Bulb warning light keep coming on

[JWvrs25]

My bulb out warning light keeps illuminating followed by a scary sounding 'beeeeeeeeep'. It only happens when the headlights are off and is intermittent. As soon as i switch dipped beam on the light goes off.

Ive changed the brake light bulb a few months ago and just been and bought some new tail light and indicator bulbs as I know they are the originals and im guessing the resistance changes as they get old.

what else can I try as all other bulbs are working.

Which bulbs does the system not monitor?

[Breezy_Pete]

Bulb failure unit does these lot :

 

Left gas discharge (xenon) lamp

Right gas discharge (xenon) lamp

Side light bulb, left

Side light bulb, right

Dipped beam bulb, left

Dipped beam bulb, right

Tail light and rear fog light bulb, left

Tail light and rear fog light bulb, right

Brake lights inc. high level.

 

Your situation sounds very familiar, I seem to remember someone describing exactly the same thing a little while ago, but I can't remember the outcome, if any.

 

Edit, actually, looking again, it may not do the high level brake bulbs or front sidelights.

Edited 8 September, 2017 by Wino

[JWvrs25]

It doesn't do the sidelights i know that, It also does the reverse lights though i found out. Wasnt sure about high beam or front fogs but just changed a front fog light and issue appeared shortly after doing that so not sure if its related?

[Breezy_Pete]

I'll have another look later.

[sepulchrave]

Daft LED bulbs can upset the circuit resistance confusing the ECU.

[JWvrs25]

I do have 'daft' led bulbs fitted to the sidelights but i thought they weren't monitored and havent caused me any issues previously

[bmbmdmb]

Bulb failure system detected front left nearside sidelight failure and illuminated dash warning light, but a few k miles later not the failure of front right offside light on my fabia 1.

Edited 8 September, 2017 by bmbmdmb

[sepulchrave]

36 minutes ago, clarendon462 said:

I do have 'daft' led bulbs fitted to the sidelights but i thought they weren't monitored and havent caused me any issues previously

 

The entire vehicle exterior lighting circuit is monitored, it isn't selective. Why would it be?

[JWvrs25]

cause i pulled out the sidelights and no warnings came up. same with number plate lights

 

other warning still occured tho

 

Edited 8 September, 2017 by clarendon462

[Breezy_Pete]

3 hours ago, Wino said:

Left gas discharge (xenon) lamp or Dipped beam bulb, left

Right gas discharge (xenon) lamp or Dipped beam bulb, right

Tail light and rear fog light bulb, left

Tail light and rear fog light bulb, right

Brake lights inc. high level.

 

Amended list after a more careful look.  Those are all the bulbs that are wired through the bulb failure warning module. Don't see front fogs or indicators, or reverse lights on there, indicators are solid-state controlled from within the onboard power supply control module, so that will be self monitoring. Reverse lights via a relay in there as well, so can be monitored via that I guess.

Are your front fogs factory fitted?

Edited 8 September, 2017 by Wino

[JWvrs25]

Front fogs are factory fit on the vrs. Also a right pain to change a bulb as the whole bumper has to come off

[Breezy_Pete]

That's what I thought. The only intelligent module they connect to is the instrument cluster (for the telltale light) so I guess that could do monitoring via that connection. Is the telltale working right?

 

I'll see if I can find that other thread I mentioned earlier.

Edited 8 September, 2017 by Wino

[Breezy_Pete]

It was this one, by @DannHall, maybe he fixed it, and could tell us how?

 

[JWvrs25]

AFAIK all the warning lights are working correctly. I know if i pull a bulb out even with the headlights switched on i get the warning lamp on so system must be operative.

Ive just been out in the car and noticed when i switch the ignition on with the headlights only the left headlight does a level test moves all the way down and backup again. The right headlight beam doesn't move. Does this system monitor the levelling system?

