S3 Xenons Dim

[bennn]

Ive just driven my S3 in the dark and on dipped beam the lights seem very dim (much worse than the xenons on my astra GSI)

I read a common problem is that the xenons point towards the ground and fear this may be the problem with mine.

Im fitting new bulbs as one light is more yellow than the other, so im tempted to fit some brighter ones.

If it is that they are pointing downwards what is likley to be the cause and where can i get the parts from and how do i do it? Ive read something about self levelling sensors on the wishbones?

Its a 1999 with 63K on it btw.

Cheers,

Ben

 

[s3_stig]

I think you can do it via vagcom mate

 

[Andrew@A.L.D]

Bad earth maybe?

 

[Nilz]

Could be the motors, you can manually adjust them, if you pop the bonnet, next to the lights, there is a little white screw, you need an allen key to adjust, give this a go and see how you get on.

 

[bennn]

Bad earth maybe?

Will this be the earth to the Xenons lights, imagine a clean up should help?

Could be the motors, you can manually adjust them, if you pop the bonnet, next to the lights, there is a little white screw, you need an allen key to adjust, give this a go and see how you get on.

OK is there a technique to doing this? As i dont want to set them too high and blind other road users.

I think you can do it via vagcom mate

RIght might have to ask at midland VW while its having its belt done.

Cheers for advice all.

 

[Dane]

The headlight covers themselves are probably pitted and scratched too, so if you can be bothered you could try sanding them back with finer and finer grades of abrasive/ find tufftys post about it and copy what he did.

 

[Nilz]

No technique really, just have the car lights on and adjust, just give them a twist and see if it makes a difference, I did it on mine, looks like the motor was just stuck, once I did it, they were sorted.

Are you from the Mids??

 

[Biggied]

The correct way to do the headlight aim is to use vagcom & put them into the basic setting/referance position then adjust them as mentioned above & save the new settings via vagcom, don't know the cannel numbers off hand tho but from the sounds of things you may get away without using vagcom as others here seemed to have managed. Giving the lenses a good proper clean up & getting the alignment sorted on cars this age usually makes a worth while differance.

My N/S bulb has also gone a bit yellow so I've picked up a pair of 8000k bulbs off ebay for £15 (yes thats a pair of xenons for £15) I'm going to take some before & after pics when I fit them. They apear to be good quailty for the price compared to Audi £100(ish) each efforts. The factory bulbs are 4300k as far as I'm aware which refers to the light output & colour spectrum of the bulb, the lower the number the more light ouput there is which makes them white, the higher numbers such as mine have less light output but more of a blue light rather than white. I don't think you'd notice alot of differance in the light output but the colour does vary alot. If you do a search on google images theres plenty of pics of the differant colours & I'll shall report back on my findings.

Ewan.

 

[Nilz]

Hey Ewan, dont you find the 8k a bit too blue??

I think the majority of people on here normaly go for the 4,3k or the 6 i think it is, however, will be good to see some pics once you have done the swap mate, oh and i hear its a right PITA to change the bulbs so good luck with that

I tried to do my sidelights, but ended up giving up after a while.

 

[Biggied]

I've yet to get the bulbs fitted & havn't actually seen a set in person, bellow is a pic I found on google images & I've used this as a rough guide, going by the pic I'm happy with the colour of them.

As for fitting them, I've done bulbs in the past that are far more difficult than the 8L so not to worried about that.

Ewan.