2003 Audi A4 1.8t License Plate Light Removal
03-05-201103:34 PM #i
Active Fellow member One Band 
B6 A4 License/Number Plate Light Out Mystery
So subsequently searching on previous posts and not finding a definitive solution, I thought I would post the mystery of my light out problem and come across if anyone out there tin can aid.
I take a �03 1.8T A4 sedan. A few weeks ago I got the �number light out� alert. I checked the lights and yep, they were indeed not functioning. So I get online and order some replacement bulbs. Those bulbs get in a few days agone. I remove the old bulbs (gotta love those terrible screws, which I replaced with some new ones from Lowes, M3-.50 x 10) and put in the new bulbs. The new bulbs do non calorie-free upwardly. I looked at the connectors- they are pristine, no corrosion, no rust, expect make new. I bent the connectors on the associates and housing, notwithstanding goose egg. Then the bulbs piece of work to my surprise, but only infrequently and intermittently.
As of at present they practice not stay on at all, except when I kickoff plow on my lights- the correct bulb lights up, and then flickers and dims out to aught later almost 5-10 seconds. Coincidently, there is a �hissing� dissonance coming from the trunk lid that continues until the lights go out. I took a voltmeter to the connectors and it shows no juice is flowing after the lights get out. I have checked all the fuses in the driver�s side fuse box- all are skilful. My key fob will pop the trunk, no problems with trunk lock, and no other lights are out. I�ve giggled the wires in the torso hat and the rubber section exiting the trunk lid- no change to the lights.
My best guess is there is a short somewhere in the wiring harness or in the light/trunk handle assembly or there is some hidden fuse/relay that is dying a slow annoying death.
Does anyone out there have the same problem or improve nevertheless know of a hopefully inexpensive solution?
Thanks,
- Jake
03-05-201103:l PM #2
Veteran Member Iv Rings 
The material of the screw the aforementioned? I went through this recently likewise and those little screws play a HUGE function in whether those lights plough on or not.
I actually have my spare low-cal frame if yous cannot get yours working too 
I heart wagons.
'It'southward really a pretty big pet peeve of mine when people mess around with my photos', MmmBoost
shave it mold it sand information technology paint it
03-05-201104:27 PM #3
Veteran Member Four Rings 
Originally Posted by michgo 
The cloth of the screw the aforementioned? I went through this recently as well and those little screws play a HUGE part in whether those lights plow on or non.
I actually have my spare low-cal frame if you lot cannot get yours working too
x2...If the screws do not seat the lens properly you will not get a connexion. My local dealer offered to supersede them for costless.
Merely afterwards I blew both of my LP lamps, I replaced them with these:
These things are super bright and actually make the LP lights await waaaay better than the stockers. Also no error codes. Only a straight swap with resisters congenital in. Bought online received it fast and with no problems. They were about $40 bucks with a $7 aircraft accuse. And so if you're willing to jack $fifty bucks for some LP lamps then they piece of work swell. Plus LEDs typically last longer than regular bulbs IMO...I could exist incorrect.
Clicky Click
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03-05-201104:55 PM #5
Senior Fellow member Iii Rings 
I just went to local automobile store and bought two for like $seven bucks and they work just fine!!!
03-06-201105:32 AM #6
Veteran Member Four Rings 
It seems as though the led bulbs are hit or miss in the licence plate lights. Everything within the holder has to be 'only right' for em to work 100% of the time. I ended upwardly going back to regular bulbs as I was sick of the hassle from the led's.
2014 VW Touareg - 4Motion - Midnight Blue
03-06-201106:00 AM #7
Veteran Member Four Rings 
The new license lamp holder screws should be Stainless Steel, or the corrosion and seizing of the screws will happen over again. I have metric 3mm X 10mm long socket head screws that use a hex driver. Not going to bargain with stripped spiral heads ever again for the license lights.
OP, if you hear hissing before the power to the lamp fails, that is evidence the circuit is wet and is shorting out. After the lamp goes out, first, turn off the lights, and with the ignition primal removed from the ignition switch, and the fuse removed, use your DVM on Ohms Auto Range, (If the meter has that, otherwise apply the higher range scale and driblet the scale range as needed for all-time resolution.) and measure out the resistance from the lamp socket +DC terminal for the lamp, to chassis basis. With the license plate lights removed you lot need to mensurate betwixt the lamp holder ability contact and chassis footing. There must exist infinite high resistance, aka, an Open Excursion, between the lamp power +DC terminal and chassis basis. (Virtually meters display an over range graphic symbol instead of numbers when the resistance is college than the range scale maximum.) Annihilation lower, is a short to ground. From your clarification of the symptoms, information technology is a practical certainty the circuit is shorting out, obviously, this must be stock-still.