[Breezy_Pete]

Headlight range control unit has a connection to the diagnostic K-line, so yes, it looks like the car will know if one of the range control motors isn't doing it's thing. Reckon you might have found your culprit.

[JWvrs25]

Cheers @Wino

will do some investigating into it tomorrow

[Breezy_Pete]

Knowing these cars it might well be a busted wire somewhere rather than any component failure.  Let me know tomorrow if you could do with any wiring info/pin numbers type stuff.

[JWvrs25]

Will do

I have only recently replaced the headlights so theres a possibility that the motor inside wasn't working on the car it came off so will take it off and see.

 

[JWvrs25]

Update:

Finally got round to testing the voltages on the headlight motors. One was showing 4.5 volts (the dead one) and the other side 9volts.

I then looked at the headlight connector to see if any wires were broken, turns out the connector had come unclipped and was just hovering in place. Don't know how the other bulbs kept working other than the levelling motor but anyway all working properly again now 

[sepulchrave]

7 minutes ago, clarendon462 said:

Update:

Finally got round to testing the voltages on the headlight motors. One was showing 4.5 volts (the dead one) and the other side 9volts.

I then looked at the headlight connector to see if any wires were broken, turns out the connector had come unclipped and was just hovering in place. Don't know how the other bulbs kept working other than the levelling motor but anyway all working properly again now 

 

Sounds more like the fitter who replaced the headlights didn't click the connector back into place properly!

[JWvrs25]

Just now, sepulchrave said:

 

Sounds more like the fitter who replaced the headlights didn't click the connector back into place properly!

Yeah he must be a complete idiot not to be able to fit that on correctly 

[JWvrs25]

Ive got more issues now, although maybe not related to the issue with the bulbs. The xenon range controller will not talk to my laptop in vcds. It just says no module found. Tried disconnecting the battery for a while and reconnecting which made no difference. I do have another fault code with the dash cluster not communicating with the ABS but cant see how thats related.

[delroy]

On 18/09/2017 at 20:18, JWvrs25 said:

Ive got more issues now, although maybe not related to the issue with the bulbs. The xenon range controller will not talk to my laptop in vcds. It just says no module found. Tried disconnecting the battery for a while and reconnecting which made no difference. I do have another fault code with the dash cluster not communicating with the ABS but cant see how thats related.

I know this is an old thread but did you ever get to the bottom of this?

 

I have the annoying bulb out warning which disappears when the (factory) Xenons are on & also VCDS won't connect to the headlight range control module (55).

 

Any ideas anyone? 

 

Feels like I've tried everything! 

[delroy]

Hope this helps someone else.

 

I have been experiencing the same issue with the bulb warning light with no bulbs out which then disappears when the headlights are turned on. I've also had issues with the xenon range controller (55) not being found by VCDS.

 

After much messing about I thought the issue was likely to be the level sensor on the rear beam which is over £200 for a new one!

 

Long story short, I disconnected it, cleaned the connections & plugged it back in & (fingerscrossed) the bulb warning has not come back on & VCDS can now find the xenon range controller allowing them to be adjusted.

 

Small word of warning, the typical VAG connections are a pain as we know - especially when doing it one handed under the car by torch light. I managed to break the connector's clip (which can be easily replaced) but this video helped me get it off with a small pick tool...

 

[Breezy_Pete]

@delroy, those are nice tips about the level sensor and the connectors, thanks for posting.

I tried the connector tip myself yesterday, with a swiss army knife blade up the gap instead of a pick, and it worked a treat.  Wouldn't always be possible to get a knife blade straight in there so I'll find myself a right-angle pick as shown in the video to keep in the car.

 

The other method that does work, but isn't quite as easy depending on location and access is to push the whole connector further on as you're lifting the latch with a finger/thumbnail. This takes the pressure off the latch making it move freely, instead of just snapping off the actuator. Once the latch clicks open (literally, you usually hear the click) you can change from pushing on the connector housing to pulling.