Hi

I have a 59 plate Octavia Elegance 1.9 diesel estate. It's parked outside the house.

In the last few days, dipped headlights are coming on with ignition, even when headlight switch is set to off. They stay on when engine starts and remain on in any position of the headlight switch. Green "headlights on" indicator in cluster comes on with headlights. Tail lights and brake lights are working normally, as are main beam, indicators, hazards, air con, heated rear window, cruise and radio. This vehicle does not have Auto headlights.

Headlights are standard halogen bulbs.

 

Might be relevant:

A couple of nights ago all 4 windows lowered during heavy rain <groan>. We had a thunderstorm that night with lightning directly overhead, so this may have triggered the windows to lower (over the last few years, we've had random instances of all windows lowering... ).

The headlight issue may have happened after the window lowering, but sometimes we leave headlight switch in the 'on' position when stopping the engine, so can't be 100% sure.

I wondered if headlight switch got some water in it, so have removed the switch. With the switch removed, the headlights still come on when ignition turned on (so I assume switch is OK).

 

I would have disconnected the battery for half an hour in an attempt to reset the electronics, but the weather here in Devon is ... wet.

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Hi,

Do you have available any VCDS or other fault reading software to see if anything has been stored in brain?

This may help to start from somewhere...

If headlights are left to "on"position before the key is removed from ignition this should not cause any problems normally and would turn off headlights while when re-inserting the key and turning it they then turn on automatically as the switch was left to "on".

Happy new year!

It sounds to me as if, somehow, the car had been coded to use the dipped beam as daylight running lamps (DRLs). I do not know how that could have happened without the car being plugged in to a computer or if it can be activated by using the Maxidot display, if you have it fitted. On my facelift Octavia I can enable and disable the DRLs by using the indicator stalk. I cannot remember the exact sequence so it may be worth looking in your handbook.

Hello
AkisVH - unfortunately I have no software for fault detection. Agreed, the situation with headlights is fine, but it is not how they were.

Liger1956 - not sure what the Maxidot display is :-) I'll check the handbook to see if it is possible to set up DRLs .

Today I re-fitted the headlight switch (no effect) and the front fog lights and the rear high intensity lights do not operate.

I guess it's a trip to my local auto-electrician.

 

Thank you for your comments and Happy New Year!

Where in the country are you? A VCDS scan would definitely help.

 

If there is a fault with the headlight switch or wiring, it can cause the car to enter a 'failsafe' mode where the headlights are always on

Langers2k could be right....

either a scan or another switch for testing would be the easiest way to start.

Hi

I'm in south Devon, near Brixham. There's a good auto-electrician nearby, I guess he would have the right gear. Last resort would be the Main Dealer!

Sounds you have ways to follow..

Just drop a line if solution is provided..

Booked in for a code scan next Tuesday..

 

Scan resulted in error code for headlight switch not recognised. 

Seems like the lighting system is in "Emergency" mode and overrides the switch.

Garage has new switch on order, but missed the same day delivery - so they will fit tomorrow.

Headlight switch replaced and recoded.

All lights now working properly!