2002 A3 Headlamp Adjuster

[soulsurfer]

Just failed an MOT on my 2002 TDi Sport due to the headlamp pointing to the ground. This happened to me before on the nearside lamp that I managed to swing under warranty. The offside has now gone the same i.e. the cog on the adjuster has come away and the lamp dropped. I still have the cog, but is there a way to repair this as I don't relish the cost of a new lamp?
Many thanks
Mike

 

[NHN]

Halogen or xenon headlamps mate & all thats happened most likely is its been screwed of its rubber fixing mate, remove headlights & get yer torch/neck in there & fix them back on, should be possible, pics if cant resolve might help us to advise further.

 

[soulsurfer]

Hi NHN, probably not explained very well, here's some pics...

You can see the gearwheel I 'm talking about. Any ideas how this can be fixed back on as the lamp drops so the spindle needs to be held out somehow so the gearwheel can be fixed back on, if you know what I mean

 

[NHN]

The wheel thats come of can be glued back on with superglue/epoxy tbh & the issues are inside the lense if it has dropped all the way down & doesnt come back up via the wheels given this controls a threaded end that goes onto the lense that obviously goes up & down as the thread is turned one way or other.

 

[soulsurfer]

If the spindle is pulled back and forth, the light moves up and down. To glue the gearwheel in the correct place, the spindle needs to be pulled out yet the weight of the light will just pull the spindle back in. I can't see how the spindle can be pulled out so that the gearwheel can be glued in the correct place.

 

[soulsurfer]

...unless it can be glued in the full down position and the spindle turned in further to adjust the light up???

 

[NHN]

Thats cause as already stated the thread is wound all the way down mate, if you turn that metal rod it will wind the headlight back up, thats why the white wheel thats comes of sits on the end of the metal rod & just turns inside onto the thread that the headlight is fixed to, in actual real use the function doesnt work by pulling the rod outward to lift headlight, it sits as per the other image & just turns the thread.

What someone has done is wound it so it hits the bottom & then thought its stuck & continued to wind it down against the base of the headlight & thus threaded the plastic wheel.

 

[soulsurfer]

What someone has done is wound it so it hits the bottom & then thought its stuck & continued to wind it down against the base of the headlight & thus threaded the plastic wheel.

It hasn't been wound in, my friend. All that has happened is the gearwheel has come off thus allowing the spindle to move in and the lamp to drop. If the spindle is pulled out and the gearwheel fixed back on then problem solved, therein lies the problem

 

[NHN]

Ok agree to disagree on whats happened as I know how most of these go wrong, but just pull out the rod & stick a cable tie on it to stop it from falling back in then glue the wheel back on in correct place, then when superglue dried also epoxy it where rod fixes then leave for an hour then remove cable tie so it drops back in place, but whats to stop the rod of coming back outwards, something doesnt sound right & maybe cause I cant see the whole issue, anymore images to see the rod pulled out & the internal of headlight.

 

[soulsurfer]

Top tip, I'll try that and post the results.

I'll also see if I can get some more pics up.
Cheers

 

[08080808]

hi, sorry to jump on, but doe anyone know or have a spare part like this? i need the top part of the white spindle part and i don't want to have to buy an entire headlight unit. any help is appreciated!