HELP!!! Headlight Problems

Post by **AndyC1982** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:15 am

Hi guys,

Yet again I call upon the mighty 246 knowledge bank for help!!!

My passenger side xenon has stopped working, will this be a new buld or a full new unit, is it something I can sort myself or am I stealers bound.

Cheers in advance guys

Andy

Post by **p.binks** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:53 pm

Hi,

It will be the igniter/ballast unit which is fitted into the base of the headlight by six torques screws,they cost a fair bit from the dealers but try TPS for a price,easily fitted but you have to remove the headlight.

Cheers "Bingo"

Post by **Rs4Fan** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:21 pm

You can sort yourself, however the ballast/igniter units are expensive. Try swapping the bulbs to make sure that it is is really the ballast/igniter. The six torx screws are security screws with a hole in the center. You need to remove the headlights in order to do the work.

Post by **AndyC1982** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:34 pm

Where is the best place to buy the bulb and igniter

Post by **Badgersuk** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:16 pm

funny, my drivers side Xenon has just gone. If just ordered some bulbs from http://www.convert2xenon.co.uk/ Having taken the unit out previously it's a D2S bulb that you will need as that is what is written on the old ones!

I'm going to try this, if it doesn't fix it then i will probably be buying one of their ballast kits as 2 for £80 is much better than what Audi will probalby charge. I've had the kit in my Van for the last 18months and it has been brilliant.

Had to get the 6300k bulbs though as no 4300k available.

Cheers

Stu.

Post by **AndyC1982** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:52 pm

cheers stu, great shout there cheap as chips the bulbs are. I like the look of the 10000K ones is there any reason I should go for them???

cheers again

Post by **Blue_Thunder** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:06 pm

10000K will be chav-tastic as they will look purple and will be nowhere near as bright as OEM (4300K).

Post by **AndyC1982** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:36 pm

well that won't do....

so it is either 4300k or 6000k then.

Post by **Blue_Thunder** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:09 am

I've currently got 6000K fitted, which are the slightly bluey tinged ones. They look nice, but it can sometimes make certain road signs a bit hard to read.

I've just bought myself a 4300K (bright white) HID kit which I plan to fit asap.

Post by **Badgersuk** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:43 pm

Damn it - it's the ballast that's dead. Having taken it out now and had a good look around there is a load of water/aluminium corrosion all around the ballast which is obviously what has killed it. Also smells a bit like the "cap gun" smell you get having taken it apart...

guess it's propper fried.

Right off back to convert2xenon for a kit then. I'm not paying £135 plus for 1 ballast when i can get a kit for £89...

As Blue Thunder said - the 10000k will look rather chav-tastic and not sure of the legality of them - i know they are illegal in some parts of the EU. 4300 will be the most Lumens as i believe the lumens decreases with an increase in kelvin.

I'm thinking of the 4300 kit, just cos i'm lazy and need the car on friday night so don't want to spend ages trying to fix it and changing both sides straight away!

Post by **Badgersuk** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:48 pm

Just for amusement value, just phoned up Audi to find out what the price is for the Ballast kit from them...

Wait for it...

£280 including Vat. But excluding fitting! LOL.

Apparently in the new TT is is only another £10 to buy a complete new headlight rather than just the Ballast Kit. Wow.

That's just confirmed i'll be off to Convert2Xenon instead!

Stu.

Post by **Blue_Thunder** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:05 pm

A word of warning for those of you going for a non-OEM HID kit like I have - The ballasts are a different shape and size, so you will have to fabricate some kind of cradle to hold the ballasts in place.

I haven't quite worked out how i'm going to do mine yet, it doesn't look like it will be too easy with the slimline ballast kit i've got. Although the main ballast is indeed slim, there is another not so slim bit in the wiring which won't fit anywhere easily. I'm obviously not wanting to stuff it all into the light unit as this 'thing' will no doubt damage the projector when I hit the first bump in the road.

Post by **Badgersuk** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:30 pm

2nd what Blue Thunday said - However this is my current plan...

One of these - http://www.convert2xenon.co.uk/product. ... product=15
One of these - http://www.convert2xenon.co.uk/product. ... product=21

And by looking at the measurements, it looks to me like i can bolt this to the old backing plate - If you take the old Ballast out and remove all the broken circuitry (hammer/saw etc etc) I'm thinking it will fit nicely inside the unit.

And just so you know, i've just robbed one of the ballasts of my Van which has one of these kits in already and been playing with the soldering iron for the last 30 mins and it's all working fine. So I know the ballast from here will work, just want the slimline one to fit inside the light.

If i get a chance i'll photograph it during install and post it here as a how to for future reference. Won't be till next week now though.

Cheers

Stu

Post by **Blue_Thunder** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:41 pm

The slimline ballasts I have look like that, but they have an extra bit attached along the wiring.

Post by **blackb1ade** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:07 am

FYI - I'm not sure what the system on the RS4's is as fitted from the factory, but there are currently 50W systems out there (the norm up until now has been 35W) and allegedly they are MUCH brighter

I have HID kits retro-fitted to 2 of my motorcycles and I'm thinking of of swapping out the 35W (6000k) kit on my blade to a 50W/8000k (as it's the non-slimline kit anyway) - they're VERY effective on the bike, almost everything gets out your way and [with them being slightly bluey in appearance] they're obviously extremely visible/eye-catching....which is ultimately [almost] the whole point

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HELP!!! Headlight Problems

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