Audi Fog lights!

thenashlegend

Maybe it's been done before but Im having trouble with my rear fog lights!!:( The drivers side works fine but the passenger side is always off!...I've seen another car with the same issue and read that its a "safety" design...but it looks stupid. New bulbs wont work and I'm sure the thing worked when I got the car?!?
Any help would be great!:D

GTE

My VW came delivered it seems with the one fog light and the other one had a plastic tab stopping people like me putting bulbs in. I took the tab out but the bulb works. The wiring may actually stop that working for you. Not an issue though.

It is a design feature it seems, but not illegal to have two.

EDIT:

I say its not an issue but the obsessive compulsive in me HATES one reverse light and one fog light combos. Fecking hate it.

jimmyw

Are you sure there is one there?Usually there is only one fog light on most cars usually on the drivers side only.

Tropheus

Are you sure that there is a fog light on the other side? I went through this with my father in law's Passat prior to the NCT. I was looking for a problem for ages until I realised that it's only supposed to work on one side.

Tropheus

Wow, there was a rush to answer this one:D

GTE

ksimpson wrote: »

Wow, there was a rush to answer this one:D

It just pisses me off so much. haha

thenashlegend

ksimpson wrote: »

Wow, there was a rush to answer this one:D

Good job too!!;)

Yup there definitely is a light there....took it apart several times to fit new bulbs.
It's identical to the other side but it wont light the bulb!
I've heard of DIY guides to activate the other side but nothing definite!:rolleyes:

-Corkie-

There is only one op.

thenashlegend

Any way of activating the second one?

jimmyw

It might not be wired up.The manufacturers fit both I guess and just wire up the appropriate side according to the country they go to.You dont need two anyway.

-Corkie-

thenashlegend wrote: »

Any way of activating the second one?

Im sure any good auto electrican will do it. Why do you want a second one. One is enough to be blinding people.

thenashlegend

I want the second one because like BBK said I hate having two lights every where else and only one fog light!:D

-Corkie-

thenashlegend wrote: »

I want the second one because like BBK said I hate having two lights every where else and only one fog light!:D

One light on the rear is normal. I see another fog light thread reappearing...:(

thenashlegend

-Corkie- wrote: »

I see another fog light thread reappearing...:(

Did the first one do any good for the person with the problem???;)

slimjimmc

jimmyw wrote: »

Are you sure there is one there?Usually there is only one fog light on most cars usually on the drivers side only.

Regulations only require one rear fog lamp so I suspect the motor companies woke up to the fact that they could save a few bob by only fitting the legally required minimum. Every cent counts in this very competitive high volume industry. I remember how cars years ago used to have 2 lamps (if they had any at all), nowadays most seem to have only one.

thenashlegend

As far as I can make out, its all kitted out...bulb....wiring...everything is there and Im sure I had 2 a few months ago!?!

GTE

-Corkie- wrote: »

One light on the rear is normal. I see another fog light thread reappearing...:(

Can we assume just for the sake of my faith (at least) in the human race that the lights will be used in the correct conditions?

GTE

thenashlegend wrote: »

As far as I can make out, its all kitted out...bulb....wiring...everything is there and Im sure I had 2 a few months ago!?!

Go to the light that is working.
Look at the place where the current fog light slots in.
See if you can trace the contacts to the wires in the main plug. In my car you can trace it, can depend on the setup.
Take note of the colour wire and where the plug that has all the wires in them.

Go to the second light and see if you can find the same thing (or a mirror image of it).

Similar to these:

EPM

isnt the opposite one usually the reverse light on VAGs?

GTE

EPM wrote: »

isnt the opposite one usually the reverse light on VAGs?

The space where the fog is on one side is the reverse on the other?
In the Mark 5 Golf and I guess that generation of VAG's onwards then I think that is true.
Newer Passat is the same.

Annoys the hell out of me

thenashlegend

Well I havent checked but I think I have both reversing lights!?:eek:

Andrew Campbell

take care... if there is a space and you decide to hook up an extra bulb you may confuse the failed bulb warning system and have a fault warning on the dash. If this happens try a 5W bulb in the new side instead of a 21W bulb and it might bring the current within the tollerance. I've no experience with this on an Audi but seen it happen on volvo's when the third brake light was activated by fitting a bulb (which was not permitted at the time)

thenashlegend

Andrew Campbell wrote: »

take care... if there is a space and you decide to hook up an extra bulb

The bulb is already there since I bought the car!!

Tropheus

Why not drive and enjoy your car. Why do Irish drivers have an obsession with fog lights? They are for fog and we don't get much worth mentioning.

GTE

ksimpson wrote: »

Why not drive and enjoy your car. Why do Irish drivers have an obsession with fog lights? They are for fog and we don't get much worth mentioning.

Well, it can be the case that people get a bit curious and with not much to do try to get to the bottom of it?

