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

[kwalker705]

Question for you all them. My xenons seem to jump/skip up and down very quickly when I'm driving along, often see it on street signs and other cars. Im on coilovers, would that be the reason?

broken or loose brackets cause this on mine.

new top bracket on one lamp and repaired bottom inner mounts on both lamps saw it stop. Still a little vibration on country roads but my coilovers are set rock solid so thats causing the bouncing. Need to soften them up a little.

[Jonno1888]

when I bought it I noticed the dipped beam fault light on the dash, and the guy said he took it to a garage but the chap couldnt quite get his hand inside to reach it

Translation: This problem is too difficult / expensive to fix so I'll just downplay it when I sell the car.

What is on the Audi quote?

The headlights can be adjusted very easily indeed. The problem is that you've got a warning light on the dash so that needs to be addressed.

This is briefly what you need to do:

1. Check the physical integrity of the 2 level sensors, 1 front one rear. See the Bilstein installation thread for a pic of what you're looking for.
2. Check the voltage output from the level sensors. IIRC it ranges from 0 to 5V with 2.5V being "level" or mid-range. Manually change the range and check the voltage. You can do this with the vagcom.
3. Put the car in headlight adjustment mode with the vagcom
4. Adjust the headlights in the usual way
5. Learn the position with the vagcom

Thanks for this. All thats on the Audi quote is 'NSF headlight will not adjust, requires new lamp. HRC - £1052

FFS!!

[Shoppinit]

Jonno, how did you get on with the headlights?

SuprSi, did you sort your adjuster?

[SuprSi]

Jonno, how did you get on with the headlights?

SuprSi, did you sort your adjuster?

I haven't got round to doing it yet but the parts you linked me to have arrived and I'm 99% sure they're the right bits. I'll try to get it done soon

[Jonno1888]

Hi all

Interesting update here, that could be positive. The headlights now appear to have fixed themselves and are moving automatically again! The warning light on the dash has gone, and they point beautifully ahead......but only when I am stationary!!

As soon as I start driving, they point down again. But the mechanism is obviously working contrary to Audi report, as you can see them moving when you turn the car on.

So with this in mind, it feels like this is possibly an easier fix, ie the motors are working but clearly something wrong with the sensor, maybe it thinks I have more weight than I do on board?

Any suggestions would be gratefully received as I dont really know where to go from here

Cheers
Jonno

[ChrisRS6]

Aren't there 2 sensors that figure out the load of the car - one in a front wheelarch and one in the rear somewhere?

Sounds like one/both are talking gibberish.

Somebody how knows more than me will be along soon.

[IanH755]

If the sensors think the front of the car is pointing up too far (like there's a heavy weight in the boot) then the motors will try to drive the lights to point as low as possible to prevent blinding on-coming traffic. Once the lights can't go any further (but are still receiving a "point lower" signal from a dodgy sensor) it will flash an error saying "I need to point further down but the motor has run out of movement" which seems to give the issue you're having.

So either the front sensor is reading the front suspension is too "high" or the back sensor reading that the suspension is too "low" or (less realistically) both have failed. However, both should be readable via Vagcom and you should be able to see the voltage readings for each sensor change as you bounce the car up and down. If one doesn't alter then thats you're dodgy sensor.

Voltages should be +2.5v when the car is level with a range of 0v to +5v (min/max) so if one of those sensors is near 0v or 5v then thats your issue.

[Shoppinit]

when I bought it I noticed the dipped beam fault light on the dash, and the guy said he took it to a garage but the chap couldnt quite get his hand inside to reach it

Translation: This problem is too difficult / expensive to fix so I'll just downplay it when I sell the car.

What is on the Audi quote?

The headlights can be adjusted very easily indeed. The problem is that you've got a warning light on the dash so that needs to be addressed.

This is briefly what you need to do:

1. Check the physical integrity of the 2 level sensors, 1 front one rear. See the Bilstein installation thread for a pic of what you're looking for.
2. Check the voltage output from the level sensors. IIRC it ranges from 0 to 5V with 2.5V being "level" or mid-range. Manually change the range and check the voltage. You can do this with the vagcom.
3. Put the car in headlight adjustment mode with the vagcom
4. Adjust the headlights in the usual way
5. Learn the position with the vagcom

[IanH755]

Ah, Shop you beat me before my edit with the voltages!

[Jonno1888]

Many thanks indeed guys. I think I will have to take it in somewhere and get it done. Anyone know of somewhere recommended in the Cambridge area that isnt an Audi dealership?

[Shoppinit]

If you get a Vagcom you could do it yourself. Or maybe there is a kindly Vagcom owner local to you who will help you out.

[jockthedog]

I wonder if these gears would fit. They look very similar:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-S-type ... 1224115987

Can I check - are these really the ones we need? Or was this just about the wee gears, and not the insides?

My driver-side lamp is buggered, thanks to someone trying to over-adjust to make up for a too-low suspension setup.
Website says not compatible but I wanted to check

[jockthedog]

light isn't as fooked as I thought and one of these is now installed in place of the missing white cog.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252246513820


Needed to drill it out to 5mm, and shorten the locking screw, and trim the plastic teeth a bit, but it fits better than the terminal block I'd used.

[Shoppinit]

Repair job with Meccano. You are my hero.

[ahoooga]

But no 'Blue Peter' badge as you didn't use any sticky back plastic.