urgent fog light question

[matttrs]

the avant failed the mot on no rear fog light, changing the bulb and fuse is not making it work.
cant think of any other reason to fail, the switch lights up when its on, the fronts work on the first position
any ideas as I cant get mot at the moment!

 

[1210tech]

for some reason there is only one rear fog lamp that works on the a4's, the one on the drivers side, is this the one thats not working?

 

[matttrs]

no neither work, I thought it may only be one sided.

 

[1210tech]

have you checked you have the correct bulb type, i can't remember whether its a one or two contact design but thats caught me out before

 

[matttrs]

yeah, the bottom bulb is the rear light and brake light and has two contacts, the rest are the same, its one of those.

 

[1210tech]

hmmm, not sure then, maybe a break in the circuit on the bulb housing assembly, nothing a dab of solder won't fix

 

[scott b]

vagcom?

have you checked for a feed at the back of the lamp unit?

 

[quattrojames]

Agreed - check for power is the first step.

 

[matttrs]

I think you're right, iI dont have vagcom, but will try and check this.

 

[quattrojames]

Fogs the top cluster isnt it?

 

[mikeh126]

Yes, James, the fog light is the top cluster on the offside ONLY. The bottom cluster is the side / brake lights.

 

[murran]

broken wire in the loom as it goes from the car to the boot lid?

 

[simon.m]

cant see how it would get brok to be fair as above test for power id look at the light switch to maybe just dry on that setting as its not used alot so you can get a spray cleaner for it from maplin for 3 pound ish

 

[murran]

well the loom has to flex everytime you open the boot, just like the door looms thay can break wires, ive seen it on numerous car.
had an 06 plate bmw 5 series touring. n/s number plate was out, had the warning light on the dash and it would annoyingly beep everytime you started the car. a wire had broken in the loom inbetween the roof and the tailgate.
spent about 3 hours on that bm stripping it down and letting a new length of wire in the loom where it bends, shrinkwrapping my soldering etc. had to repair three other wires too that were on their way to breaking.

 

[quattrojames]

The fog light is mounted in the light cluster in the car body though?

 

[simon.m]

had me thinking then the avant was not the same as a salon ;-) so a very slim chance to no chance it can get broke really id go with dry conecters my self

 

[Turkster]

wont the bulb in the dummy side short out the other side if the bulb is in there?

 

[simon.m]

dont think so mate i have one in mine as i thought it would have 2 fogs and never bothered to take it out again ;-)

 

[murran]

for some reason i was thinking this was an avant? never mind then.

its not something silly like a fault being registered in the central electronics ecu for the bulb being out, cus if it sees it being open circ it'll cut the power to aviod shorts etc.... that fault needs clearing before the new bulb will work? seen this before now.

 

[simon.m]

it is an avant mate but no fogs in the rear boot/hatch that i no of any way but as i dont own one i maube wrong lol

 

[quattrojames]

for some reason i was thinking this was an avant? never mind then.

It is an Avant, the fogs are still in the rear light cluster though. Are you thinking of an A6?

wont the bulb in the dummy side short out the other side if the bulb is in there?

No it won't, there's a mod on one of the other forums to wire up the nearside foglight if so desired.

 

[murran]

ah ****, yeah.

 

[paul20v]

No it won't, there's a mod on one of the other forums to wire up the nearside foglight if so desired.

Its already wired you just take the cap in the lamp unit out and put a bulb in

 

[quattrojames]

Wired..... connected ..... you know what I mean!!

 

[matttrs]

well i've still not figured it out so got an auto electrician coming out, cant see how the cable would break as its tucked away in the rear quarters. It is an avant but like the saloon the lights attached to the main body. maybe i've done something, just realised the boot release has stopped working too from the boot itself, or perhaps sopmething to do with the weather.

 

[simon.m]

keep us all posted mate ;-) and im sure its some thing really stupid lol

 

[scott b]

Wired..... connected ..... you know what I mean!!

not on mine, the wire is in the plug, but the live bit for the bulb isnt isnt there, so to get it to work i think i would need a LHD rear bulb holder unit

 

[paul20v]

not on mine, the wire is in the plug, but the live bit for the bulb isnt isnt there, so to get it to work i think i would need a LHD rear bulb holder unit

Its in mine late 2001
this is a little like mine had the lhd to rhd flippers in the headlights newer ones didnt also something simple like the ciggy lighter folds away on mine the later ones its fixed
this is all just little things all manufacturers are cutting back on as the years go on
its a bit **** really .

 

[simon.m]

my ciggy lighter folds away to in and i have a 52 plate but when i looked at my rear fog light i can just put a bulb in it but dont work

 

[paul20v]

my ciggy lighter folds away to in and i have a 52 plate

Later ones dont .

 

[simon.m]

oh like 2004 ones or some thing ;-)

 

[scott b]

what a bunch of tight ****'s, time to go scrap yard hunting me thinks or of to audi

 

[matttrs]

Well it was a broken wire along the sill somewhere, the electrican ran a new one through, leaving the old one in situ. got the car back finally!