Headlamp dip problem - £1000 to fix???!!

[Jonno1888]

Well I knew owning an RS6 might be costly but didnt expect this after 1 month. Headlamps are pointing too far at the ground, so took it into Audi dealer and paid £80 for a diagnosis and was told it would be £1000 to fix!!

Cant really get my head round this. Wife took it in so dont know exaclty what was said but sounds like I need a whole new headlamp unit

Any ideas on getting this done at a cheaper price? Ultimately all the beam is doing is pointing too far down, which does make is very dangerous to drive in the dark (full beam is fine)

Surely there must be some way of cranking it up a bit, even if the self levelling bit isnt working?

Any ideas would be hugely appreciated
Cheers
Jonno

[kwalker705]

be interested to see if there is a fix for this as mine is the same. Not a great deal of road covered by the main beam lights.

[Nobby]

There are adjusters on the top of the units which can help a little. I think the big adjustment still needs to be done via VCDS, unless the innards of the lights are borked. Is it both sides by the way? You car isn't stanced low at the front and high at the back etc...?

[TomRS]

Can you not get a scanner on it yourself? avoid the dealer.. or at least have you the printout from the diagnosis machine?

Usually dipped xenons means the auto leveling motor within the light has failed or the auto leveling sensors on either the front or back of the car have failed.
My old Saab 9-5 had a specific warning light on the dash for auto level failure and would default to the lowest point (bottom out on the floor)

When you first put the lights on do they dip or are they constantly pointing at the floor? i'd put money on it just being a level sensor... but if audi are saying you need a light unit it could be the motor....

Needs testing ideally, VCDS has xenon tests you can run, ideally you need to find someone to help! i have a scanner that can do the tests but you'll not be close to me.

[Trups]

If it's the sensor it will give an error on the dash to say headlight level.

I think the insides have deteriorated and the adjusting clips are nakered.

Where are you in the uk?

[Shoppinit]

took it into Audi dealer and paid £80 for a diagnosis and was told it would be £1000 to fix!!

We never forget our first Audi shafting.

[Gripper1]

I had mine throw a code and the lights reverted to a default low position, made driving in the dark quite unpleasant. Reset the code using VCDS and 3 years later still no return of the issue. Is it both lights that are pointing low? If so unusual both lights are at fault.
I'd try resetting the code if there is one and see if the fault returns. Audi would do this, but then they miss out on a nice payday for possibly a spurious fault.

The light level is all part of the self levelling setup which has numerous other sensors so could be something simpler and cheaper.

[Shoppinit]

The headlamps are a bit crap. Mine don't hold their position very well either. There's no need to mess around with the Vagcom if your level sensors are working and set correctly. Just adjust them up like any other headlight and see if they stay. I marked my adjusters with a paint pen to see when they move out of position. If you've got the headlight warning lamp on though, that's a different matter.

There's no reason you need to be spending a grand. That's basically 2 headlights fitted, right? Or maybe even just one, knowing Audi.

[SuprSi]

I'm trying to find a way of not spending a fortune on mine.. All my adjusters are busted. I bought some cheap halogen A6 lights hoping to swap the good bits into them but don't know if the self leveling stuff will even fit.

Gripper, if it turns out you do need new headlights I'd be interested in buying your old ones off you.

[Shoppinit]

Where are your adjuster busted? Got any pics?

[SuprSi]

The big white nylon gears are slipping on the knurled shafts. I tried some decent epoxy which nearly worked.

I thought about pulling them off the new lights but then they'd probably slip too :/

Sorry OP for kinda hijacking your thread lol.

[Shoppinit]

Gotcha. Stupid weak plastic. You could drill through both perpendicular to the axis and insert a 1mm spring pin. You'll need a steady hand though.

Or make an insert for the nylon gear. Maybe one with 1 or 2 flats on it with corresponding flats on the shaft.

Lots of possible solutions.

Hold on, I'm sure there used to be someone selling those gears on ebay.

Sorry OP for kinda hijacking your thread lol.

Meh, he was taking too long to respond and I'm bored.

[SuprSi]

I wonder if drill it, and cut a deep cross into it with a dremel so it opens up when you wind a screw in. Probably more likely to fark it up totally lol.

I like your idea of using a spring pin though, I think I'll give that a go first.

I couldn't find any gears on eBay, although I might not be using the right words. Hmmm. Cheers bud

[Shoppinit]

I couldn't find any either. Maybe I dreamed it.

Or you could flatten the shaft somewhat at the end so that its oval and force / bond the gear back on.

Spring pin is the solution most likely to give you success IMO.

/even a 1mm dowel glued in will work. Might be even better than spring pin.

[Dave McB]

Does Trups not sell a modification kit?

Im pretty sure I stumbled across it while looking for something else