GBlakesley

Hi guys ...

Back in April, I posted about some problems I was having with my hazard warning / indicator lights (**see my original post at the bottom of this one) and a couple of you were good enough to let me know about a clogged drain plug problem that may have been causing the soaking wet carpet I was also experiencing around that time.

My A8 has been laid up for a while (in fact, it's not been on the road since I got it back from the mechanic) but I finally got around to replacing the hazard warning switch today. All my hazard lights are working perfectly - but my indicator lights are dead as a dodo. Doesn't matter whether I try and indicate left or right; I get no indicator signal at all and the lights are inoperative.

I'm guessing it's one of two things - either the indicator arm or connection in the steering column are faulty, or, there's another indicator relay somewhere that is faulty. I've read somewhere about there being an indicator relay up behind the glove box; is that correct ?!

If you can help or give me a clue as to what the problem would be, I'd be really grateful.

Here's hoping ...

Thanks guys.

** original post follows ...

"I've got an X reg A8 2.8 ... needed some work done a while back on the steering wheel position sensor ring. After an eternity, it got sorted and I got the car back. Since it's come back, everything seems fine - except for the hazards / indicators.

With the ignition off, the hazard lights will work fine on the passenger side, but intermittently on the driver's side. The indicators will work in the same way, ie, passenger side fine; driver's side flashing at random, in quick succession, or not at all.

With the ignition switched on, the hazards work in the same way, ie, fine on the passenger side; randomly on the driver's side, but the indicators will not work at all !!!

It's worth adding that the garage I originally had the car with took 8 months - yes, 8 months !! - to replace and reprogramme the sensor ring (one of his blokes broke the original during realignment work on the steering), so taking it back to him to rectify the fault isn't an option !!

It's also worth noting that quite by chance, I discovered once I got the car back that the passenger footwell and up behind the glovebox was ringing wet ... and I mean, absolutely dripping !!! If you pushed your hand into the carpet, it literally squelched
!! I've been drying it out but am thinking that perhaps the indicator relay got damaged somehow ? Or that water has seeped into the circuit somewhere and done some damage ?"

tanya_charbury

I realize this is an old thread but if anyone has any information as to the steering column stalk and connector, specific to the turn signals, I'd be most grateful, please.

On my silver D2 A8 (made 3/1998) I have the same issue: "All my hazard lights are working perfectly - but my indicator lights are dead as a dodo. Doesn't matter whether I try and indicate left or right; I get no indicator signal at all and the lights are inoperative."

I drew the same conclusions as to: "I'm guessing it's one of two things - either the indicator arm or connection in the steering column are faulty, or, there's another indicator relay somewhere that is faulty. "

As to "I've read somewhere about there being an indicator relay up behind the glove box; is that correct ?!" If there is, I can't find it. My tech and I have been peering inside the passenger footwell area of my car, low and high, looking everywhere we can think of ... nothing.

I'm betting the cause is somewhere in the steering column area, which is (to me) intimidating.

Thank you in anticipation.

tanya_charbury

I often involve a tech to help me, and he & I figured it out today. Yay!

We first suspected the steering column; either something in the stalk-based switch or a connector problem in the wiring leading up to the steering column. It occurred to us that this wiring might be routed via a fuse, even though the fuse box legend didn’t identify a fuse that might have such a role.

We focused on another 1998 Audi D2 A8 car with working turn signal lights and while these were flashing, we pulled out fuses until the turn signal lights stopped working. This meant we`d found the culprit fuse.

As it turns out, a fuse in the passenger footwell fuse box also handled the current feed to the turn signal lights circuit. We checked the manual again, yet we still saw no reference to turn signal lights. The manual states, for the relevant fuse: "instrument illumination, front cigarette lighter, glove compartment, rear ashtrays, air conditioner controls, telephone, license plate lights and tail lights in rear lid, fog light relay."

The relevant fuse is the third one from the left, in the red bank, which is the second row from the top. It`s a 10 amp fuse, and sure enough, on the car with the problem, that fuse was blown. We put in a good fuse, and now our silver chariot is nicely road-worthy again, with working turn signals (and, no surprise: working instrument illumination, front cigarette lighter, etc.)


Undocumented feature: the 10 amp fuse in the 2nd row (red bank) third from the left ... it also handles the turn signal lights a.k.a. directional indicator lights -- yet NOT the hazard warning a.k.a. emergency flasher lights...

2001 S8

Nice fix and tip for fellow AWers. Funny how the natural instinct is to go worse case scenario when something goes wrong. Eg: Turn signal doesn't work. There must be something wrong in the steering column. Let's pull it apart.

Thanks for following up on this project.

tanya_charbury

@2001 S8 Thank you for your kind words. :-)

keo816

Yesterday it rained all night and has been non-stop today.
When i got into my vehicle and attempted to signal right, it went left and vice versa.
I've read through this thread so i will check the fuse first.
Any other suggestions?

Thanks
KO

jfrahm

I recently fixed the indicators on a 928 by spraying electrical contact cleaner (Deoxit) into the switch assembly. I did not expect it to work, but it did.