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1) Could someone post a video showing the turn signal on your tail lights?
2) Does your dynamic turn signal illuminate with amber/yellow LEDs... or red?
There is a mix of US and German spec A4/S4s showing up more and more on the road here in Germany, which is causing some confusion in the differences. Already known: we don't get the matrix LED headlight version (boooo), and a mid-year change darkened the tail lights somewhat, and deleted rear fogs. They also did some weird re-wiring or programming on the US versions that couples the top dynamic turn signal with the brake light (I prefer the European version that only does the top light).
The other day I saw an A4 (only saw it for a second, but pretty sure not an S4... they really like to de-badge here, and was gone before I could count tail pipes) some distance ahead of me and prior to it making a turn I noticed the dynamic turn signal was RED, something I haven't seen before. TBH it didn't look great, almost shockingly bad compared to the amber lights. Not sure if what I saw was US or German spec.
My car is in production, and the car I regularly test drive has been sold, so I don't have access to a US model at the moment. Wondering what version is going to show up, and if I need to start looking for replacement lights already.
The tail light dynamic turn signal on the US-spec S4 is definitely red, and indeed does light the brake light at the same time as the sweep line. There is no amber anywhere on the rear light assembly. These design differences are all things Audi had to do to pass DOT regulations in the United States.
Edit: The brake light is to achieve the minimum required lighted area from a DOT-approved tail light solution. The color choice is related: it allows the brake light to count towards turn signal luminous area. (If one was amber and one was red, the two wouldn't "sum").
Sooo... does one of you have amber and one have red then? Both have red?
Wondering if there is a difference between A4/S4, or those with the darkened vs not darkened tail lights? Or are they sending these out of the factory just ***** nilly some amber some not?
If it's not too much trouble... coming back to the original question, could S4 owners check their cars and confirm here, please?
The German tail light cover is completely red, with the amber LEDs only visible when lit up. So, just looking at the outside housing without turning on the signal lights isn't enough.
My S4 turn signal is definitely red--and the brake light comes on at the same time. I also don't like the combination (turn + brake light simultaneously), or the color. Besides looking bad, I think it's confusing--if I'm signaling to turn or change lanes, but not braking, which happens a lot, I want that to be really clear. Amber turn sweep would indicate that quite intuitively, where as red sweep + brake reads more to me as "braking + what?".
When I'm traveling in a long line of cars at 85 mph w/at most two car's lengths b/t anyone, I really don't want to confuse, even momentarily, the cars behind me.
P.S. mplsbrian: thanks for posting the reg (and, more generally, all your commentary)--it's been quite useful.
Sooo... does one of you have amber and one have red then? Both have red?
Wondering if there is a difference between A4/S4, or those with the darkened vs not darkened tail lights? Or are they sending these out of the factory just ***** nilly some amber some not?
If it's not too much trouble... coming back to the original question, could S4 owners check their cars and confirm here, please?
No S4s in the United States will have amber. Your car will have the red-sweeping-line-with-brakelight solution. Versprechen was simply saying "some cars in the United States have amber tails" and was referring to automobiles in general, not our Audis: there is no US regulation prohibiting amber tails but there is one specifying the minimum surface area that must be lit up at once for a DOT-approved turn signal, which on this specific car (B9 S4) requires that the line be red and that it light up with the brakelight (which is also red). The line alone would be too small to meet the regulatory requirement for surface area, and brake lights aren't amber, so the line couldn't be amber. To use amber rear turn signals in the US, Audi would have had to change the design of the taillight assembly entirely.
The darkened tails with rear fog delete are present on all S4s produced after week 22 of assembly, which was a couple months ago, so you will have the darkened lights. The way they look and function is the exactly the same as pre- week 22, I guess the plastic is just darker? Not entirely sure. (You will also have a blank spot on your light switch panel on your dash next to the front fog lights, where the rear fog on/off switch used to be). I bought my car in March and so I have rear fogs/non-darkened tails, and while I haven't seen a comparison photo or seen the darkened ones in person, my assumption is the difference is subtle.
Not my video but the lights on all US-spec 2018 S4s and A4s look like this. The color is 100% red, no amber anywhere, it just isn't obvious in this video because the camera is way overexposed.
Thanks for all the info. Bummer. I found that video while searching but couldn't tell the color since it is overexposed like you said.
Friggin DOT ruining the design of this car. No matrix headlights, those stupid amber reflectors on front sides, and no amber turn signals. Anything else? Sheesh.
We don't get sequenced front turn signals either, automatic parking (more than just software, we are missing an ultrasonic side sensor located just forward of the front wheel well), hill assist (button near the parking brake), the option for Audi Phone Box with wireless charging and sharkfin antenna integration, and a few other things. Some of this is regulatory (turn signals) and some of it is Audi deciding that a VW Passat should be able to park itself in the United States but an A4/S4 should only be allowed to beep at you and show a birdseye camera.
10-04-2017, 11:15 PM
Tail Light LED Change?
