Audi Audio / Video / Electronics / Security




Audi Owners Club (UK)








Fitting universal headlight buzzer
By leenowelll, 22 hours ago in Audi Audio / Video / Electronics / Security
a4
leenowelll 0 leenowelll

Posted 22 hours ago
Hi

I have tried an Audi forum for this but no joy as yet. Thought one of you might know

I have a 2004 A4 Avante and the headlight buzzer has stopped working. My wife has now left the lights on 3 times and flattened the battery. After a lot of searching, it seems the buzzer is in the instrument cluster and fixing it seems a bit risky. I have come across a universal kit

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Headl...-/281041160984

which looks like it will do the trick. I have no real car electrics experience but as far as I can make out, I need to connect the red wire to the live of the headlights (i.e. it is live when the lights are on) and the black one connected to either the door switch (such that it goes to earth when door is opened) or ideally to something that goes to earth when the ignition is turned off.

I have found a few YouTube videos which seem to imply that this can be connected into the fuse board somehow but on the A4 I can't fix out where I would connect it to?


Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks


Lee.

Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

And, of course, many newer cars don't have simple 'analogue' wiring and
switching.

I would make it only work when a door is opened. As you may wish on
occasions to have the lights on while in the car, but engine stopped. But
it may then work if you switch on the interior lights from the dash too.

The Ebay advert appears to give wiring instructions. Should be able to
pick up the sidelights feed from beside the switch and also the ground
switched from the interior lights circuit.

Best to Google for a wiring diagram for your car which should give the
appropriate wire colours.

--
*Money isn't everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Sorry should have said. It does have a buzzer but it is broken. Requires the whole instrument cluster to be removed and a new one soldered in which my kill the whole thing. Was thinking this might be simpler.

Wrote in message:
Sorry should have said. It does have a buzzer but it is broken. Requires the whole instrument cluster to be removed and a new one soldered in which my kill the whole thing. Was thinking this might be simpler.


You did say. He doesn't read (or possibly remember or other...)
the whole post.
--
Jim K


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

In article ,
jim k wrote:
Wrote in message:
Sorry should have said. It does have a buzzer but it is broken.
Requires the whole instrument cluster to be removed and a new one
soldered in which my kill the whole thing. Was thinking this might be
simpler.


You did say. He doesn't read (or possibly remember or other...)
the whole post.

If you are referring to me, I'd suggest you read the post again, and
carefully. Instead of making a fool of yourself.

--
*Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 03/03/18 00:13, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
jim k wrote:
Wrote in message:
Sorry should have said. It does have a buzzer but it is broken.
Requires the whole instrument cluster to be removed and a new one
soldered in which my kill the whole thing. Was thinking this might be
simpler.


You did say. He doesn't read (or possibly remember or other...)
the whole post.

If you are referring to me, I'd suggest you read the post again, and
carefully. Instead of making a fool of yourself.


Well, if you didn't snip the content of the original post, which I have
inserted below...


On 02/03/18 14:57, wrote:
udi Audio / Video / Electronics / Security




Audi Owners Club (UK)








Fitting universal headlight buzzer
By leenowelll, 22 hours ago in Audi Audio / Video / Electronics /
Security
a4
leenowelll 0 leenowelll

Posted 22 hours ago
Hi

I have tried an Audi forum for this but no joy as yet. Thought one
of you might know

I have a 2004 A4 Avante and the headlight buzzer has stopped working.
My wife has now left the lights on 3 times and flattened the battery.
After a lot of searching, it seems the buzzer is in the instrument
cluster and fixing it seems a bit risky. I have come across a universal kit


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Headl...-/281041160984

which looks like it will do the trick. I have no real car electrics
experience but as far as I can make out, I need to connect the red wire
to the live of the headlights (i.e. it is live when the lights are on)
and the black one connected to either the door switch (such that it goes
to earth when door is opened) or ideally to something that goes to earth
when the ignition is turned off.

I have found a few YouTube videos which seem to imply that this can
be connected into the fuse board somehow but on the A4 I can't fix out
where I would connect it to?


Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks


Lee.

