Aftermarket headlamps, right parking light, and left parking light dashboard messages are on.
I recently purchased a 2008 Audi A4 with aftermarket headlamps (replaced the parking lights with LED rather than regular bulbs). and am getting the right parking light and left parking light messages on the dash with the annoying beeping. All of the lights are operating properly so I believe it may be a lower draw on the LEDs leading to the malfunction message. There is however a small red wire and small white wire leading to a small three prong female connector that is not attached to anything (On the headlamp harness, not the one coming from the fuse block). Any ideas on how I can correc
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The message is on for the lights are not completing a circuit from the switch to the lights. Check all of the wiring on the lights and see if all of them are plugged in properly. Then look for any wiring that is disconnected that is in the streams of the light circuits. For the harness that you found, turn on the lights and use a test light and see if there is power on the harness. Then turn off the lights and see if the power goes away. If the power is operated by the light switch, then the harness is unplugged and that would be the reason the message is on. Otherwise, a loose connection or damaged wire will also cause the message to come on. If you need further assistance with the message on for the lights, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
Parking lights vs headlights
While parking lights are designed to make your car visible when parked, they won`t provide sufficient light when driving in the dark. You`ll need to use your dipped beam headlights when driving. These are designed to light the road ahead when you`re on the move.
Parking lights are sometimes referred to as sidelights. They are not headlights but do appear outside of them and are located at the front of the vehicle. Some cars have a similar pair of lights located at the rear of their vehicle, though those should not be confused with brake lights.
Parking lights are designed to make your car visible to other drivers when you are parked; they aren`t intended to provide light for driving in the dark (and are not bright enough to do so). When driving, you should use dipped beam headlights, as these are designed to light the road ahead for you.
A parking light is defined as a lighting apparatus that indicates the presence of a vehicle parked on the road. As per the guidelines, when installed at the rear, the colour of the parking light shall be red. When installed at the front, the colour shall be yellow, amber, or white.
These are sometimes called `position lights`. You use them when you`re parking your car on a dark street with no street lights. On your dashboard, the symbol for parking lights looks like this.
The difference
Conclusion: Parking lights should only be used when your car is parked in a dark street. Dipped beams must be used when visibility is poor, both in the dark and during the day, for example, when it is raining. Daytime running lights serve to make your vehicle more visible during the day.
LED Parking lot lights typically utilize wattages between 100 W and 450 W. 150 watt parking lot light LED generates about 20 000 lumens. 60 ft. spacing is a common choice that generates average brightness commonly used in areas without the need for optimal visibility.
Fog lamps are not your parking lights or daytime running lamps, they are individual lights usually located low on the bumper of your car – most cars have at least two fog lights at the front with one or two rear foglights as standard – and provide a vertical beam to help improve visibility.
They`re designed to add to the reach of the high beam headlights. Unlike low beams, their beams are not designed to control glare at all, and so driving lamps are effective, safe, and legal only for use together with the vehicle`s main high beam headlamps on dark, empty roads (or off road).
How do I use my parking lights? Almost all light switches in modern cars are either mounted on the dashboard, to the right-hand side of the steering wheel, or on the end of the indicator stalk. Your parking lights can be switched on and off by rotating the dial into the correct position.
The sensors emit radar waves that bounce of objects, and the sensors pick up the rebounded waves. The electronic brainbox then computes the distance of the detected obstacle and sends the appropriate warning signal to you.
Designed and engineered to suit all makes and models, Audi parking sensors are the most intelligent solution on the market. Without needing to be activated, the sensors activate automatically whenever you park.
Fog lamps are not your parking lights or daytime running lamps, they are individual lights usually located low on the bumper of your car – most cars have at least two fog lights at the front with one or two rear foglights as standard – and provide a vertical beam to help improve visibility.
Car sidelights, or parking lights as they are sometimes known, are usually found in the headlamp unit in the front corners of your car. Sidelights aren`t as bright as headlights, so are used by drivers to make themselves visible to traffic during times when it`s not dark enough for main lights.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Aftermarket headlamps, right parking light, and left parking light dashboard messages are on.
