How to get rid of yellow warnings (windscreen washer level etc)

[toff]

Hi,

I love my B7 A4 but I get really annoyed when the yellow washer level low warning appears at the beginning of a 3 hour journey and I have to look at it flashing away for the whole journey! Is there any way to "dismiss" it?

I have managed to hide it temporarily by activating the phonebook menu on the Driver Information System (between the speed & rev counter) but this means I can't change tracks on my CD player because the scroll button (on the steering wheel) just scrolls through phonebook names instead of changing the CD track! :zx11:

On the couple of Mk.4 Golfs I owned, if a yellow warning popped-up (washer level low, Fuel low etc) you would get rid of them by pressing a button on the MFA stalk (trip computer thingummy)!

Any advice appreciated!

Al.

[toff]

PS: Yes I know.. fill up the washer fluid tank is the answer...

But when the warning lamp comes on, there is still plenty of water left and if it's a perfectly dry day.. I don't feel inclined to stop for water just to stop the warning light from coming on!! [Rant over] :)

[Flakmunky]

Hey Toff,

I don't think there is a way of dismissing it, however I was recently reminded of just how useful the washer bottle warning is... I had a new Focus hire car which ran out of washer fluid without any warning whilst on the M1. 6 miles (felt like 60) with the winter sun shining on a filthy windscreen was not a very pleasant experience...

If it goes off, fill it up! I know that isn't what you wanted, sorry! :)

fM

[kodkod.84]

Yep strange one this- when I had my 2005 B7 it had the monochrome DIS and the screenwash level warning would flash up for two minutes and then go off for around 30mins before coming on again and so on.

My new one has the colour DIS and the warning stays on permanently which is a bit annoying.

[Flakmunky]

Monochrome DIS has same behaviour. I wonder if it could be altered in VAG-COM?

[spacedoutracer]

if it is a 2 wire sensor going to the water bottle cut the 2 wires twist them together and stick them in a block connector.

[toff]

if it is a 2 wire sensor going to the water bottle cut the 2 wires twist them together and stick them in a block connector.

...or wire in a 555 timer to do the same job, but re-instate the sensor every hour!

...or carry a small bottle of water in the boot, so you can top-up the water level just enough stop the warning coming on!

There are a few work-arounds but it'd be great if there was a software (VAG-COM) solution.

Damn the person / team at Audi who decided to make the warning permanent!

[Flakmunky]

if it is a 2 wire sensor going to the water bottle cut the 2 wires twist them together and stick them in a block connector.

Easiest thing would be to remove the instrument cluster, tap in to Pin 1 of the blue plug with a Scotchblock and earth it. This will permanently disable the washer bottle sensor.

[toff]

But in the process, I might accidentally permanently disable my car! ;)

Does pin 1 on that connector just have one specific purpose?

[elPaulio]

Hi Toff,

Yeah, pin 1 is purely for the washer level sender. If you follow pin1 it goes down to one pin on the sensor and the other pin then goes back and is cnnected to earth so as the water level is above the top pin on the sensor the circuit to earth is made and once the water goes below the top pin the circuit is broken and the warning pops up!!

This is why when you retro-fit DIS you have to either install the washer level sensor or just ground pin 1.

Hope that clears it up a bit

Paul :biglaugh:

[toff]

Hi Toff,

Yeah, pin 1 is purely for the washer level sender. If you follow pin1 it goes down to one pin on the sensor and the other pin then goes back and is connected to earth so as the water level is above the top pin on the sensor the circuit to earth is made and once the water goes below the top pin the circuit is broken and the warning pops up!!

This is why when you retro-fit DIS you have to either install the washer level sensor or just ground pin 1.

Hope that clears it up a bit

Paul :biglaugh:


Wow, that's a great bit of insight, thanks!

I'm tempted to build a 555 timer + relay setup - when activated (when the ignition is turned on) it would connect the sensor for one minute every 30 minutes or so (the rest of the time, the relay would ground the connection!