YVW

On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

Yeah after flattening the battery of my Mk1 Escort I wired the lamps
through a relay so they turned off when the ignition was off. And a
switch to turn on the offside side and rear lamps for parking. There was
a warning light too, but I forget when it came on. I guess modern cars
are more complicated to fiddle with the electrics.

--
Max Demian

In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

Yeah after flattening the battery of my Mk1 Escort I wired the lamps
through a relay so they turned off when the ignition was off. And a
switch to turn on the offside side and rear lamps for parking. There was
a warning light too, but I forget when it came on. I guess modern cars
are more complicated to fiddle with the electrics.

My oldest car - some 30 years old - switches off the headlights with the
ignition. Obviously, the sidelights remain on. And every car I've bought
since does the same. My newest one has a timer function which allows you
to leave the headlights on for a fixed period after you stop the engine to
light your way to the house, etc. But you have to select that.

Might be different with HID headlights which may not like being switched
on and off quickly.

--
*WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 03/03/2018 11:07, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

Yeah after flattening the battery of my Mk1 Escort I wired the lamps
through a relay so they turned off when the ignition was off. And a
switch to turn on the offside side and rear lamps for parking. There was
a warning light too, but I forget when it came on. I guess modern cars
are more complicated to fiddle with the electrics.

My oldest car - some 30 years old - switches off the headlights with the
ignition. Obviously, the sidelights remain on. And every car I've bought
since does the same. My newest one has a timer function which allows you
to leave the headlights on for a fixed period after you stop the engine to
light your way to the house, etc. But you have to select that.

Might be different with HID headlights which may not like being switched
on and off quickly.

The Escort would have been made 46 years ago. More recent cars - like 35
years - have just left the side lights on as you describe. Or had an
audible warning.

--
Max Demian

In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
On 03/03/2018 11:07, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

Yeah after flattening the battery of my Mk1 Escort I wired the lamps
through a relay so they turned off when the ignition was off. And a
switch to turn on the offside side and rear lamps for parking. There was
a warning light too, but I forget when it came on. I guess modern cars
are more complicated to fiddle with the electrics.

My oldest car - some 30 years old - switches off the headlights with the
ignition. Obviously, the sidelights remain on. And every car I've bought
since does the same. My newest one has a timer function which allows you
to leave the headlights on for a fixed period after you stop the engine to
light your way to the house, etc. But you have to select that.

Might be different with HID headlights which may not like being switched
on and off quickly.

The Escort would have been made 46 years ago. More recent cars - like 35
years - have just left the side lights on as you describe. Or had an
audible warning.

Most do have an audible warning, as few would start the next morning if
the sidelights were left on overnight. Although you're far more likely to
leave them on in daylight. Seems to be the fashion to use lights in
anything other than bright sunshine.

--
*I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

Yeah after flattening the battery of my Mk1 Escort I wired the lamps
through a relay so they turned off when the ignition was off. And a
switch to turn on the offside side and rear lamps for parking. There was
a warning light too, but I forget when it came on. I guess modern cars
are more complicated to fiddle with the electrics.

My oldest car - some 30 years old - switches off the headlights with the
ignition. Obviously, the sidelights remain on. And every car I've bought
since does the same. My newest one has a timer function which allows you
to leave the headlights on for a fixed period after you stop the engine to
light your way to the house, etc. But you have to select that.

Interesting you say that every car you've bought in the last 30 years had
headlights that only work when the ignition is on. You evidently buy a
different (more up-market?) type of car to me. With one exception (I *think*
it was my father's Ford Sierra) all the cars I've owned/driven have had
headlights that work all the time - either with or without a warning buzzer.
Those include a couple of Renault 5s, a couple of VW Golfs, three Peugeot
306s or 308s and a Honda Civic. I'm not sure about our new Honda CRV with
HID lights. I'll have to try sometime - it's odd that I've never noticed one
way or the other; it gives a light-on buzzer, but that's for sidelights as
well, as I think is the case for my Peugeot.

Are regards the cars which have a delay timer that leaves the headlights on
for a short time after you stop, the configurable options I've seen have
been on without ignition versus on for a delayed time, as opposed to on only
with ignition versus on for a delayed time.

