Front and rear fogs not independent?

synthdood

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I have only yesterday noticed something very strange about the way the fogs are switched in the Sportback. When you pull the light switch one notch the front fogs come on. Pull it to the second notch and the rear fogs also come on. I find it very strange that you can not have the rear fogs on without the fronts.

I don't know what the law is in the rest of the world, but here in Holland you may use rear fogs when visibility is <200m and the front fogs if visibility is <50m. This means that I should be able to have the rear fogs on without having the fronts switched on, but this doesn't seem to be possible with the Audi /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif. I feel the fogs should be switched on the other way round. Rears first and both front and rear second.
 
A3s have had their fog lights switched in this way for many years. Before I had my first A3 1.8T in 1998 I had a Golf VR6 in 1994 and the fog lights on this were also switched in the same way.

At least with the rotary switch when you turn off your lights you automatically turn off your fog lights as well. It seems to a trend in the UK at the moment for a lot off drivers to drive around with their front fog lights on all time - completely illegal of course. Also for some to switch on their rear fog light at the slighest touch of mist and leave them on all winter.

 
That's my point. I don't want to drive around with fogs on illegal, but I can't because Audi doesn't allow me to switch on the rears without the fronts. This kind of makes the rears obsolete. So in the end I have a pointless set of fogs.
 
I suggest your ask your dealer if there is any way your car can be changed to allow you to comply with Dutch Law.
 
It shouldn't be a hard job to change those work the otherway.. It shouldn't be /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
That depends on how the switch works. If it is wired directly to the relais it should be easy, but I wouldn't be surprised if the actual switching is governed by a magic box of electronics. In that case it might be able to change the fog switch behaviour with VAG COM, but I won't hold my breath ;-)

I will take it into the stealers one of these days and ask them.

It needs to go in anyway, because I want the auto-locking switched off. I had an aunt that had a stroke and died in her car last year. It makes you think... I'd rather have something snatched from a backseat than having a heart attack and nobody being able to help you because the doors are all locked.
 
On a slight different note. On m Merc front fogs on, with first switch pull and rear on, with second pull.
 
SimoP, yeah funny that they started to use that feature here. My car doesn't have this auto-locking, but the demo-Sportback I drove did. It's either Sportback feature, or with 2005-models..

- Yak
 
The auto-locking is a programable feature of the central locking. You either have it set to auto-lock or not. My A3 is a 2005 model year car and the dealer asked me how I wanted it set. As delivered it came with the auto-locking switched off, but I asked them to switch it on.

Perhaps the Sportback with it's four doors comes with it switched on by default.
 
Mercedes' fogs have always been switched that way as well.

When it's rainy, rear fogs should be turned off because they are too blinding. Fronts can be turned on for visibility.

Both France and Germany "work" that way... Talk about "old europe" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif