kyrsplat

How do the blinkers on Europen cars operate since EU law only allows for amber turn signals? Just curious how they compare to the combined brake and red blinker of the US tails...

stanj

The sedans have different tail light units. The Avants have the smae (amber lights included) but there doesn't seem to be a software hack to get them flashing - I wish there was, I hate red signals. All my other Audis, incl. my current S4, had imported Euro tail units.

BTW, there is no such law about amber turn signals. Red and orange are equally legal, it's just that manufacturers there have more sense and go with what's safe. But you will see the occasional American car with red turn signals, which is perfectly legal.

kyrsplat

So the European sedan LED tail lights are completely different from the US ones? Does anybody have any pictures?

W/ regards to the amber are you sure? I though ECE law requires amber for turn signals or why would Audi and BMW choose to create two different tail lights?

stanj

Because "it's cool" or "expected", beats me. Germans are pretty safety concious and ****, so on their own they would not invent red turn signals, and I am sure they would happily ship orange ones to the US, but somehow there is this strange "peer pressure" to go red. Who knows. 96-97 A4: orange. 98-01 A4: Red (except mine). 02-05 A4: orange. 05.5-? A4: red (except mine). Similar stuff happening to BMW, Acura, and with the A6 line. Heck even domestic brand and other Japanese companies don't seem to be able to make up their mind and change the color even on the same model car. Totally psychotic and not following any pattern or logic.

Same with the filler cap. For decades, owners around the world were capable of either reading the manual or using common sense and open the filler cap with their fingers by pushing in at the opposite side of the hinge. Not the Americans; specific to our market we now have the filler release lever. It's not mandated or even of any advantage - it's just expected by herd instinct. Drives me nuts.

And indeed, if you buy a Corvette in Germany it will have red turn signals. I have seen them, and I read the rule book. It specifies how often it has to flash, and that it has to be orange or red. It's just that nobody in Europe would dare to have them red. But then again, we still have gallons and acre feet.

I am 99% sure it's a different unit. It's a different unit on all the other Audis, except the Avant, anyway. I haven't seen a sedan LED unit up close, though, so maybe they changed it.

ismail

they are not different, the only difference is that that the white strip next to the reverse light, blinks orange also in euro models only one side lights when u engage reverse gear

fca

I have been noticing that over the past couple of years that the turn signals on the newer cars have been trending toward Red. I have always thought it was something that didn't make a whole lot of sense. Since Red lights, even though blinking, are not as noticeable as the Yellow. It's hard to distinguish it from a brake tap, or even apart from the rear headlights themselves.

If it's about looks, they could use the White light covers over the Yellow bulb. There was a trend toward that a few years back.

I wish all manufacturers would go back to the Yellow lights. Or better yet, there should be a law against Red turn signals... for safety's sake.

hzhao

Yellow light has longer wave length, thus, it can see through better, especially under lower visibility, like fog areas. Given the speed allowed in Euro countries, add general weather condition. Using Yellow blinks is a wise choice. I could never understand why American like so much about Red blinks. Now days, not only American maker use just about all red blinks, Honda, Nissan are all joined that crowed. So as Audi, BMW. Personally, I prefer yellow blinks. I wish that we could re-program our Audi in US and add the yellow blink and use the LED only for break lights. LED has much fast response time and make sense to use it for break lights.

For what I know (from some Euro pictures), the Euro A6 tail lights does not have LED for break lights.... ( could be wrong). The top section seems a continues red unit to host the tail and break lights. In US model, it is break out as two part: top LED for break and blinks and botton for conventional tail lights. THe botton white section are the same for both US and Euro models except for US there is no yellow bulb install and activated for blinks. If you look closely, there is a filler in place of yellow bulb area for US. The real fog lights are the same configuration.