My 1999 Audi has xenon front headlights (and they are expensive to replace)! Does anyone know of a less expensive option (perhaps halogen) for replacement that will fit into the headlight socket without being xenon? If so, can you point me in the right direction? Also, if there is no replacement option, please let me know that too.
Thanks in advance,
SFP
Xenon headlights require special wiring and a ballest that generates a 25,000 Volt surge for a very short period of time to start the light. When running the voltage is somewhere around 85 Volts. So there is no drop in replacement halogen bulb. I think that you will find that not only are the headlight units different, so is the wiring harness in the car. To do a conversion correctly would be very spendy (I’m guessing $1,000-1,500 in parts plus labor, assuming you bought everything retail)
OK. So I did some searching on the web, and found that there are xenon bulbs that you can buy, however I can’t tell if the bulb on my car has a replacable bulb, or it’s one unit. I didn’t see anything on the web that looks like what’s in the car right now.
What it looks like right now is that the light is one self-contained unit, including the socket, light and the outside hardware. NOT a replacable bulb. I don’t think there is a replacement halogen bulb, but what about a cheaper xenon bulb? The dealership told me that a replacement bulb is over 300 bucks. I would like another option!
Its fairly simple, in the dark if you hit something, the Law will say you were overdriving your headlights. It doesn’t matter what you say, you were speeding.
(bolding mine)
[nitpick]
The entire assembly is a lamp, lamp assembly, assembly, or the headlight. The bulb is the small thing inside that makes light.[/nitpick]
Just a WAG here, but I am sure that a complete lamp assembly for a late model Audi would be 2 or three times what the dealer qutoed you. So I am thinking that the $300 is for the bulb or for the bulb with the labor to install it. Was this quote from the parts department or the service department?
huh?
Doh! :smack:
preview is your friend
Let me try the quote again this time with the bolding corrected
nitpick is fine. I’m always happy to learn the correct terminology.
Based on what you said, I believe I just need the headlight AND the bulb inside it. However, if it just requires a bulb (which some of the websites imply) then all the better.
The quote was from the service department. It doesn’t look too hard to install. I’ve installed regular headlights with little trouble. The xenon looks like it twists out of the socket.
SFP
Pick up a dealer or Haynes service manual for your car (your library may have it) and see what’s involved in changing the bulb. If the steps are detailed there, and you feel you’re up to the task, there are many dealers online that can get you discounted Audi parts. A quick Google search should find them.
Now it’s my turn
Huh?
Based on this, one would believe that the entire assembly would have to be replaced. (I don’t think so, but hey I don’t work on Audi’s)
Then comes your last post
Your wording of this post would tend to indicate a replaceable bulb inside the headlight assembly.
Quotes from service departments ususally include labor, quotes from parts departments almost never include labor.
Running with Scissors has a great point, call a few other dealers and see what they quote you. Make sure you ask if that price is parts only or installed.
I really dont think I’m explaing this correctly.
Let’s see. Think of it looking like a normal sixty-watt bulb. All self contained, like the ones you might use in a lamp. The filament is enclosed in an air-tight light bulb. When it dies, it dies. Replace bulk when I realizd it was out and I had another one laying around.
My low beams look like this. My HIGH beams look like a small bulb inside a highly reflected silver coated concave mirror. To replace this, the bulb is removed from the back of the light assembly. They have never died, but their replacement appears to basic.
Sorry for the confusing question. I should have been asleep a looong hime aho,
What model Audi is it? I’m guessing an A6 or higher, since the 1999 A4 appears to use standard halogens. But anyway, Rick’s response is essentially correct, it’s unlikely that you’re going to find a simple drop-in replacement due to the electrical requirements of the Xenon bulbs. But I am encouraged to hear that these bulbs are now user-replaceable; IIRC the first Xenon headlamps on the market required that the entire assembly be replaced at a cost of over $1,000 per side.
Yeah, I really recommend getting a look at the service manual, that should explain everything, and let you know if it’s replaceable (my previous response was written before I reread the entire thread). Considering OEM replacements are under $200 (I saw $157 without searching too hard), and the dealer is quoting you $300 (which is way over the retail price), there’s a good chance that there is a large amount of labor involved; while it may look as if it’s non-replaceable; the mail-order places wouldn’t be selling a bulb if it couldn’t be used.
whoa. Sorry for the typos.
Ivar, thanks for the link. I have been to that website, and they don’t seem to have xenon lights.
Rick, sorry if I haven’t described this very well. In reading my posts, I have a hard time making out what I am trying to say!
A couple of notes. These lights died before, within one week of each other. I always thought that the xenon lights were supposed to have a very long life, but these babies don’t care about that. They were replaced under warranty, and after they were replaced, they no longer had the bluish hue. They look white, like any other bulb. The dealer had no answer for this, but they do not shine like they used to, making me wonder about the cheaper option.
In searching on the web, some audi parts stores have a xenon replacement bulb, that looks a lot like a regular halogen bulb. These are less than 50 bucks a pair, but I just can’t believe this is what I need.
Rick, my wording does imply that it is a replaceable bulb inside the headlight assembly. That doesn’t mean that I’m right. The high beam bulb is definitely something that I can replace myself that is a regular bulb only. The low beam xenon “bulb” is surrounded by glass. Think of it looking like a flashlight… except I can’t see the bulb inside the flashlight. It looks like a maglite that could be screwed into the assembly. It may also be part of the assembly, in which case I’d have to replace the whole thing. I am going to try to take a picture of this thing so you all can see it. In the meantime, I still can’t find anything out there in parts land that looks like it.
Thanks,
SFP