[s-cars] Instrument Cluster Warning Light

[audijim at comcast.net]

Gisli/S-car-list,

I had a few more warning lights on that I have since eliminated. The airbag light was due to a failed spiral spring. I replaced that and reset the airbag light clearing the fault. I purchased the car with an ABS light on, new front ABS sensors cured that. I had a brake light on (same light that you see when pulling up on the E-break) and that was corrected by installing new "contacts" on the brake fluid reservoir. Instead of the $100 something for a new reservoir with the level sensor in it, I decided to try the P/N for the contacts for under $20. My connector on the contacts was almost broken off/hanging by a thread. It fixed the brake light on the cluster. I'm going to replace all the bulbs starting at the rear of the car. I will also clean the contacts with 22 and try bending the bulb tabs in for a better contact. As someone just posted about this topic, the bulb monitor may see a dissimilar voltage between the bulbs that are in series and that's tripping off the warning light o
n my cluster. 

Jim
(almost a dark flight deck)

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Gísli Óttarsson" <gislio at gmail.com> 

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I would like to extend the question to warning lights in general.  I too have a ´93 S4 and it is constantly nagging me about various things --- basically crying wolf --- to the point that I am gradually becoming desensitized.  

The upside-down bulb happens to be a recent addition to its repertoire, but the old standards include:

an amber text about the brake lights ("bremslichts", I believe), which I get on every start, and stays illuminated up to the time that I first apply the brakes.  
a low-oil (red squirt-can) which I've recently started seeing (very rarely) and I have believed to be an indicator of a low level in the pan (the level is not low), comes on with a nasty beep, but is if I power off this light goes away.  I used to see this light only when the oil level was actually low (the V8s like their oil, don't they) 

brake pads or ABS? (an amber colored parenthetical circle) which used to come on in 1/5 trips and stay on (but, come to think of it, I have not seen for a few weeks)
a red break related light (I forget the icon) which I have speculated is related to the level in the break fluid reservoir.  This light comes on, with a beep, but goes away by itself. 
I've come to think of these lights as minor annoyances, but they are terrifyingly unnerving for the uninitiated (family and friends) which borrow my car.

Is this a fact of life for old Audis, or is there a simple, across the board, remedy?  Is audijim's Audi just hitting that same menopause? 

  Gisli



On 1/15/07, audijim at comcast.net <audijim at comcast.net > wrote:
Looking for the fix on my 93' S4's Instrument cluster. I have the upside down light bulb with an "X" through it warning light. This warning light is indicating that I have a head or tail light out. Everything works but I still have this warning light. All fuses are OK. Sometimes it is not on when I start the car and most of the time, it's on before the car starts. It also goes out (sometimes) while driving but usually comes back on with the annoying "beep" sound. I tried pulling the double relay  (14/15) for the Lamp Control Module and even swapped it with a known good car. Any idea's? 
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