Hmm.. there could be something in that! :D

Or I could just remember to fill-up more often.. hmmm?

[bodger here]

I love my B7 A4 but I get really annoyed when the yellow washer level low warning appears at the beginning of a 3 hour journey and I have to look at it flashing away for the whole journey! Is there any way to "dismiss" it?

I have managed to hide it temporarily by activating the phonebook menu on the Driver Information System (between the speed & rev counter) but this means I can't change tracks on my CD player because the scroll button (on the steering wheel) just scrolls through phonebook names instead of changing the CD track! :zx11:

On the couple of Mk.4 Golfs I owned, if a yellow warning popped-up (washer level low, Fuel low etc) you would get rid of them by pressing a button on the MFA stalk (trip computer thingummy)!

Any advice appreciated!

Al.[/QUOTE]

Hi, whats the back story here? Did you have the DIS installed yourself of did your car already come with it? or are you just being lazy (surely not) Its illegal not to have washer fluid in the washer reservoir 3 points and a £100 fine.

Either way if you really really really don't want to see it again then you can earth the circuit.

Heres how....

If your being lazy then pop the bonnet and fill the reservoir.

Or undo the left havd side wheel arch liner and take the plug off the sensor and put a wire in it to complete the circuit washer warning will never come on again.

Or take the instrument panel out (clocks) its just 2 screws t20 I think. and wiggle the instrument cluster out. undo both plugs theres 2 a blue one and a green one both have a cluster of wires. you will need to set aside the clocks and get the blue plug, theres a pink tab on the bottom of it. Slide it off and the inner white wiring block will slide out. with the block facing you with the black vertical you need wire number one, on some cars it there on others its not. if its not there get a think wire peel the end and stick it in there, if theres one in it saves you a job. solder, scotch lock, crimp, tie a wire onto it and find a point behind the dash to earth it (tie it to the chassis). the warning will never come back.

[toff]

Hi Bodger,

Thansk for your reply... there has been some wierd time warp thing going on here as the post about the washer fluid indicator was 12 years ago!

Thanks all the same for the how-to though.. useful for current B7 owners.

Backstory:
I used to do a heck of a lot of miles and did check the fluid levels regularly. Ocasionally I'd forget and would end up with the washer light coming on halfway through a 300 mile drive..
When I'm enroute somewhere; I don't like stopping (plus I'm normally running late); so I was just looking for a neat solution to dismiss the warning temporarily so I could make full use of my DIS for the remainder of the journey (providing it was safe to do so with the remaining wahser fluid - i.e. not in salty winter conditions!)

If I still ahd the B7 - I could have used your information along with a 555 timer relay circuit to pull the connection to ground for 60 minutes - giving me a "snooze" on the warning - a neat solution for anyone whos interested!

Thanks for your reply.
Al




Hi, whats the back story here? Did you have the DIS installed yourself of did your car already come with it? or are you just being lazy (surely not) Its illegal not to have washer fluid in the washer reservoir 3 points and a £100 fine.

Either way if you really really really don't want to see it again then you can earth the circuit.

Heres how....

If your being lazy then pop the bonnet and fill the reservoir.

Or undo the left havd side wheel arch liner and take the plug off the sensor and put a wire in it to complete the circuit washer warning will never come on again.

Or take the instrument panel out (clocks) its just 2 screws t20 I think. and wiggle the instrument cluster out. undo both plugs theres 2 a blue one and a green one both have a cluster of wires. you will need to set aside the clocks and get the blue plug, theres a pink tab on the bottom of it. Slide it off and the inner white wiring block will slide out. with the block facing you with the black vertical you need wire number one, on some cars it there on others its not. if its not there get a think wire peel the end and stick it in there, if theres one in it saves you a job. solder, scotch lock, crimp, tie a wire onto it and find a point behind the dash to earth it (tie it to the chassis). the warning will never come back.

[/QUOTE]