensitivity (and about 10 specs of rain between wipes). If I change the sensitivity to high, it wipes every second instead - yes I'm sad and have counted (lol). Annoyingly this meant I had to press down on the stalk every 10 seconds as the wipe was too frequent otherwise. I'm guessing I have rain sensing wipers as when I searched my symptoms, I came across a post that said all C6 models had them as standard, but I am happy to be corrected.

From the above, one would assume that my sensor must be faulty, as both the auto lights and wipers are not function how you (...well I) would expect them to. However, when unlocking the car in the dark the fog lights come on (come home feature), but during the day they do not so I'm assuming the sensor must be working to some degree. Yesterday morning I left the house at midday during a thunderstorm and the fog lights also switched on when unlocked, so I'm guessing the come home feature isn't time specific... again happy to be corrected if this is not the case.

Just wondered if anyone had any ideas on what I could do to sort this? It's a first world problem I know, but it's an annoying one for me. I don't have access to VCDS unfortunately, and don't know anyone who does so I'm unable to check/change any settings :(

Cheers in advance all

[inspectorman63]

Try reading my answer in Solved Rain sensor - Automatic wipers - Page 2 (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=873461#post873461). VCDS is required. But you can make a start by ensuring the rain / light sensor part of the windscreen is properly clean and not crazed with scratches. There also appears to be an issue with incorrect replacement of the sensor if the windscreen has been changed. Your coming home lights seem to be operating normally.

[MarkTM]

Ren, auto lights will be completely off if it is bright enough, what seems to be the issue is that you may have your Daytime Running Lights (DRL's) on.

Press the car button and go to 'exterior lights' and switch them off if you don't want them on.

With the proprietory cable and software (called Vagcom or VCDS on this forum) I believe you can alter the regularity of the wipers in auto...but will stand corrected on this.

I actually found it better to switch auto wipers off and simply treat my windscreen with aquapel (which I've found is FAR superior to Rainx)

Rain-X vs. Aquapel - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-qhq_AigpM)

Now I hardly ever need my wipers! :)

Am sure there are a few VCDS owners in West Mids that can have a look and change your settings if it can be done.

[dan2485]

I find on my car the lights only come off once you stop or a travelling at slow speed.

[Renesis]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Just as a bit of an update, I've noticed my auto lights work fine when I jump into the car (ie: turn on the car during daylight, switch already set to auto, and the lights will stay off - during the night, lights turn on as soon as I start up when switch is on auto). The problem appears when I drive off, and no matter how bright it is outside, the lights will come on until I switch the car off. Does this sound like DRLs have been enabled on my car? Mark, I've had a look in the options and I don't seem to have a DRL selection, just Coming home option.

In regards to the wipers, I switched them on yesterday when the screen was bone dry and - yep you guessed it, they started wiping the screen at the intervals I mentioned in my first post, so it seems the auto wipers are malfunctioning.

If there's anyone near Cannock with a VCDS cable that I could use, I have a couple of beer tokens going ;)

[Renesis]

Thread update:

I've bought a geniune VCDS cable from Gendan and went about trying to change the lightsensor sensitivity. I noticed both the Autolights and Rain sensor were set to Audi A8 / +80% correction. From memory I tried this:

Module 9 > 7-Coding > Select Lightsensor in drop down list > Click longcode helper > Click 2nd+3rd byte section and try to change.

Once I change both to Audi A6 / Armoured Glass / 20% correction, without fail I will get a Code Error 31 (IIRC) saying that it is out of range. I've tried numerous things in the list and it seems to accept all of the A8 and A3 codes but none others. Can someone give some advice on how to use VCDS in this section?

I also added the DRL option to my MMI but when I changed the number in the code section (7) it gave me the same error of it being out of range.... but added the option in the MMI anyway. Have I got a defective cable or is this the car? I downloaded the newest version of VCDS from Ross-Tech so not sure if there's problems with this particular version.

[MarkTM]

Ren, normal halogens or xenons?

Any of these help?

How to adjust the Auto Lights sensitivity | Audi Forum (http://audiforum.us/threads/how-to-adjust-the-auto-lights-sensitivity.9068/)

VWVortex.com - Light Sensitivity Adjustments for auto headlights (http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5972909-Light-Sensitivity-Adjustments-for-auto-headlights)

Please Help Can you reduce the Auto Wiper sensitivity (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?123665-Can-you-reduce-the-Auto-Wiper-sensitivity)

[Renesis]

Hi sorry they're Halogens. Thanks for the links I will check this out but think I might have a VCDS training issue too :( lol

Sent via Crapatalk

[MarkTM]

Hey I've had mine 17 months and still wearing L plates! :(

[dan2485]

do what inspectorman63 advised in his link

Solved Rain sensor - Automatic wipers - Page 2 (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?127150-Rain-sensor-Automatic-wipers/page2&p=873461#post873461)

and change the coding to 00077101.

[Renesis]

do what inspectorman63 advised in his link

Solved Rain sensor - Automatic wipers - Page 2 (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?127150-Rain-sensor-Automatic-wipers/page2&p=873461#post873461)

and change the coding to 00077101.

Just as a bit of an update, I have tried the above and no matter what, I get the error: "Error 31: Request out of range". Even if I delete what is in the box completely, and paste the above in I get the error every single time without fail. Has anyone experienced this, as I'm pulling my hair out now!

I also have DRL's activated via VAGCOM but although "Scandinavian Lights" are not active (as per the coding) my rear lights are on when I turn on DRLs... am I doing something wrong here?

[Renesis]

Bump:

Any VAG-COM gurus able to help with the above? :(

[inspectorman63]

Pasting might be the issue. Did you try directly entering it?

I don't recall seeing any mention of Scandinavian lights. But then I was only altering the regenlicht setting. Only a true guru like RossTech could tell you if that matters.

[inspectorman63]

My notes show a change from 02 2A 3E (the original code of 00141886) to 01 2D 2D ( the revised setting of 00077101 ). If you are only changing the 2nd and 3rd bytes that may be your issue. The three byte addresses are Byte 00, Byte 01 and Byte 02. There is no 3rd byte but I think I can see what you mean.