Last edited by diagnosticator; 03-06-2011 at 06:45 AM.
Vorsprung durch Technik
03-06-201106:15 AM #8
Veteran Member Four Rings
Originally Posted by sa_seahawker
x2...If the screws do not seat the lens properly you will not get a connection. My local dealer offered to replace them for costless.
But afterwards I blew both of my LP lamps, I replaced them with these:
These things are super bright and actually brand the LP lights look waaaay ameliorate than the stockers. Also no error codes. Just a direct bandy with resisters built in. Bought online received information technology fast and with no problems. They were almost $40 bucks with a $7 aircraft charge. And so if you're willing to jack $50 bucks for some LP lamps and then they work smashing. Plus LEDs typically last longer than regular bulbs IMO...I could be wrong.
Clicky Click
Squeamish pattern on those LED lamps. I think about all LED license plate lights are manner to bright however. I mean, c'monday, the license plate light is just supposed to be only bright plenty to brand the license plate visible, non light up the unabridged rear bumper and the road backside the car 10 feet broad and 6 feet back every bit well. I have most of my lenses covered with aluminum tape as a quick set up, just I am planning on adding a resister to the ability supply to the LED to dim the effulgence a lot, instead of the white trash tape-over I'm using now.
Last edited by diagnosticator; 03-06-2011 at 06:36 AM.
Vorsprung durch Technik
03-28-201102:24 PM #12
Registered Member One Ring
Hey Jake,
I've just had exactly the same problem with my B6 A4 Avant over here in Scotland, strange fizzing audio from the tail door, license plate lamps going out despite the bulbs checking out ok. I've root caused the trouble and just wanted to let yous know what I found.
I'm not sure whether the parts are shared betwixt the Avant and the sedan, but it seems like there'southward a weakness with the moulding which carries both the touch pad for the tail door release and the 2 license plate lamps. Information technology's basically a 2-office strip with the mechancial mounts for the 2 license plate lamp mouldings at either end and the impact pad in the centre. In that location'south a 2d moulding which clips into the first, the second moulding contains the microswitch for the boot release, the (moulded-in) wiring for the two license plate lamps and a 4-way connector for the electrical connectedness to the tail door harness.
What I constitute is that the moulded-in wiring had been arcing at a 90 degree bend in the wire, opening the seal/moulding and as a effect one of the license plate lamps had gone open excursion.
Perhaps casual, only I've had a problem with the rear wiper motor leaking the water for the rear window spray into the tail door (turns out that the B6 Avant has a fundamental design flaw with wiper motors, the rotation of the wiper shaft wears the water seal, h2o leaks into the motor gearbox, eventually destroying it). The water had been running down over the area where the licence plate lamp connection failed, probably unrelated because the arcing has come from the inside and eventually opened the moulding, which has so probably not been helped past the water one time the wires have been exposed.
I've replaced the moulding (both parts come as a complete unit of measurement nether office number 8E0 827 574 C (that'due south the Avant office, might be dissimilar on the sedan)) and the problem is fixed. �45 plus tax which I guess is around $70 plus tax in the U.s..
There are four nuts (2 semi-captive) which take to come out to get the moulding out, it's a bit awkward to get access, but I effigy information technology's about a thirty minute job if you're handy with a spanner. Biggest problem I plant was getting the tail door trim off, the clips are hard work.
Once you're in there you lot might might as well replace the latch solenoid also (4B9 962 115 C). �30 plus tax, again around $45 plus taxation in the US. Seems to be another common problem, the latch makes the release noise but doesn't open the tail door. Mine got worse and worse until it would only open about one time in 10.
Interestingly, both parts were in stock at my local parts shop, usually a adept indication that they sell loads of them and that normally indicates a common problem!
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Grant
03-28-201102:43 PM #xiii
Veteran Member Iv Rings 
Originally Posted past EBG 18T
It seems as though the led bulbs are hit or miss in the licence plate lights. Everything inside the holder has to be 'only right' for em to work 100% of the fourth dimension. I ended up going back to regular bulbs as I was ill of the hassle from the led's.