I guarantee you if you thought you had two reverse lights and one day only noticed one you would at least want to try and see if there is an electrical fault to track down.

Anan1

bbk wrote: »

Well, it can be the case that people get a bit curious and with not much to do try to get to the bottom of it?

I guarantee you if you thought you had two reverse lights and one day only noticed one you would at least want to try and see if there is an electrical fault to track down.

But the OP knows that their rear fogs are working as intended - they just think that they 'look stupid'. I'm guessing ksimpson's concern is that this is worryingly close to the 'front fogs look cool' mentality.

daithihalton

what year / model is the car its most likely controlled by the light module it would have to be programmed with vag-com or similar the make the light work
they are generally programmed for each country ie. rh fog light for uk / ireland etc lh fog light for lh drive cars

_Kaiser_

Whatever about the single fog light, I REALLY miss the 2nd reverse light on my 06 Passat.

My previous 02 version had dual reverse lights, and aside from the fact that I miss the symmetry, a single light doesn't put out enough visibility behind the car at night

There's a fella I've seen though that can supply a modified light cluster to correct both of these problems tho - here

I'm thinking about it myself...

-Chris-

I prefer following a car with one fog light rather than two.

The brightness of the fog light can dilute the effect of the brake lights coming on. If you've a fog light on both sides, then the only definite give away of braking can be the high-level brake light. With one fog light it's much more obvious when the brake lights come on.

-Corkie-

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Whatever about the single fog light, I REALLY miss the 2nd reverse light on my 06 Passat.

My previous 02 version had dual reverse lights, and aside from the fact that I miss the symmetry, a single light doesn't put out enough visibility behind the car at night

There's a fella I've seen though that can supply a modified light cluster to correct both of these problems tho - here

I'm thinking about it myself...

I agree there. Its a pure nuisance reversing somewhere tight in darkness if you are not familiar with the area..

dodzy

-Chris- wrote: »

I prefer following a car with one fog light rather than two.

The brightness of the fog light can dilute the effect of the brake lights coming on. If you've a fog light on both sides, then the only definite give away of braking can be the high-level brake light. With one fog light it's much more obvious when the brake lights come on.

At last, some sensibly words And it had to be from a mod too:D

_Kaiser_

-Chris- wrote: »

I prefer following a car with one fog light rather than two.

The brightness of the fog light can dilute the effect of the brake lights coming on. If you've a fog light on both sides, then the only definite give away of braking can be the high-level brake light. With one fog light it's much more obvious when the brake lights come on.

You're assuming the brake lights work at all though!

The amount of cars I see every week where either one, or both of the main brake lights are broken is unbelievable, so the high-level light is all you have to go on (assuming the car has one).

Worst example I saw though was a 40 foot trailer with no working brake lights in heavy stop-start traffic - I couldn't get around him quick enough!!

GTE

Anan1 wrote: »

But the OP knows that their rear fogs are working as intended - they just think that they 'look stupid'. I'm guessing ksimpson's concern is that this is worryingly close to the 'front fogs look cool' mentality.

Maybe I read it wrong but it seems as if the car was delivered/bought with two fog bulbs, the OP remembers seeing two rear fogs and at some point the second has stopped working and isnt because of a broken bulb.

If I misread then fine but if I didnt then I dont see what the problem is.

thenashlegend

bbk wrote: »

Maybe I read it wrong but it seems as if the car was delivered/bought with two fog bulbs, the OP remembers seeing two rear fogs and at some point the second has stopped working and isnt because of a broken bulb.

If I misread then fine but if I didnt then I dont see what the problem is.

Thats exactly it!!:rolleyes:

I was sure I had two rear fogs a while back!!

I dont know did I get a notification on the dash or not but I now only have one!:(
Its not even the "cool" factor that bothers me... if one of your front lights broke would you say "ah sure its grand, I'll call it a safety feature":p
It looks bloody ridiculous!!

As bbk said its not because of the bulb, I've tried bulbs in both sides and there grand.;)

Any solutions at all??

daithihalton

What make, model, year is the car?

thenashlegend

Its a 2002 Audi A4 TDi SE. It was a Uk car originally but was brought to the North and now the Republic!:)

daithihalton

that model audi comes from factory with only one fog light working,
someone may have fitted a bulb to the bulb holder hoping it would work,
there is no power supplied to the bulb holder even though it looks like its wired for it.

nogoodnamesleft

There is a modification you can do to get a double fog lights in the Audi A4. Many do this in the US to achieve the "euro" look.

Would you be bothered thou for the amount of times you would use it.

thenashlegend

Hmmm?:rolleyes:
Depends on what this mod is?..and how much pennies are involved??:D

Lord Nikon

My '04 A4 Avant has only one rear fog bulb too. Need to get this fixed asap.

thenashlegend

neuromancer wrote: »

My '04 A4 Avant has only one rear fog bulb too. Need to get this fixed asap.

At last, someone that understands!!:D