A3 2005 2.0 TDi Xenon Headlamp Fault

[Iain 750]

This is my first post other than in newbies section and hopefully someone can help me.
I picked up my 05 plate 2.0 TDi sline off my friends dad on sunday but sometimes when you turn the headlights on the drivers side doesnt come on but then if you turn it off then back on again it comes on!
Has anyone else come across this?
Thanks for any help.

 

[Iain 750]

No one come across this problem??
It has now started flickering and goes off whilst driving intermittantly!

 

[NHN]

Its possibly the bulb or ballast/igniter pack mate, you need to swap bulbs 1st & test, dont do with anything turned on as the start up current is dangerous mate, very, if bulb swap doesnt fix then need to test the ballast pack from other side which means headlights out job.

 

[Iain 750]

To get lights out is this a bumper off job??

 

[NHN]

Yes mostly or risk cracking the plastics of the bumper.

 

[roman3000]

I managed to change by bulbs with the lights on (i have the same car), it was such a pain in the a** but possible.

 

[PH1L]

the igniter is underneath the headlight though, and yes you can change them with the bumper on wheel off and wheel arch down is the quickest and easiest way. like nige says it will either be the ballast or possibly a corroded connection in the 14 pin plug

 

[NHN]

Can you honestly get the module of bottom with arch liner out, cause elsa says headlight out job & I also didnt think you could access the module given its underneath, although elsa does miss a few tricks we find, but thats 1 didnt think could be done.

 

[PH1L]

i was reffering to the bulb nige the module is tight above the inner wing etc youd never get a screwdriver in to remove it so yes its a bumper off, if its a prefacelift the lights will come out without removing the bumper but this poses great risk to your pains and plastics. to sum up bumper off of all the 5 minute job it is (if youre on a ramp) or 15-25 minute job it is on the ground

 

[NHN]

Ahhhh the vision is cleared lol

 

[PH1L]

yeah put it down to the long runup to christmas

 

[Iain 750]

Cheers guys will have a go when i get a spare hour at work on the ramp!!

 

[PH1L]

let us know how you get on