2009 Sportback Sport Headlights - Front Headlight Bulb Change & Cluster Removal

[Grantwils]

Hi All

I have done a search with no luck so apologies if this has been asked previously. I have one pressing issue and a question I've been wondering for a while so I thought I'd pipe up.

I have a 2009 A3 Sportback Sport which recently blew a headlight. After a bit of fiddling around I changed the drivers side however changing the passenger side was a nightmare/failure. I'm going to need to remove the cluster to fix the mess - is there a guide on here or can someone advise on this? I'm assuming it's a couple of bolts however don't want to make a mistake (I hate to think how much audi charge for a replacement if I break it).

As an aside I have been wondering why my car has DRLs but they're not LEDs which I see on cars of the same year. I selected auto lights which always have at least DRLs on. These dim individually if the indicator is flashing and seem to be the same bulb as sidelights (however sidelights are dimmer than DRLs).

Thanks everyone. What a cracking forum this is.

 

[audicruiser]

LED drls were only with Xenon headlights. You have the standard drl that act as sidelights aswell which is why they go dimmer when you switch your sidelights on.

As for the bulb question, sorry cant help with that one!

 

[degraffb]

I had to do the xenons on my housings and had to go via the wheel well. Follow this DIY to get much easier access to the back of your headlight housing for replacement. VWVortex.com - DIY: Changing/Conversion HID D3S Bulbs on Audi A3 2010 w/ DRL Bi-Xenon Headlamps This should work for access of the halogen headlight also.

 

[FranA3]

if the headlights are anything like the older generation of A3 then to remove the headlight you have to remove the front bumper first as there is bolts under the headlight if I'm wrong someone correct me

 

[NHN]

Just remove the wheel arch liner, then go in behind there, but tbh its a pita for anyway to change a bulb, so best bet is to remove front bumper & remove the headlight with the headlight bracket as its much easier this way instead of removing from the bracket, imho.

 

[Grantwils]

Thank you to all who contributed to this thread.

I now know why I've not got LED DRLs now and I also managed to fix the headlight by removing the wheelarch liner. I would never have thought of that myself! What a ****** stupid design it is though. I think I had bent the bulb holder slightly during my attempts to follow the instructions with my man-hands. After a couple of adjustments it seems to be in fairly tight now so hopefully that's it sorted. I wonder how many calls Audi get asking for new bulb holders and having to fix the mess when someone attempts to follow the instructions to change a bulb.

Incidentally I changed the headlight bulbs on my Lexus IS200 after I sorted the Audi. It took less than two minutes per side!