Pre to post facelift headlight upgrade

[calvin]

The headlamps on my 98 S4 are getting on a bit; I'm having to polish the lenses regularly to get rid of the cloudyness on the plastic covers and at least one of the adjusters has seized..

Time to upgrade to the post-facelift methinks.

I've looked before and there seem tobe a range of prices for what look like the same thing on fleabay - I am fussy and want an OEM fit - do v.good originals come up, are they expensive at the dealer, or is there a very good aftermarket version that anyone swears by?

Oh, and mine are Bi-Xenons (not they arent, they are plain Xenon / HID jobbies!) too with the auto adjusters - Siena reckoned that I could retrofit my guts to a later lamp assembly - is my understanding correct?

Thanks!

 

[slepy]

You will need to get Bi-xenon headlights and these are not cheap.
To be honest haven't seen facelift car with bi-xenons. Maybe only S4 and RS4 have them? Not sure.
None of the Chinese fakes will be good for you. Most of them are not prepared for xenon.

 

[aragorn]

They're not bixenons.

They have HID Dip Beam, and Halogen main. BiXenons have HID for both.

You might be able to install your HID projectors into any old set of facelift lamps. Alternatively, you'd need to buy a pair of facelift HID units, and then transfer over your ballasts bulbs and wiring etc.

Theres a seller on ebay just now who has new "Genuine" facelift xenon headlamp units for sale for £100 each. If they are real then thats probably your best bet.

 

[calvin]

Thanks Aragorn - sorry for confusion over what I have!

Saw those on ebay, so that's prolly what I was being pointed at by Siena - updated casings, for my gubbins to transfer over into.

Will make some enquiries - otherwise could be an expensive ornament!!

 

[calvin]

on a slightly related point, do the foglamp bulb holders from another car fit the S4? I dont need the whole assembly, just the carriers that twist into the glass / front section?

 

[Blue_Thunder]

When I bought facelift lights I planned to transfer my pre-facelift xenon (dipped beams) across. Was too much of a ballache in the end as the ballast wouldn't have fit neatly anywhere and the wiring would need to be reowrked, so sold the pre-facelift S4 lights on here and used that money to buy a decent set of aftermarket HIDs.

 

[slepy]

Sorry for thread hijacking.
How big job it is to swap pre to facelift headlights?
Want to get genuine audi from braker.
Should I get them with harness and just connect wires together OR
all sockets are the same with old and new headlights?

 

[Blue_Thunder]

Not a huge job. You need to cut some metal away from the wing, prime it and paint it (although it won't be visible, this is just to prevent rust).
You'll need the connectors from a facelift loom as they are a D shape rather than round like pre-facelift.

 

[adamss24]

As Blue Thunder said, its not a big job just time consuming as you need to trim the lip on the wings for the lights to sit properly. Dont go for aftermarket lights as they are and look cheap. Keep looking on ebay as they came from time to time and get them new. Even new Valeo ones are cheap from ECP, i paid 80 quid for 1 after getting the other from ebay for £10.99...

 

[slepy]

Yeap, genuine audi is what will be looking for.
Cheers guys.

 

[Blue_Thunder]

If you can't get hold of the connectors from a breakers, they aren't unreasonably priced from Audi.

Unfortunately I didn't find that out until after I'd had my pants pulled down by one of the big national breakers!

Think you can get the light units (Halogen) for approx £100 for a pair new. Try Allparts SouthWest if you can't find any cheap on eBay.

 

[VAG-Slag]

DEAD THREAD REVIVAL!!!

Have opinions or methods on this changed at all in the past 7 years? . . Or is the only way to upgrade OEM pre-face HIDs to facelift HIDs by the use of a HID specific head lamp (from S4/RS4) or by using an aftermarket HID kit?

Would really like to avoid using aftermarket HIDs if I can...

 

[aragorn]

yep or the third option is to retrofit some HID projector units into the halogen facelift headlamp.

I started a set some years ago but have never finished them.

 

[VAG-Slag]

yep or the third option is to retrofit some HID projector units into the halogen facelift headlamp.

I started a set some years ago but have never finished them.

Ok, thanks for the prompt reply... And was it only the S4/RS4 that came with factory HID's? . . Or are there a few well spec'd A4's out there with HIDs?

 

[aragorn]

My parents TQS has factory HID's, so it was presumably an option, just one that not many folk chose.