Flashing glow plug light - new brake switch - NO cluster brake lights!

Hi,

Thanks for looking at my post folks - I've been reading through the threads and can't seem to find a solution. The brake light switch was changed this evening for the recommended 'green-one' but the problem remains:

- Glow Plug light flashes constantly from around 10 seconds after ignition.
- The central brake light is partially lit - the passenger side to be specific.
- The bulb elements are fine.
- The other cluster lights are fine.
- NO warning lights or messages apart from the Glow Plug light - which flashes rather than stays on constantly.

I have one of those eBay ODBII fault readers - worth trying??? - can't find the socket to plug into though and as much as I like hide 'n seek....

:confused:

Pete
 
The OBD socket is on the drivers side of the lower dash, has the switch popped all the way out ie does it hit the pedal ??

Phil

PS welcome to the forum and ownership
 
Thanks Phil,
Its too dark outside to check if the switch has popped all the way out to meet the pedal - I'm assuming it has because the central brake light is working. Maybe one of the contacts within the switch isn't touching hence only the central brake light is working??? I'll check in the morning before work as I still have the surrounding area dismantled.
Pete
 
Also may be worth pulling it out and re fitting as mine didn 't work first time, so what you are saying is that the rear light clusters are not lighting up? or is just that the high level brake light is only partially lit but all the others ar still working??????????

As this happened to me when i tried fitting LED stop/tail bulbs centre brake light just a couple of blokes lit (n/s) on all the time and then no rear lights when my coil light started flashing, swapped bulbs back all sorted

Phil
 
The clusters don't work at all, Phil.
When the ignition is on, the high-level is partially lit.
When you brake, the high-level illuminates correctly with no light at all from the clusters, despite the bulbs looking fine.
I'll retry the switch in the morning - thanks for your time on this!
Regards
Pete
 
If you have just bought a new brake light switch and its green in colour, I was caught out by not making it pop out entirely and I had the symptoms you described.

If the switch isnt completely engaged in its metal holding bracket it doesnt realease the plunger all the way. It has to be fully twisted in the bracket and you will know when it is in correctly

John
 
Thanks John - didn't get a chance to check today.
Really appreciate your comments - MOT coming up and they'll be all over this problem!!!
Regards,
Pete
 
I popped the brake light switch back out and carefully re-fitted it as before - the plunger extends and depresses as it should. When I remove the switch and activate it by hand, still only the high-level brake light works and still nothing from the clusters. As I drive around, the high-level is still partially (and dimly at that) lit. The light goes out when the ignition is turned off. Could something be shorting-out somewhere?
 
Yeah, I thought that but how likely is it to have the original and replacement switch both being faulty? If I had no brake lights at all then I guess so but both switches give the same symptoms. Why would the high-level remain partially illuminated while the car is running? A few weeks ago, I left the passenger window slightly open during a storm and the rear passenger footwell got really wet - do the electrics for the rear lights run through here (before I rip the carpets up!!!) and would that explain the high-level brake light weirdness?
Thanks again for any insight into this folks - its much appreciated!
Regards,
Pete
 
How would you even begin to work that out Mike? Back in the days of owning Fiat, Alfa and Lancia cars I was used to earthing problems - these cars seemed allergic to electricity but all 11 Audis I've owned have been fantastic in this respect.
 
Mainly see if you can find the earthing points, and make sure they are still secure.

If you are lucky enough to have a continuity tester, try testing between the earth on the bulb socket to the car's body.
 
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