HAWC1506

Does anyone know if there is a mod for an amber rear turn signal (US spec A4)?

Dirt

My bet is that you could order a replacement housing from Audi UK or Canada(?). Technically it'd be illegal per the DoT, but I'd also doubt anyone would notice when performing a vehicle inspection. If there are wiring differences, however, that could throw a wrench into the works.

av_audi

Does anyone know why Audi stopped using the amber lights in the U.S.? Just through my own driving experience, I have noticed that amber turn signals are more easily noticed than red ones, so they provide an additional safety factor, especially on during lane changes on multi-lane freeways.

HAWC1506

There's something floating around saying that the DOT might mandate the use of amber turn signals. Don't quote me on that though.

Also, why would it be illegal? Vehicles in the U.S. have amber signals.

u2jrmw

I totally agree (originally I am from the UK), but I did not like the switch to red turn signal, too easily confused with brake lights.

Dirt

Illegal because it's unapproved by the DoT. That's not to say that it WOULDN'T be approved by the DoT, just that it isn't. I presume there's a reason Audi didn't carry their existing amber signals across the pond and I also presume that would have been because the DoT, for whatever reason, wouldn't approve the existing European amber housings.

av_audi

But just a few years ago, Audi and BMW used to bring to the U.S. cars with amber signals. Actually, Japanese cars had them too, at least they did in the eighties. Is this new regulation?

I just went to the dot.gov site and found a report. Here is an excerpt from the abstract: The first analysis suggests that there is an association between amber turn signals and a reduction of between 3 and 28 percent in the odds of being the struck (versus striking) vehicle in a turn-signal-relevant maneuver.

Anyone with more time on their hands can look through the article.

I was under the impression that the change to red turn signals was driven by esthetics (removing amber signals used to be a common mod) and perhaps penny pinching.

NJRoadFan

FMVSS Part. 108 which regulates vehicle lighting permits amber or red turn signals. The standard used everywhere else in the world only permits amber.

Dirt

I never said that amber turn signals were illegal per the DoT, only that a turn signal housing that wasn't approved by the DoT was illegal. Audi would have to have an amber signal approved by the DoT but they obviously don't because they're not using it. In this case I meant illegal=unapproved, not illegal=illegal. My Jeep uses amber signals and I see them here/there/everywhere. I truthfully have no idea what drives a mfr to use amber vs. red turn signals. Personally I prefer amber and wish they'd settle on that.

ETaub

The reason that Audi uses red rear turn signals in the US, rather than amber as they used to, is because the DOT requires that the turn signal, in order to be amber, be of a certain minimum size, and not become less amber over time (if you look at some older cars with amber signals, you'll see that they are almost white).

If the rear signals can't meet these specs, then they have to be red.