ANSWER : The message is on for the lights are not completing a circuit from the switch to the lights. Check all of the wiring on the lights and see if all of them are plugged in properly. Then look for any wiring that is disconnected that is in the streams of the light circuits. For the harness that you found, turn on the lights and use a test light and see if there is power on the harness. Then turn off the lights and see if the power goes away. If the power is operated by the light switch, then the harness is unplugged and that would be the reason the message is on. Otherwise, a loose connection or damaged wire will also cause the message to come on. If you need further assistance with the message on for the lights, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
No dash lights, back right tail light is out, no parking lights. Brake lights work though as does head lights.
ANSWER : Hi there. In many cases, when you have electrical problems like you’re describing, it’s caused by multiple electrical component failure. It’s likely that a few electrical relays are not working; especially if you have systems that utilize the same components (such as your brake light and tail lights). I would recommend having a professional mobile mechanic come to your location to complete an electrical problems inspection first, so they can pinpoint what is damaged and recommend the right repairs.
signals, daytime running lights are not working, park brake light on dash is on steady and chime is dinging steady 4×4 wont engage
ANSWER : This is likely a brake light switch problem. I would suggest testing the brake light switch which should be located down by the brake pedal. This may also be a computer problem as well as indicated by the other lights on in the dash. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home to possibly replace the brake light switch and diagnose with a scanning tool which will download useful data from the truck’s computer indicating what specifically the problem may be.
Electrical problems after upgrades
ANSWER : Hi there. From the description you have provided, all of your vehicle’s electrical problems began with the "upgrades". Unfortunately this could be a can of worms to repair. Assuming, you had a qualified technician install the vehicle’s radio and lighting upgrades and all was fine after the installations. This would lead me to believe your vehicle has several problems. The first place to look would be fuse(s) for the inoperative components. Next, to look for shorts to power the components staying on. If you can find the problem yourself, I recommend having your vehicle’s electrical problems diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic.
ABS light on, ESP light on,Traction OFF light on, engine light on, rides perfectly OBDI reads only Front Right Wheel Speed Sensor
ANSWER : If a faulty component is still in place, the fault codes will return almost immediately after clearing them. ABS, ESP, and traction control systems all rely on input from wheel speed sensors to determine as the name implies, the speed of each wheel. When a wheel, or wheels are spinning faster than others due to wheel slip or the vehicle is sliding, the ABS and ESP systems can reduce throttle input as well as apply braking to an individual wheel or all of them if needed. With a wheel speed sensor fault code stored, these systems cannot determine the rate that all 4 wheels are spinning and sets a fault. That is why the abs/esp light is on. The system should be scanned by a certified technician and the wheel speed sensor replaced if found to be the cause. The warning lights will stay on and these systems will not function as designed until the fault is corrected. These lights do not come on to indicate a need for routine service. Rather they only come on when a component in the system is at fault.
While driving on freeway truck goes into a limp mode, and the check engine light, abs light, parking break light, service brake
ANSWER : It is possible that you could be having an issue with your powertrain control module. This is somewhat of a common problem on many GM vehicles. I would recommend having your vehicle inspected by the dealership to determine if the powertrain control module is functioning properly. If not, a reflash of the powertrain control module may resolve the issue but often times it must be replaced.
Abs light, emergency brake light, steering wheel assist light, engine light, EPC light, traction control light
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. The vehicle does utilize a lot of the same sensors for these systems. Are there any other codes that are coming up when this code appears? If so you will want to take these into consideration when processing the repair and making a diagnosis. The module may be bad, and replacing it should fix the problem. The lights should turn off once the main computer recognizes the new module and the sensors sync up. If you believe the sensors need to be cleaned you may do so. Do as minimal as possible to make sure you are not damaging the sensor or disrupting the wiring inside. A bad connection would make the lights stay on. With so many lights that are effected by the module being illuminated, the module is likely bad or does not have a connection. Check the connection first and then resort to replacing the unit. For more help with these electrical tests, contact our service department.
Intermittently, dashboard and interior lights do not work
ANSWER : Hello there, thank you for asking about your 1988 Oldsmobile Toronado. This is something that would require first hand inspection for complete diagnosis. However, there is a technical service bulletin (TSB) that may pertain to your issue. The TSB is number 89-T-129 and it deals with an "Electrical Problem" message on the message display and erratic air conditioning operation. The solution is to replace the HVAC control module with an upgraded one. There is also another TSB 89-T-140 which deals with intermittent climate control and instrument cluster operation due to a faulty solder joint in central power supply. The fix is to replace the unit with an upgraded model. I recommend having the pros at YourMechanic diagnose the electrical issues and repair this problem for you.