The delayed headlights feature makes a very big assumption: that you drive
*forwards* into your drive and therefore the headlights will shine towards
your front door. At my last house, we always reversed our cars onto the
drive, partly to be able to manoeuvre one car around and alongside the other
and partly so we're not reversing out onto a busy road, when driving out
forwards gives extra visibility of passing cars and pedestrians. Shame cars
don't have the option of turning the reversing lights on instead of the
headlights for this situation :-)

A headlight reminder buzzer is very useful, especially during daylight when
the backlight from the headlights on the car, fence, hedge etc in front is
not so obvious. I once did this on a snowy day when I went to the dentists.
I remember it was snowy because of the extra difficulty it caused in
bump-starting the car when another motorist in the car park gave me a push.

Now it's part of my sub-conscious "cockpit drill" when I park: check that
lights are off (look at warning light on dashboard), waggle gear lever from
side to side to prove that it's in neutral before letting clutch up, check
that handbrake is fully on, etc.

In article ,
NY wrote:
A headlight reminder buzzer is very useful, especially during daylight
when the backlight from the headlights on the car, fence, hedge etc in
front is not so obvious. I once did this on a snowy day when I went to
the dentists. I remember it was snowy because of the extra difficulty
it caused in bump-starting the car when another motorist in the car
park gave me a push.

Surely a lights on reminder is better? That's what is common. The
headlight bit being irrelevant? As most cars can't run the normal
(tungsten) sidelights etc for that long. Parking lights are different, as
they switch off one side and all the instrument lighting. Although now
LEDs are becoming the norm it could be the battery will last rather longer.

--
*Generally speaking, you aren't learning much if your lips are moving.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

My van sometimes switches off the headlights when you turn the engine
off, sometimes it does not.

Mind you one of the other vans I use when mine is in for repair
sometimes leaves the wipers and radio running when you turn the engine
off until you put your foot on the brake.

FIATs are so good.



--
Adam

On 04/03/18 09:36, ARW wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

My van sometimes switches off the headlights when you turn the engine
off, sometimes it does not.

Mind you one of the other vans I use when mine is in for repair
sometimes leaves the wipers and radio running when you turn the engine
off until you put your foot on the brake.

FIATs are so good.


Damn. My current car is so boring, it doesn't do random stuff.
Should I take the plunge and try a Fiat?

On 04/03/2018 09:50, Richard wrote:
On 04/03/18 09:36, ARW wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

My van sometimes switches off the headlights when you turn the engine
off, sometimes it does not.

Mind you one of the other vans I use when mine is in for repair
sometimes leaves the wipers and radio running when you turn the engine
off until you put your foot on the brake.

FIATs are so good.


Damn. My current car is so boring, it doesn't do random stuff.
Should I take the plunge and try a Fiat?

When I was getting home from work on Tuesday in the snow and ice (90
minutes to do 3 miles) I managed to get 4 different engine management
warning lights on!

--
Adam

On 04/03/18 10:18, ARW wrote:
On 04/03/2018 09:50, Richard wrote:
On 04/03/18 09:36, ARW wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

My van sometimes switches off the headlights when you turn the engine
off, sometimes it does not.

Mind you one of the other vans I use when mine is in for repair
sometimes leaves the wipers and radio running when you turn the
engine off until you put your foot on the brake.

FIATs are so good.


Damn. My current car is so boring, it doesn't do random stuff.
Should I take the plunge and try a Fiat?

When I was getting home from work on Tuesday in the snow and ice (90
minutes to do 3 miles) I managed to get 4 different engine management
warning lights on!

I did cheat when the forecast was bad for here on Thursday, New Forest,
and took the wife's golf to work. Right decision. Was satisfying to see
the rear wheel drive cars struggling on inclines. Normal 35-40 minute
journey took almost 2 hours. Didn't get a free light show like yours though.

In message , Richard
writes
On 04/03/18 09:36, ARW wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.
My van sometimes switches off the headlights when you turn the
engine off, sometimes it does not.
Mind you one of the other vans I use when mine is in for repair
sometimes leaves the wipers and radio running when you turn the engine
off until you put your foot on the brake.
FIATs are so good.


