Auto lights acting weird

[Edmunds123]

On Sunday i got warnings on the dash about right DRL, dipped and main beam, indicator, fog light and wiper defects. The warnings came and went randomly but all were false as everything worked.The lights then flickered on and off in pitch black once or twice. Several times i locked the car and after several minutes noticed that my main beam had turned on. i rang the car supplier who told me to book it in with a garage of my choice and they would foot the bill - got the car back from a local audi specialist today - Video in motion has been enabled (happy days) and they have replaced the 'central electric switch' (light switch on dash) as this is what diagnostics told them. Drove the car home with no warning at all but..........

In auto mode the dipped beam is on (it wasn't especially dark) but the dash lights weren't which i thought was weird (they do however work when the sidelights or dipper beam position is selected). when you turn the switch to auto the dash lights flash on then go out. I also noticed the DRL were really dim when i have the switch in sidelight position. The only time they are full power is when the switch is in the off position and DRL are enabled in the menu.

Anybody have any clue what could be causing this, or is it normal behaviour? i never really paid attention to how they operated before Sunday!

[apole]

Hi,

First port of call would be to get a code scan done with VCDS, see what if anything, is in there. Don't think what you are experiencing is normal behaviour so worth checking out before the winter nights set in.

[Guest 2]

In auto mode the dipped beam is on (it wasn't especially dark) but the dash lights weren't which i thought was weird (they do however work when the sidelights or dipper beam position is selected). when you turn the switch to auto the dash lights flash on then go out. Make sure the lighting rocker switch to the right of the main MMI screen is switched right up, also check the background lighting in the CAR menu. You can adjust some dash lighting settings in VCDS and their behaviour in different modes.

I also noticed the DRL were really dim when i have the switch in sidelight position. The only time they are full power is when the switch is in the off position and DRL are enabled in the menu. This is normal, they will also dim when you indicate, you can turn this dimming feature off however with VCDS.

Anybody have any clue what could be causing this, or is it normal behaviour? i never really paid attention to how they operated before Sunday!

See above in bold.

As Andy says get it scanned with VCDS but the Audi specialist probably had this or VAS which is fine.

Could you take a video of the dash lights flashing?

[Edmunds123]

They scanned it and it was the scan that told them that the dash switch needed replacing. £130 switch and £40 diagnostics (paid by the garage)

It is being valeted outside work at the moment but on the way home ill take a video. When you turn the switch to auto the DRL come on aswell as the dipped beam. dash lights come on and then go straight out. they dont stay on. If you put the switch to dipped beam or sidelights the dash lights stay on.

I just couldn't remember if when on auto the dash lights should be on when the dipped beam is. Bloody cars

[gupsterg]

In auto mode the dipped beam is on (it wasn't especially dark) but the dash lights weren't which i thought was weird (they do however work when the sidelights or dipper beam position is selected). when you turn the switch to auto the dash lights flash on then go out.

On the instrument cluster there is a light sensor near the 0 MPH. The behaviour of instrument cluster lights can be altered to some presets via coding in the instrument cluster.

Perhaps the coding is an issue? perhaps the sensor is iffy?

Also be aware the the light sensor is used to judge if the cluster lights need to be on or not due to light levels in cabin and used for other purposes.

[Edmunds123]

ahhhhh, so in theory the dipped beam can be on if outside light levels are low enough with interior sensors reading a light level high enough to mean the instrument cluster lights wont necessarily be needed? If so it seems the new switch did the job. the fults arent displaying now anyway! thanks Gupsterg

[gupsterg]

ahhhhh, so in theory the dipped beam can be on if outside light levels are low enough with interior sensors reading a light level high enough to mean the instrument cluster lights wont necessarily be needed?

Yes this is what can occur. In the owners manual there is a section explaining the way the needles/dial illumination is used to signal certain things to driver.

For instance say your light switch is not set to auto or is off position but light levels outside are being detected to be low car will illuminate needles but not dials to signal perhaps you should switch them on.

On the flip side if your lights are on but light level outside is below requirement to have them on needles will illuminate but not dials to signal perhaps you should switch them off.

Outside lights switching on with auto light function can be altered via adjusting the coding of the light sensor in the windscreen. These codings are there for adjusting the sensor to differing glass used for windscreen. Usually with genuine glass you'd use the coding with PR code relevant to the windscreen and all should work fine.

[Edmunds123]

Spent alot of time with the car last night. did alot of driving and all seemed fine. No warnings, lights didnt go off at all and the cluster lights were fine. The car has been parked outside of work now for 3 hours with no issues. 5 minutes ago a mechanic from the garage opposite came in to tell me that my dipped beam lights had been on for 15 minutes. he thought i was sat in the car. They came on randomly for no reason at all. Im stumped now. Its been on diagnostics and the only fault found was the switch on the dash, ans this has been replaced. any ideas?

I should say - When this happened the switch was set to auto. Just been outside and the lights are back on. Ive turned the switch to off now to see if it happens again. I did notice that when in auto the lights only come in (DRL and fogs) when i lock the car. When in the off position the lights only come on when i unlock the car - and not when i lock it.
cheers

[Lukenkarl]

Spent alot of time with the car last night. did alot of driving and all seemed fine. No warnings, lights didnt go off at all and the cluster lights were fine. The car has been parked outside of work now for 3 hours with no issues. 5 minutes ago a mechanic from the garage opposite came in to tell me that my dipped beam lights had been on for 15 minutes. he thought i was sat in the car. They came on randomly for no reason at all. Im stumped now. Its been on diagnostics and the only fault found was the switch on the dash, ans this has been replaced. any ideas?

I should say - When this happened the switch was set to auto. Just been outside and the lights are back on. Ive turned the switch to off now to see if it happens again. I did notice that when in auto the lights only come in (DRL and fogs) when i lock the car. When in the off position the lights only come on when i unlock the car - and not when i lock it.
cheers

Is there any way you could have pressed the buttons on your car key? If your lights are set in MMI to coming home or leaving home and you press the button then they will light up the fogs (for the preset time in MMI) to be sure check in MMI and if on turn them off.

[Guest 2]

Get it back in and see what your specialist thinks and get it back on diag, failing that see if your car supplier will allow the car to go to Audi and stump the bill and get them to investigate.


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