Well so far from experience it seems non all A4s react exactly the aforementioned equally far equally the License plate LEDs become. Some cars I simply slap them in with 0 other work and they just run fine even after a while. Other A4s, like mine, I would had to adjust the connectors, make clean the contacts, make sure everything is nice and make clean, then make sure the housing is fully in and the screws all the manner in earlier the affair works fine.. It took about half an hour of messing effectually with information technology. so its some work to get it right, but once done, its fine. I had mine for more than than a year now without issues. Information technology also depends how difficult people slam their trunk doors over time I noticed.
03-28-201102:45 PM #14
Veteran Member 4 Rings
Originally Posted past Grantola
Once you're in there you might might also supersede the latch solenoid as well (4B9 962 115 C). �30 plus tax, again effectually $45 plus tax in the Us. Seems to be another mutual problem, the latch makes the release racket but doesn't open up the tail door. Mine got worse and worse until information technology would only open up nigh once in 10.
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Grant
Truth has been spoken. Please if you get through with the labor, replace this
I heart wagons.
'It's actually a pretty big pet peeve of mine when people mess around with my photos', MmmBoost
shave it mold it sand it paint information technology
03-28-201102:50 PM #fifteen
Veteran Member Four Rings
Originally Posted by diagnosticator
Nice design on those LED lamps. I think almost all LED license plate lights are way to vivid still. I mean, c'mon, the license plate light is only supposed to be just bright plenty to brand the license plate visible, not lite upwardly the entire rear bumper and the road behind the motorcar x feet broad and half dozen feet dorsum besides. I take almost of my lenses covered with aluminum tape as a quick fix, but I am planning on adding a resister to the ability supply to the LED to dim the brightness a lot, instead of the white trash tape-over I'thousand using now.
Please do let me know how that goes, usually the resistors are sometimes added to avert the license plate errors on some models, only I would exist interested to know if it helps brightness levels to something that lightens only the license plate every bit in your case.
Sometimes I practise like the extra brightness when the automobile is muddy and covered up with dust/mud/dirt/etc, other times I experience when car is make clean its beyond what the plates need. Same thing goes for HIDs I estimate, most of them are too bright, even the manufacturing plant ones from Audi for the headlights, but I guess people like them coz they await "absurd".
Last edited by jackyaudi; 03-28-2011 at 02:57 PM.
03-28-201110:xiv PM #16
Veteran Member Three Rings 
As for the LED license plate lights being too bright it besides matters what color the automobile is. The LED's on a silvery car will appear much brighter than a black or red.
These are the ones my buddies with B6's and B7's run;
LED License Plate Light from Super Discount LEDS. No errors except for some of the B7'due south
03-29-201106:fifty AM #17
Veteran Fellow member Three Rings 
Originally Posted by jackyaudi
Please do let me know how that goes, usually the resistors are sometimes added to avoid the license plate errors on some models, merely I would be interested to know if it helps effulgence levels to something that lightens just the license plate as in your case.
Resistors in this case can serve two unlike purposes, If the resistor is in parallel with the LED(s) information technology tin trick the lath reckoner to not throw a bulb out warning for the licenseplate lights. But if the resistor is in serial with the load (read LEDs) you can dim the lights with a simple resistor. Where dissimilar resistor values leads to different light outputs, just like diagnosticator talked virtually.
03-29-201107:20 AM #eighteen
Veteran Member Iv Rings
There is really two much simpler solutions:
1. Suit the LED to face more towards the reverse management of the housing therefore decreasing the light output. If needed a piffling soldering will go along information technology exactly in place, takes 2 minutes to do.
2. The problem is that the angle of the license plate housing points the lights towards to bumper and the street afterwards. If for example you would cover the first 30% the license plate housing (either from inside or outside), it would actually just light the plates and cipher else.
With the above ways y'all can go on the effulgence every bit is or decrease naturally it by turning the LED within effectually.
03-29-201108:09 AM #19
Veteran Member Four Rings 
lol when I did mine, starting time the screw head broke off, then i had to drill it out, so one of the plastic light coverss were covered in orange juices from rust, the insides were corroded with white calcuim to the signal where neither of the bulbs would brand a connection.