Damn. My current car is so boring, it doesn't do random stuff.
Should I take the plunge and try a Fiat?

Both mine beep annoyingly if you open the drivers door with the lights
left on or the keys in the ignition.

--
Tim Lamb

Tim Lamb wrote:

Both mine beep annoyingly if you open the drivers door with the lights
left on or the keys in the ignition.

Mine used to do that, and when you took your seatbelt off (e.g. for
reversing) an OBDII cable took care of both.

On 04/03/2018 09:36, ARW wrote:
On 02/03/2018 15:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Must admit to being surprised a car that new allows you to leave the
headlights on when you switch the engine off.

My van sometimes switches off the headlights when you turn the engine
off, sometimes it does not.

Mind you one of the other vans I use when mine is in for repair
sometimes leaves the wipers and radio running when you turn the engine
off until you put your foot on the brake.

FIATs are so good.

A Fiat Punto I had left the radio on when the ignition was off, which
was mildly annoying; to avoid leaving it on I left it off so I didn't
have the benefit on a short journey.

--
Max Demian

On Friday, 2 March 2018 14:57:21 UTC, wrote:
Audi Audio / Video / Electronics / Security




Audi Owners Club (UK)








Fitting universal headlight buzzer
By leenowelll, 22 hours ago in Audi Audio / Video / Electronics / Security
a4
leenowelll 0 leenowelll

Posted 22 hours ago
Hi

I have tried an Audi forum for this but no joy as yet. Thought one of you might know

I have a 2004 A4 Avante and the headlight buzzer has stopped working. My wife has now left the lights on 3 times and flattened the battery. After a lot of searching, it seems the buzzer is in the instrument cluster and fixing it seems a bit risky. I have come across a universal kit

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Headl...-/281041160984

which looks like it will do the trick. I have no real car electrics experience but as far as I can make out, I need to connect the red wire to the live of the headlights (i.e. it is live when the lights are on) and the black one connected to either the door switch (such that it goes to earth when door is opened) or ideally to something that goes to earth when the ignition is turned off.

I have found a few YouTube videos which seem to imply that this can be connected into the fuse board somehow but on the A4 I can't fix out where I would connect it to?


Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks


Lee.

An LED & resistor would be a lot less annoying


NT

On 02/03/18 14:57, wrote:

I have a 2004 A4 Avante and the headlight buzzer has stopped working. My wife has now left the lights on 3 times and flattened the battery. After a lot of searching, it seems the buzzer is in the instrument cluster and fixing it seems a bit risky. I have come across a universal kit

Anyone have any ideas?

Do the interior lights come on when the drivers door is open? The
'lights on' buzzer is logically wired to that, as well as the lighting
switch, all courtesy of the CCM.

Central Electronic Comfort Module
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VXj2DOHV5c

Might benefit putting an OBD scanner on the car.

2004 is the optimal year it seems for VW group vehicles to start having
electrical problems. My Skoda Octy is starting the journey, the PVC
sheathing of some lighting cables in the boot are cracking :-(

--
Adrian C

Thanks Adrian. Unfortunately the interior lights seem to work fine. Thanks for the youtube link but unfortunately I can't hear any voice over (is it just me) so not sure what he is saying. Based on your comment, do I wire the buzzer to the CECM somehow?

Thanks

Lee

On 03/03/18 13:52, wrote:
Thanks Adrian. Unfortunately the interior lights seem to work fine. Thanks for the youtube link but unfortunately I can't hear any voice over (is it just me) so not sure what he is saying. Based on your comment, do I wire the buzzer to the CECM somehow?

Nope, that's what probably is already wired in. Leave alone ;-)

I was interested in whether your interior lights switch on when you open
the drivers door, as that is part of the CECM controlled reminder system
- and it's possible you could just have a faulty driver door switch.

Weird stuff happens to CECM controlled things as it seems to suffer from
getting wet - one of many problems you'll unearth through googling.

However, it's possible that your car might not have it - what do I know,
I only google things. Armchair Mechanic ;-)

--
Adrian C

When I bought such a kit (from CPC if I recall correctly), all it consisted of was a small 12V buzzer and instructions to wire it up in the manner you suggest.