Mysterious hidden switch - Audi A6 2012

Lord Nikon · 26-02-2020 7:14pm #1

Hopefully someone can shed some light, on the reason for this mysterious switch I've just spotted. So, I was planning to hardwire a dashcam this evening, opened the dash on the drivers side to check the fuses and I spot a switch. Think it's actually on, as per the red light on it.
The switch is held in by a ziptie, do can't really see what it's going to.
I since switched it off, and noticed nothing out of the ordinary while driving.
Any ideas?

Kimbot · 26-02-2020 7:16pm

Lord Nikon wrote: »

Hopefully someone can shed some light, on the reason for this mysterious switch I've just spotted. So, I was planning to hardwire a dashcam this evening, opened the dash on the drivers side to check the fuses and I spot a switch. Think it's actually on, as per the red light on it.
The switch is held in by a ziptie, do can't really see what it's going to.
I since switched it off, and noticed nothing out of the ordinary while driving.
Any ideas?

Is it wired into the fuses??

jmreire · 26-02-2020 7:26pm

It's an "official" looking switch, as can be seen by the spring clip retainers on the side of it, was meant to be pressed into place on a panel in it's original design location...and definitely not a cable tie set up. Can you track where the cables are going to / coming from?

colm_mcm · 26-02-2020 7:32pm

That’s a generic switch and definitely not part of the car.

Are there front parking sensors fitted by any chance?

iamtony · 26-02-2020 7:34pm

Was it a taxi at any stage of its life? Looks like a taxi roof sign switch.

Kat1170 · 26-02-2020 7:37pm

Is it possible to reach before removing part of the dash or is it completely hidden and inaccessible.

mgbgt1978 · 26-02-2020 8:17pm

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cobra-iRadar-S125R-EU-Detector/dp/B01721P2HK/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=58700267219&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs6G30fbv5wIVDLTtCh0iNQ-JEAMYAiAAEgJbjfD_BwE&hvadid=291308092548&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1007850&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8930846302380214304&hvtargid=kwd-306265197590&hydadcr=3918_1711497&keywords=cobra+iradar&qid=1582744531&sr=8-1

Lord Nikon · 26-02-2020 10:38pm

Front what I can see it doesn't look like it piggybacking of any fuses, not from the front anyway. I've cut the ziptie to it, but can't pull it out any further tbh. No idea what it's attached to either, it's buried deep under the dash. Could be for a radar unit, but no sign of one.
Had a feel around under the dash below the steering column and can't locate anything either.
Could be a tracking device that someone may have forgotten about?

jmreire · 26-02-2020 10:49pm

If you look under the bonnet, and to the front bulkhead, where the wiring harness exits and where the cable's go to their individual connections, can you see any extra cables ( not in the harness / loom ) exiting anywhere? Its not an Audi switch anyway, so it's additional to the car.

Toyotafanboi · 26-02-2020 11:00pm

Yeah, a fairly popular generic switch. My money is on some kind of tracker.

The switch is lighting up, so if you turned it off and the car still runs it cant be too critical.

Lord Nikon · 26-02-2020 11:05pm

Right, I'm not 100% sure, as it's rather cramped in there but it looks like it's running to the obd port, and the wire from the switch is spliced into the obd port cable.

jmreire · 26-02-2020 11:14pm

By any chance, is there an extra fused link connected to the positive battery terminal??

Esel · 28-02-2020 5:04am

Anti-theft switch?

colm_mcm · 28-02-2020 8:08am

I’m guessing it disables the OBD port to stop someone making a key?

listermint · 28-02-2020 8:23am

Ya my money is on obd port kill.

Good idea tbh.

Lord Nikon · 28-02-2020 12:56pm

So, should I just leave it on?

listermint · 28-02-2020 2:31pm

Lord Nikon wrote: »

So, should I just leave it on?

No turn it off unless your reading obd or dropping into a garage

Mysterious hidden switch - Audi A6 2012

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