Auto Headlights quit working

[SOLVED: CAUSED BY OP'S IDIOCY]

When I have the headlight switch set on auto, full lights (not DRLs) stay on despite bright daylight. I have to set the switch to "0" to shut the headlights and tail lights off.

I imagine this has something to do with the LED brake light bulbs with resistors i just installed. Is there a way to reset this? I don't want to remove the LEDs if I can help it. They are very bright and a good safety addition I believe.

I don't understand why brake lights would affect the Auto light function.

I pulled every fuse and they are all intact. Right now I've disconnected the positive battery terminal in the hope of resetting the computer. Only other thought I have is that the switch or the sensor on the windshield has gone bad.

Anybody?

As much as you don’t want to, i would at least unplug the tail lights to see if the auto headlight functionality returns.

Great basic suggestion that I completely overlooked Blue Beetle. Didn't work though but thanks. The resistors are still connected even when the tail lights are unplugged however so they (resistors) could still be the problem.

I wonder if there is a box on VCDS that needs to be "checked" that got unchecked somehow while I was messing around????

I don't have VCDS though. Frankly confuses the heck out me when I watch the videos about how it works. I really don't think I can handle it.

Is there an Auto headlight box on VCDS? Anybody along the front range of Colorado able to help me with this??

How are the resistors connected? In the 12v wire in series to the bulb?
Resistors should connect the 12v and the ground wire together.
Also are the resistors 50W 6 OHM ?

Jetta_Pilot said:

How are the resistors connected? In the 12v wire in series to the bulb?
Resistors should connect the 12v and the ground wire together.
Also are the resistors 50W 6 OHM ?

Click to expand...

Thanks for chiming in Pilot: Yeah they are 50W 6 ohm. And they connect the 12v tail/brake/flasher wire through resistor to the brown ground wire. Pretty sure I got the correct hot wire. Only other wire is the one I think for the side marker little lights. Warning bulb out lights stopped bugging me on the dash so that should be a good sign. has not thrown any codes

I wonder if I should try disconnecting the two tail lights in the trunk lid just to see if anything changes. The other thing is to throw in a new $100 Headlight switch? Remove and cap the resistor wires? Have the dealer re-flash the computer? Change the windshield sensor? Buy a vag-com and go to town.......

The coming home and leaving home lights do turn on when the switch is set to auto and they turn of when switch is turned off so the Auto switch should be working. i am leaning towards doing a ecu flash by the dealer right now

SOLVED and I am so ASHAMED I am not going to tell anyone that my hat was on the sensor. I thought the sensor was the dark spot behind the mirror not on the dash by the defroster. I could have busted the dang ECU with my positive battery terminal horseplay today!
Good thing nobody will ever know how bleeping stupid I am.

Thanks everyone who mulled this over with me. I am sorry... Guy

Funguy, NO ONE will ever know ! Our lips are sealed.

Ha thanks Pilot. The icing on the cake is I thought several times about that hat and I should check around there etc but I got distracted by all the web searches, forum posts, fuse pulling etc. The wonders of being Attention Deficit.
See ya

That is so funny, glad you got it worked out!

I have a light sensor in my F-250 on the front of the dash that is used to control the instrument panel illumination and I hate how that system works, so I just leave my hat covering the sensor pretty much all the time so I can see my gauges. The truck's headlights do not have the auto dimming function like my VW. If I had seen your post earlier I would have been bold enough to make the hat suggestion to you . . .

Tom I have to admit I'm more amused by my mistake today after a good nights sleep. I might have to private message you next time I am perplexed by something before I start tearing things apart.
I see that our cars have a light sensor also on the tachometer between the 5K and the 6K mark to shut-off the gauge lights if you fail to turn on your headlights at night. No place to put my hat on that one but don't underestimate my abilities to screw something up.
Have a great day my friend