I agree - sidelights are parking lights.

Sorry, but I can't understand what is illogical and the discussion about.

I may be thick, but I still can't understand what the two left hand symbols in post 18 are for. I don't have auto lights or any other fancy things, so I repeat my question - is it a parts bin thing and they are illuminated on some other model?

I may be thick, but I still can't understand what the two left hand symbols in post 18 are for. I don't have auto lights or any other fancy things, so I repeat my question - is it a parts bin thing and they are illuminated on some other model?

The two lights to the left are the fog lights, pulling the switch out to the first stage front fogs, second stage rear fogs.

The two lights to the left are the fog lights, pulling the switch out to the first stage front fogs, second stage rear fogs.

That's strange, mine don't. I have dash lights in the speedo cluster which illuminate, but those two don't.

Perhaps I'm in a parallel universe

That's strange, mine don't. I have dash lights in the speedo cluster which illuminate, but those two don't.

Perhaps I'm in a parallel universe

Don,t think mine illuminate (never looked when they are on, lights in the dash do), only there for showing that the fogs are on that switch

Don,t think mine illuminate (never looked when they are on, lights in the dash do), only there for showing that the fogs are on that switch

Indeed they just illuminate at dim green (when sidelights / dipped beam are on) but don't get brighter to indicate fogs on - green / orange symbols on instrument cluster do indicate "on" accordingly).

Another weird and bothering thing: Beware as in AUTO mode you can't operate fogs ! The pull out feature of the rotary switch doesn't work in that position ! It can be pulled just in manual mode, either just sidelights on or dipped beam on ! Someone mentioned it a time ago in a thread here. So don't try forcing it out ! If lights are in AUTO and you need activating the fogs - you have to switch clockwise to manual. What were those VAG engineers thinking !?

Isn't the "outward facing pair of lights" symbol actually the parking lights Johann, not headlights? Surely headlights is the one on the extreme right. So when your Auto lights are on, the sidelights symbol lights up, not the headlights one on the right which as far as I'm aware never changes intensity.

Ah indeed. I stand corrected! LOL

Indeed they just illuminate at dim green (when sidelights / dipped beam are on) but don't get brighter to indicate fogs on - green / orange symbols on instrument cluster do indicate "on" accordingly).

Another weird and bothering thing: Beware as in AUTO mode you can't operate fogs ! The pull out feature of the rotary switch doesn't work in that position ! It can be pulled just in manual mode, either just sidelights on or dipped beam on ! Someone mentioned it a time ago in a thread here. So don't try forcing it out ! If lights are in AUTO and you need activating the fogs - you have to switch clockwise to manual. What were those VAG engineers thinking !?

Agreed-- and the problem is there is a brief split second when you are plunged into darkness as you go from auto lights to sidelights and then on to manual headlights--it was a bit disconcerting the first time I needed fog lights out on an unlit country road!

I would hazard a guess the reason that you can't go directly from auto lights to fog is the headlamps may not have been activated--[against the law]although it wouldn't be difficult to reprogram the vcds to activate the headlamps if the fogs are switched on from the auto light setting

Edited 1 January, 201313 yr by yetiscot

I would hazard a guess the reason that you can't go directly from auto lights to fog is the headlamps may not have been activated--[against the law]although it wouldn't be difficult to reprogram the vcds to activate the headlamps if the fogs are switched on from the auto light setting

Oh...forgot about that. Now I remember my precedent car - Fiat Doblo - had front fogs and 2 simple "microswitch" buttons to activate f.fogs and r.fogs on the central console (where also windows buttons were *). Pushing those buttons didn't turn fogs on while sidelights / dipped beam were off.

But IMO it's not a VCDS thing as I can feel the rotary switch is physically built like that.

(*) IMO better location as most of the time you hold the wheel with left hand and activate controls with right hand, mainly shifting gears and also AC, heat, radio, etc - so operating windows with left hand is a switching hands thing ! (wheel on the left side cars)

VAG are not unique in this approach; my Merc B Class does it exactl the same way (although when switching from 'Auto', through 'sidelights' you get a couple of seconds of grace before the lights go out, more than enough time to then switch to 'dipped' without lighting interruption).

Anyway, the reason it is this way is because if you could pull the switch out in 'Auto' mode, then some numpties would leave it pulled out all the time (whether by accident or design), meaning that as soon as the auto lights came on, the fogs would (regardless of the weather and visibility). At least this way you have to positively think about putting the fogs on, and they get switched off when you put the lights back to 'Auto' or 'off'.

Agreed-- and the problem is there is a brief split second when you are plunged into darkness as you go from auto lights to sidelights and then on to manual headlights--it was a bit disconcerting the first time I needed fog lights out on an unlit country road!

I would hazard a guess the reason that you can't go directly from auto lights to fog is the headlamps may not have been activated--[against the law]although it wouldn't be difficult to reprogram the vcds to activate the headlamps if the fogs are switched on from the auto light setting

Is the headlights going off momentarily a halogen headlight thing?

Both my Yetis (Yetii ?) have had xenon headlights, and they stay on when switching from auto to on .

Is the headlights going off momentarily a halogen headlight thing?

Both my Yetis (Yetii ?) have had xenon headlights, and they stay on when switching from auto to on .

Agreed, so does my bi-Xenon fitted version. It's as though there's a delay built in to the relay so that they stay on as you move between Auto & manual headlights. Quite good actually.

So, back on topic, apart from all the auto freaks, we ordinary light switch users are still none the wiser as to the two fog light symbols on the left of the switch.

It must be surmised that the switch is a parts bin item, possibly old, and that the symbols were used on a model that used their illumination in lieu of our "modern" symbols on the speedo display - possibly.

One of life's great mysteries

No mystery: they are there to tell you that you use this switch to activate the foglights. Most switches have symbols telling you what they are for; if these symbols were not there, how would one know which switch operates the foglights (without having to dig into the manual)?

No mystery: they are there to tell you that you use this switch to activate the foglights. Most switches have symbols telling you what they are for; if these symbols were not there, how would one know which switch operates the foglights (without having to dig into the manual)?

Exactly!!! Buttons had symbols on them or next to them since the first Model-T. Otherwise how will you know what the button/toggle/switch did!

I played with mine last night and the Xenons do not die when you switch over to manual lights. If you switch on the side lights (first position to right from Auto) then yes the lights go out but if you move the switch at normal speed to the right, they do not. The headlight symbol also does not get illuminated on the switch when doing so. Pulling the switch also does not illuminate either of the fog symbols - they only come on in the dials.

No mystery: they are there to tell you that you use this switch to activate the foglights. Most switches have symbols telling you what they are for; if these symbols were not there, how would one know which switch operates the foglights (without having to dig into the manual)?

Good point - although there is only one light switch, and there is no indication that you have to pull the knob out

I'll use this in future to satisfy nosey parkers :think: