[cabit]

Hi Guy's
Some advice please
i have a 2013 Q3 SE with the LED light pack ,at the rear all five brake lights come on when i apply the brakes this with the Tail gate down,
The Q3 had to go in for a respray(VW/Audi approved) on the rear bumper due to a minor knock i checked if the lights were working and they was before the respray, now since it's visit to the body shop the rear bumper brake lights don't work, they don't believe they ever worked but they did, any ideas what they could have done??

 

[DavidS]

Have they disturbed the switch that activates when the tailgate is open?
Don’t ask me where it is though.

 

[manfrotto]

Assuming you don't have any "bulb out" indicator on the dash (which would indicated that they haven't reconnnected the bumper lights), it is likely to be one of the two sensors that detect the tailgate being open - one in the tailgate by the latch, and one in the boot by the latch (this is probably the one that has been disturbed with the work you have had done)

 

[spike]

Need to double check but fairly sure the bumper stop (and tail) lights only work when the tailgate is open


Cheers Spike


Update.
Have checked my car and the bumper lights do only work with the tailgate open

 

[manfrotto]

Need to double check but fairly sure the bumper stop (and tail) lights only work when the tailgate is open


Cheers Spike

Yep, The bumper lights should only operate when the tailgate is open. It is a requirement for MOT that cars have rear facing lights, and if the tailgate is open on the Q3/Q5 it would not have "rear facing" lights without the bumper lights coming on. Most cars have their rear lights on either side of the tailgate so it is not an issue.

 

[m80]

They might just have forgotten to reconnect the rear bumper lights. Pry them out and check the connectors.

 

[spike]

They might just have forgotten to reconnect the rear bumper lights. Pry them out and check the connectors.

So your bumper lights come on with the tailgate ones ?


Just double checked mine and the bumper lights (stop, tail and indicator) only work when the tailgate is open


Cheers Spike

 

[m80]

No @spike it was my tip for him.

Because it's unclear to me the current state of the car, first he says

at the rear all five brake lights come on when i apply the brakes this with the Tail gate down

which is a fault state for either of boot/bumper sensors, but at last he ends up with

the lights were working and they was before the respray, now since it's visit to the body shop the rear bumper brake lights don't work, they don't believe they ever worked

which to me is an indication the current state is the bumper lights NEVER work under ANY circumstance at the moment, hence wondering if they're disconnected.

 

[cabit]

without doubt the lights worked, i have followed the Q3 in another car and seen the brake lights and indicators work, what could they have done?

 

[cabit]

I should have said the previous owner spent £11,000 on extra spec with Led pack inside and out etc

 

[manfrotto]

As others have said - The bumper lights should ONLY work when the tailgate is open.

If I recall correctly when the sensor on the bumper is dislodged all lights work all the time, which is actually a fault.

 

[m80]

As much as I'd like to help find the fault I can't help but guess with no clear indications of the current state.

Your best bet is to get back to them and ask politely again trying to explain the different behaviour you were experiencing before they worked on the bumper.

The bumper STOP tail lights do not work unless A) the boot is open and B) the brake pedal is depressed. It's unlikely one could check them oneself.
You can find a mirroring surface in the back, get help from a friend or even reasonably assume since the bumper STOP lights are the very same bumper tail lights commanded at 100% nominal voltage they're indeed working if you see them lit (when the boot is open and the lights are on).

As others have said - The bumper lights should ONLY work when the tailgate is open.

Just saying... I recall having read about a mod that makes them work along the normal lights... probably just as brake lights ?

 

[spike]

without doubt the lights worked, i have followed the Q3 in another car and seen the brake lights and indicators work, what could they have done?

Ref this old thread, the bumper lights working with the tailgate lights is a fairly common fault caused by a displaced bracket / switch under the bumper cover ( see post 10 of the thread)


https://www.q3ownersclub.co.uk/forum/12-main-message-centre/666-rear-bumper-lights.html#post5513


No doubt, they re assembled it in it's correct position while doing the repair


Cheers Spike

 

[cabit]

Thanks Spike,
i think it's a code, having spoken to a Audi specialist today they said they will be able to recode it, i don't think there is a problem with the switch because when the tailgate is open those lights turn off

 

[spike]

Thanks Spike,
i think it's a code, having spoken to a Audi specialist today they said they will be able to recode it, i don't think there is a problem with the switch because when the tailgate is open those lights turn off

Hi cabit
The way I read it, your tail lights are now working as Audi designed them to.
The original switch fault which allowed all 5 lights to come on together must have been fixed when the bumper was repaired. That switch turns off the tailgate lights and turns on the bumper ones when the tailgate is opened
I'd be very surprised if recoding will change this.


Cheers Spike

 

[cabit]

Unless a link wire was used to provide a feed to the bumper lights and they removed it when the bumper was resprayed

 

[manfrotto]

You can test if the sensor in the boot is working by disabling it, whereby all the back lights will work by doing the following:

1 Ignition on to position one and turn lights on.
2 Open tailgate (bumper lights and number plate lights should now be the only lights on)
3 Push flap on the boot side of the latch down and jam in place - see first photo (this disables the boot sensor)
4 simulate closing the tailgate by pushing a screwdriver shaft through the tailgate latch - see photos 2 and 3.
5 Now both bumper and tailgate lights should be on !
6 "Open" the tailgate by pushing the opening pad (and the lights on the tailgate will go off again)

Note: If the boot sensor is permanently disabled by dislodging or disconnecting it, you MAY get a fault code suggesting a latch failure when doing a VCDS scan.

 

[Jonah62]

You can test if the sensor in the boot is working by disabling it, whereby all the back lights will work by doing the following:

1 Ignition on to position one and turn lights on.
2 Open tailgate (bumper lights and number plate lights should now be the only lights on)
3 Push flap on the boot side of the latch down and jam in place - see first photo (this disables the boot sensor)
4 simulate closing the tailgate by pushing a screwdriver shaft through the tailgate latch - see photos 2 and 3.
5 Now both bumper and tailgate lights should be on !
6 "Open" the tailgate by pushing the opening pad (and the lights on the tailgate will go off again)

Note: If the boot sensor is permanently disabled by dislodging or disconnecting it, you MAY get a fault code suggesting a latch failure when doing a VCDS scan.

Hi, I’ve carried out the test as discovered the sensor is not working.
Im looking to replace it, has Anyone replaced one? How easy is it to do? Any help would be appreciate. Thanks

 

[manfrotto]

It could be that the sensor is just dislodged from its bracket. To access the sensor in the bottom of the boot, you need to remove the plastic trim panel that runs across the boot (between the boot and bumper) It is held in by about 4 or 5 clips, and needs to be gently pried off. Once off you will see the sensor and wiring etc.

 

[Jonah62]

It could be that the sensor is just dislodged from its bracket. To access the sensor in the bottom of the boot, you need to remove the plastic trim panel that runs across the boot (between the boot and bumper) It is held in by about 4 or 5 clips, and needs to be gently pried off. Once off you will see the sensor and wiring etc.

Thanks for the info, I found the sensor by moving the trim which came away quite easy after a gentle pye, disconnected the wiring from the sensor, plugged back together refitted the trim and haypesto lights back to normal. Assumption is that the sensor had become dislodged. Happy days. Thanks for your help 😀