I bought new plastic covers from the dealeership and bulbs from jackyaudi,
ended up removing the whole handle mechanism affair from the within of the trunk, sanding it all downwards and paintig information technology black once more, considering the whole peice looked like ass and didnt piece of work for shit.
i admit, it was alot of work merely to brand the plates low-cal up for cops to give me tickets
03-29-201108:17 AM #20
Veteran Member Four Rings
You can also get a ticket for having no license plate lights in the dark.
03-29-201109:04 AM #21
Veteran Member Four Rings
Originally Posted by jackyaudi
You can also become a ticket for having no license plate lights in the dark.
& i dont demand any more of those!
this is why i did it.
04-27-201108:xvi PM #23
Veteran Member Four Rings 
bump
whatever idea how to fix the short (when you hear hissing)?
05-01-201112:46 PM #24
Registered Fellow member One Ring
Hey CoreyRS,
You tin't repair the unit mate. The wires which are shorting are encased in some sort of plastic/silicon goop and the whole assembly is a moulded unit. You'll need the complete assembly. I'm (a) Scottish (infamously, the nearly tight/Scrooge-tastic race on the confront of the Earth) and (b) a pro electronic engineer, so yous tin can trust me when I say I'd have rather fixed it than replaced information technology. Every bit far as I can see there ain't no easy way to set up it!
The part yous need is 8E0 827 574 C (that's the Avant part, might be different on the sedan, bank check information technology).
Cheers,
Grant
05-xix-201103:06 PM #25
Veteran Member Four Rings
if anyone is still having problems with the hissing...I accept an extra harness for sale in the classifieds for $75 shipped.
07-31-201102:52 PM #27
Veteran Member Iv Rings
Originally Posted by amuletA4
Grant- thanks for the info! At present that the rain has stopped I haven't been caring too much, LOL. All the same, I know this even so needs to get stock-still, sounds similar a adept piffling summer project replacing the moulding.
Corey- the harness you mention for sale, is this the moulding part that Grant described as being the culprit of the trouble and is it for a sedan or avant?
Respectfully,
- Jake
I am not sure if the harness/molding will work for an avant, merely I can bank check. It does fit a sedan though. I bought the harness, then realized that my OEM harness was just fine :-(
07-31-201109:50 PM #29
Veteran Fellow member Four Rings
07-31-201110:16 PM #30
Veteran Member Four Rings 
Originally Posted by CoreyRS
but confirm, is that harness and bulb holder 1 piece?
2.7 bandy in progress
07-31-201110:44 PM #31
Established Member Two Rings
It seems that the LED lights are hit or miss the plate. All inside the holder is right for em to piece of work 100% of the time. I ended upwardly returning to normal lite bulbs because I was tired of the hassle of the LED.
08-01-2011ten:14 PM #32
Veteran Fellow member Four Rings
Originally Posted by jayiszraw
but confirm, is that harness and bulb holder 1 piece?
the bulb holder is fastened to the articulate plastic covers you tin can see in a higher place your license plate. The harness replaces the wiring, molding, and contact pads that the holders press against. Does that makes sense?
08-03-201108:36 AM #34
Veteran Member Iv Rings
Originally Posted by amuletA4
@CoreyRS, did y'all get the hissing problem fixed?
If so, what did it end up being since your harness was fine?
I am not exactly sure what the hissing was caused by, just when I took apart my trunk and so that I could see everything, I tried the stock bulbs again. They worked just fine (the hadn't worked for over a year)...and so I tried the LED bulbs and they worked every bit well. The only affair that I inverse was cleaning the contact pads that the bulb holder presses against ( which is at the end of the harness I have for auction), but they didn't look dirty or corroded to begin with then who knows.
x-01-201108:55 PM #36
Veteran Member Four Rings
nice write-upwards...much meliorate than I gave you! haha, glad I could help though.
01-11-201205:38 PM #37
Veteran Member Three Rings 
3 months mine has been out and havent been pulled over yet
Stage Stock.0 1.8t TIP to Stage three+ 450hp ii.7t/01E Swap in progress
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04-22-201209:58 AM #39
Established Member Two Rings 
After taking apart the bulb housing, I tin no longer put my key into the torso lock. Has anyone else run into this result? I made sure, twice, that everything was connected properly. I've waited 2 weeks to see if the issue would resolve itself, just it hasn't. I'd appreciate any help. The trunk itself has no trouble opening, if I open it from the outside with the push button it unlocks just fine, it's just that the key cylinder won't slide over to permit me to put the key in.
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