Trouble with a light malfunction

[AudiA4WR]

The past few weeks I've had a "vehicle light malfunction" pop up in the car. I've checked all lights imaginable and it seems that all lights are working, and no bulbs out. It will come on at a cold start as soon as i press down on the brake before i back out of my driveway. the light is only on about %50 of the time as well. My a4 is an 09, has anyone else had any issues with the VLM? I tried searching with no results. Any help would be appreciated.

[hender]

just to eliminate the obvious...did you get a second person to look and make sure your reverse / brake lights are all working?

[dishawpr190]

I have the same problem. I've replaced my liscense plate lights to LED's. If it is a cold morning the light will turn on. I'll drive a block, turn the car off and then back on and the light goes away. Have you replaced any lights or are they all stock? I would like to get an answer on this too just because I'm having the same problem and would like to fix it.

[dracolnyte]

press the set button to find out which bulb it is

[AudiA4WR]

Pressing "set" does nothing for me except show all the different lights (battery, gas, oil, etc.) and the only light I've replaced was a head light because it went out on me. But it was replaced with a stock bulb.

And yes, I had another person check my lights as well

[Booya]

I had this problem, one of your bulb filament is getting weak. I replace all four brake and reverse bulbs, disconnect the battery for a minute and all is well. I use the 1156 bulbs instead of the 7506 cause of different amp. 7506 bulbs still gave me the bulb out warning 1156 fix it.

[coolwater]

This error is most likely your license plate bulbs.
Does it only happen when your city lights are on?
Meaning LED plate bulbs are on.

For me I could tell there was a problem because the LED bulb will get to the point where it is flickering.
Swapping the bulb out resolved it.

-cW

[AudiA4WR]

The light pops up at random times. With the lights on and off.

[Zeis]

i've had this issue too. Exactly as you describe: 50% of the time, with no apparent solution. I haven't changed any bulbs though.

[dracolnyte]

did you change any bulbs? i changed my plates to LED, in the summer when temperatures are hot and resistance is high, i dont get an error. but in the winter as the temperatures drop, i sometimes do.

[kmunz264]

Did anyone ever find a solution on this. I'm having the exact same problems every light I can think of to check works and it comes on at random times nothing seems to trigger it.

[ZFURR27]

My VLM came on today while driving to work. I noticed that when I use my right turn signal the arrow on the dash blinks at a faster rate than when I use my left turn signal. I checked all my headlights and tail lights as well as the lights on the side view mirrors... Everything works. Anyone know why this is happening/have a solution?

[Randyt]

Did anyone find a solution to this problem. For me the VLM light will pop up and I will find the faulty bulb and replace it. But less than a week later the VLM pops up again. This time I think it may be my third brake light.
I love and hate this car.

[COar]

Reviving the dead. Seems like a common-ish issue?

I had a warning regarding the center brake light on my way home yesterday. Nothing this morning. Hopefully this isn't a forewarning of future electrical issues.

[Theiceman]

just change all the bulbs and call it a day , they are cheap . If that does not resolve it i would suspect the cable running to the trunk from inside the car , every Audi I have owned I have had to repair this cable due to fractures and shorts.

[COar]

When I had a PPI done on the car they said there was a code stored for a 'rear glass break sensor fault'...wonder if that could be tied to the cable you mention.

[dp_dlo]

Having a similar issue with my 2014 A5 where I'm getting a rear brake light error on dashboard. I notice i was getting this message a month before my left tail brake light actually went out. I decided to order some new bulbs and replace it. Turns out, there is only one bulb in the tail light assembly which i thought was a little surprising but anyhow i replaced it but i'm still getting the same error message and my brake light still doesn't work even with new bulbs. When i lock and unlock my car, all rear brake lights work, my left rear blinker works as well. Any help/suggestions? I did check the fuses from the drivers, passengers, and trunk and couldn't find a blown fuse.

[elscotto80]

I'm getting the error for the third brake light out on the dash. Came up a month ago and went away, returning today. I don't see many folks with the issue.

I plan to check the connections, but may need to replace. Damn thing isn't cheap either (50-150 bucks) depending on the site.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Audizine mobile app

[audrobotic]

I'm getting the error for the third brake light out on the dash. Came up a month ago and went away, returning today. I don't see many folks with the issue.

I plan to check the connections, but may need to replace. Damn thing isn't cheap either (50-150 bucks) depending on the site.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Audizine mobile app

I had this happen. The malfunction light would beep and flash one day but go away another day. Apparently its not uncommon for these third brake light to go out. I think I got one for about $90 from ECS. It was a pain to get the new one in, so I took it to my local tint shop and they popped it right in.

[Smac770]

Having a similar issue with my 2014 A5 where I'm getting a rear brake light error on dashboard. I notice i was getting this message a month before my left tail brake light actually went out. I decided to order some new bulbs and replace it. Turns out, there is only one bulb in the tail light assembly which i thought was a little surprising but anyhow i replaced it but i'm still getting the same error message and my brake light still doesn't work even with new bulbs. When i lock and unlock my car, all rear brake lights work, my left rear blinker works as well. Any help/suggestions? I did check the fuses from the drivers, passengers, and trunk and couldn't find a blown fuse.

Are you a sedan or an allroad? Do you have incandescent or LED tail lights? Do you have the actual DTC text?

[Scott Long]

Can VAG-COM read the malfunction and tell you which light is out? I have this error but it doesn't say which light. Just as soon as the car is started "Vehicle light malfuntion" and the yellow light on top of the center display. All the lights work that I can tell (headlights, tail lights, reverse lights, plate lights, fog lights, running lights.)

[Smac770]

DTC text should elaborate which specific bulb, or whatever the actual manner of presumed error is. Yeah, the dash messages can be unhelpful.

[RPMtech147]

Are you a sedan or an allroad? Do you have incandescent or LED tail lights? Do you have the actual DTC text?

I was just thinking this. I wonder if it's like the SUV's and has a "hatch closed switch" under the lower panel of the trunk; when that's unplugged or the hatch isn't closed, it just displays a lighting fault, but yes, need a VCDS scan.