Boot light

[SCFC_Messiah]

Hi guys, boot light hasn't worked since I bought the car. Always presumed it was a blown bulb. However, fitting LED lights today and still not working. Checked fuse box and it looks like all interior lights work off the same fuse, which is obviously ok

Rear window wiper hasnt worked since I bought the car either (blown motor I presume). Could the faults be related?

Cheers

 

[lau06275]

It might be connected to the window wiper issue. I had mine replaced as the pipe that runs through its centre had burst and was spilling water inside the boot. It may have affected some wittering in your case. Best bet would be to remove some panels and take a look.

 

[Bramley]

LED's dont work in a3's do they?? due to the Canbus.

I may be wrong

 

[NHN]

They do if resistance is equalled.

The boot light shouldn't be affected by the rear wiper as the water usually runs down the sides or into wheel well away from the light & the electrics in the bootlid are usually affected, not the side light, but nothings impossible.

Check the wires for voltage with a multimeter when boot is opened, so open boot, flick the lock latch over manually so its registers as closed, put the probes into the 2 wires & then press the boot lid lock & see if it then shows voltage.

 

[southylad]

Leds are fine in the a3

 

[SCFC_Messiah]

Ok, I'll check it with a multimeter tomorrow!

while you're here NHN, I've just noticed my car has stopped auto-locking (it used to be a case that if the car was left unlocked for an extended amount of time, the car would automatically lock).... Any idea why!? All I done today was replace the exterior and interior lights

thanks very much

 

[SCFC_Messiah]

Ok after further searching I think my problems can be traced back to the leaking rear wiper

- someone recently posted that their boot light stopped working due to the leaking wiper motor

- when my boot is open, it doesn't give me the warning on the DIS to notify me that my boot is open. What i think has happened is the leaking wiper motor has damaged the micro switch on the boot latch.... As a result the car thinks the boot is always closed, hence the boot light not lighting up and the DIS not notifying me that the boot is open

The question is, how do I go about fixing this? I plan on removing the rear wiper in the coming weeks anyway, but I presume I will also need a new boot micro switch? Is there anything else I may need to replace?

 

[NHN]

Strip down the boot lid & dry it out, clean corrosion of the microswitch connector & test, usually can be cleaned/fixed & replace motor, but you may have to use a repair kit on the wiper pipes if its split or the plastic push on head has become to wide & thus leaks when pushed home again, so my advice is test the spray system to 1st see what's leaking.

I take it back, yes, if we knew you had no dis warnings of rear boot lid & it was leaking, the reply may have been different & wiper would affect the light.

 

[SCFC_Messiah]

I didn't realise the DIS wasnt giving the boot open warning until literally 15 minutes ago. I plan on de-wipering the car altogether anyway, so no need for a new motor. But I will check the pipes for splits and fix them if there are any, then I'll blank the end of the pipe off with a screw and some silicone. Hopefully I'll get away with just cleaning the micro switch!

thanks again

 

[SCFC_Messiah]

Ok, well I've taken the boot lid trim off to have a look around


There was clear evidence of a wiper leak with rusty residue left by the water. The plug that goes into the locking mechanism had been unplugged and tucked away - the contacts of the plug are covered in green (copper?) corrosion and look generally manky. My guess is that as a result of the water leak, the microswitch was telling the car that the boot lid was constantly open and therefore setting the car alarm off. Presumably the previous owner unplugged it to stop it from happening.... Strangely though when I plugged it back in nothing happened. The boot is still not registering as open

Checked the water feed for splits - couldn't see any. So held a bucket underneath and pressed the stalk. Water is shooting from the wiper as you would expect, but no sign of any leaks internally. So that leaves me with the question...

1. Where was the internal water leak coming from if the pipe is seemingly intact?

2. Where do I go from here with regards to the microswitch? I've cleaned the contacts of the plug with no joy. Should I remove the locking mechanism itself and try and clean that up?

 

[SCFC_Messiah]

Removed the locking mechanism and the socket that the plug plugs into only has one prong! Look like the other has corroded away and snapped....

 

[NHN]

Any pics?

 

[SCFC_Messiah]

No need now buddy! I called a scrap dealer who wanted £50 + VAT for a second hand mechanism.... so with nothing to lose I tried my local Audi and all they wanted was £35 all in - and they had one in stock. Happy days! Just fitted the new mechanism and now my DIS recognises when the boot is open and... wait for it... I have a boot light!


Now all I need to do is whip off the dodgy wiper, block up the water pipe and that's another job off the to-do list!



Thanks for your help NHN