I have an absolutely bog standard diesel VRS estate, built mid-March 2010. From new, the '3 flashes' feature - when you just touch the indicator stalk - has been disabled (the dealer did it at my request, pre delivery). This usually works fine, and you get a single flash when you nudge the stalk, but occasionally (like today) the damn thing gives 5 flashes! When it gets it into its head to do this, it goes on for a couple of days and then reverts to single flash mode. Has anyone else seen this? Does anyone know how to fix it?

I'm sorry if this topic has been covered elsewhere, but I've spent quite some time searching the various forums and can't find any reference to this specific problem.

Unfortunately I can not help you with your query but I find the 3 flashes a very useful feature and use it all the time. I can not see why you would want it disabled or find it a problem.

Unfortunately I can not help you with your query but I find the 3 flashes a very useful feature and use it all the time. I can not see why you would want it disabled or find it a problem.

+1

+1

+2

+3

Well I suppose it's a bit like the petrol vs diesel debate - it's about personal preference.

I like the car to do what I tell it, not what it thinks I want it to do. (Yes, I turn off the ESP sometimes too.)

If I want 3 flashes, I'll hold the stalk for longer. But you are supposed to be able to disable the feature - it's accessible via the setup menu, so there must have been 'customer feedback' that some drivers would prefer not to have it.

Well I suppose it's a bit like the petrol vs diesel debate - it's about personal preference.

Not really... Personally I'd regard a single flash as next to useless, the chances are it will be missed and thus actually be dangerous if you are relying on other drivers seeing it... Personally I think the three flashes is a good feature, so its +4!

Edited 31 August, 201114 yr by The PM

Anyway.... to get back to your sole question "Has anyone else seen this? Does anyone know how to fix it?"

Sorry i dont maybe take it back to the dealer and mention it to them about it.

Not really... Personally I'd regard a single flash as next to useless, the chances are it will be missed and thus actually be dangerous if you are relying on other drivers seeing it... Personally I think the three flashes is a good feature, so its +4!

My personal preference is for 3 flashes but the alternative is not a "single flash" per se - the alternative is that it flashes for as long as you maintain pressure on the stalk. The 3 flash setting just means you don't have to keep pressing the stalk.

I did turn mine off for a while via maxidot - it worked perfectly but soon switched it back on again.

OP's problem could be a faulty stalk?

How can you possibly cope with only 3 flashes ? I have decided by empirical experimentation that 4 flashes is the optimum for comfort and safety !

I'd prefer mine to flash 5 times (3 is too few) but apparently on an '07 there is no way it can be done!..

if i could, i'd change mine from "3" to "5" flashes.

not too fussed though.....

FFS! he isnt asking wether you like 3 flashes or 1 give it a rest!

If the stalk behaviour isn't consistent, I would guess that it's a fault either with the stalk itself or the steering wheel controller, to which the stalk is connected.

As you're within warranty, I'd go back to the dealer with the issue and get them to investigate. Hopefully some fault codes have been logged. And I would expect there to be some, if you've had the feature disabled but when asked it's doing something completely different! Quite possibly an 'implausible' fault has been logged.

Hope this helps.

That must be annoying, especially if you’re not expecting it. You could almost try to explain it if it occasionally reverted back to three flashes, but five!?

Defo a trip back to the dealer, although I guarantee it will behave itself when you try and demonstrate the fault!

It makes me laugh when following people who have this setting turned on but don't understand it. They indicate to pull out, can't understand why the indicators are still flashing despite the lever being in the off position so try to cancel them by indicating left, the left hand side indicators then begin their three flashes so the driver again tries to cancel them by indicating right, and so the debacle continues

That must be annoying, especially if you’re not expecting it. You could almost try to explain it if it occasionally reverted back to three flashes, but five!?

Defo a trip back to the dealer, although I guarantee it will behave itself when you try and demonstrate the fault!

It makes me laugh when following people who have this setting turned on but don't understand it. They indicate to pull out, can't understand why the indicators are still flashing despite the lever being in the off position so try to cancel them by indicating left, the left hand side indicators then begin their three flashes so the driver again tries to cancel them by indicating right, and so the debacle continues

Errrrrr - that would be me every now and then

Try a current BMW model then - with the most infuriating indicator stalk in the world, as it's a 'floating' design and has no feedback. So you end up putting one side on after the other, in an attempt to get them to cancel

Must be something you get used to, or in the case of a lot of owners - don't use them at all :p

But a classic case of fixing something that wasn't broken

I agree the triple flash is bloody annoying.

If anybody ever lets me, or a truck indicates it's safe to overtake, I would always in my old car have given a 1 flash left, 1 flash right, 1 flash left as a thanks and acknowledgement of courteous driving. Since buying the Octy I have had to get used to doing a quick flash of the hazards instead.

I agree the triple flash is bloody annoying.

If anybody ever lets me, or a truck indicates it's safe to overtake, I would always in my old car have given a 1 flash left, 1 flash right, 1 flash left as a thanks and acknowledgement of courteous driving. Since buying the Octy I have had to get used to doing a quick flash of the hazards instead.

You can still do the left-right-left indicator flash by puhing the stalk all the way up and down, the 3 flashes only activates if you push the stalk halfway (i.e. before the click)

This can be altered/checked with someone with VCDS.

IIRC the minimum you can set it to and keep active is 2, max 5. But you can disable it.

You do know you can cancel flashes by pushing the stalk in the same direction dont you? As others say a single flash is useless and quite dangerous to others who will likely miss it. Not sure why holding the stalk is deemed better. Was my biggest bug bear with a recent X1 loan car - lack of lane change flashers - on a £30k car! Told it was a £300 'option'.

Meant to have a look at this while I had VCDS connected up earlier. Can you remember where the option is?

IIRC it was one of the bytes in long code helper under instruments.

I think emergency breaking was on the same page. I only looked at this for a member the other day as well, how bad is that!

I agree the triple flash is bloody annoying

You could always give 1/2 flashes on the hazard warning lights instead. I'm a fan of the three flashes personally.

Alan

Edited 2 September, 201114 yr by alannfrost

Some features on the Octy are governed by which key is in use at the time. In other words, if a feature is enabled or disabled when key 1 is used, it may not work as expected if key 2 is used. Just a thought.

Mac

You can still do the left-right-left indicator flash by puhing the stalk all the way up and down, the 3 flashes only activates if you push the stalk halfway (i.e. before the click)

Believe it or not, before now I have sat in my drive practicing and I just can't get repeated single flashes as always when cancelling the last single flash I end up overshooting to a halfway and therefore 3 flashes to opposite side.

You could always give 1/2 flashes on the hazard warning lights instead. I'm a fan of the three flashes personally.Alan

Didn't I say that's what I have had to get used to doing? :S

Now is it worth buying VCDS just so I can change this one really annoying feature. I'm not sure I could convince SWMBO that it was money well spent.