A3 8V driving light replacement

[kier333]

I have a 2013 A3 TDI sport, and I would like the change the headlight lamps and day time running lights which are both halogen for something more of a white as apposed to the current yellow but still keeping them as halogen.

Can anyone recommend anything decent that I can swap over. I have read Philips are good but I am unclear what I actually need. I would also be interested to know if this would affect my warranty if I changed the bulbs?

Thanks in advance

 

[Relliott6879]

I've had good results with Osram Nightbreaker bulbs on my other car.

 

[kier333]

Thanks, are the bulbs in a 8V easy to fit, and what figment doe sthe car take for the headlight and day driving lights?

 

[Relliott6879]

I'm afraid I've never had to change one, but I'm sure someone who knows will be along soon.

 

[matt_hilluk]

I'm after this info too

 

[kier333]

Anyone?

 

[MA3RC]

The daytime running lights H15 are very easy to change along with the sidelights W5W. the dipped beam are H7 and these are fiddily to change but by no means impossible. The passenger side is especially hard as the battery gets in the way and you can't actually see what you're doing. You are going purely by what you can feel.

Side lights wise I've got pure white W5W's from ebay around £2 and they look really good.
DRL's are not worth changing if I'm honest, the technology isn't there yet and the light output is terrible. I have tried a few that give a nice white light, but when you need your full beams they are like candles in a jamjar...
The dipped beam I am using Philips X Treme vision which give a much brighter, slightly whiter but ultimately still yellow ish light are the best I've used. I did try Philips Diamond vision which looked really good, they had a light blue tint but the light output was terrible.

Here's a post I made a little while back, hope it helps:

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/led-drla-retrofit-cost.222498/#post-2224583

 

[steeve]

I can recommend the products from PIAA

http://www.piaa.co.uk/

 

[Relliott6879]

The daytime running lights H15 are very easy to change along with the sidelights W5W. the dipped beam are H7 and these are fiddily to change but by no means impossible. The passenger side is especially hard as the battery gets in the way and you can't actually see what you're doing. You are going purely by what you can feel.

Side lights wise I've got pure white W5W's from ebay around £2 and they look really good.
DRL's are not worth changing if I'm honest, the technology isn't there yet and the light output is terrible. I have tried a few that give a nice white light, but when you need your full beams they are like candles in a jamjar...
The dipped beam I am using Philips X Treme vision which give a much brighter, slightly whiter but ultimately still yellow ish light are the best I've used. I did try Philips Diamond vision which looked really good, they had a light blue tint but the light output was terrible.

Here's a post I made a little while back, hope it helps:

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/led-drla-retrofit-cost.222498/#post-2224583

Marc, is there any chance you can put some pictures up of your car with side lights only and also side and dip? I'm interested in upgrading my bulbs as, like kier333, I'd like a whiter/less yellow beam for both. You mention DRLs, I thought the halogen headlights use the sidelights as DRLs, or have I got that wrong?

 

[MA3RC]

Yeah no worries I'll take some later when its a bit darker, the H15 bulb acts as the DRL and main beam. The side lights don't use any other function and the dipped are just the dipped.

 

[MA3RC]

Marc, is there any chance you can put some pictures up of your car with side lights only and also side and dip? I'm interested in upgrading my bulbs as, like kier333, I'd like a whiter/less yellow beam for both. You mention DRLs, I thought the halogen headlights use the sidelights as DRLs, or have I got that wrong?

Apologies for the pictures but it was raining outside

Sidelights:





Sidelights with fogs (the fogs are standard but have a blue lamin x film over them which changes the colour from yellow to a slightly whiter shade):



Dipped beam (Philips X Treme Vision):





Closeup:

 

[MA3RC]

If you need any other info then give me a shout

 

[kier333]

Thanks MA3RC,

That is exactly the look o want to achieve.

So just to confirm I need two side light bulbs and two main beam bulbs. Can you confirm where you purchased them from, would somewhere like Halfords stock them Philips X treme vision, and are the aforementioned Philips for both the side light/main beam and the dipped beam.

 

[MA3RC]

Yeah that's exactly it. I bought the Philips from Amazon approx £20. The eBay sidelight bulbs were about a quid. I'm not too sure if halfrauds stock them. EBay and the internet are always cheaper. I can send you the links in the morning If you like?

 

[TonyH38]

If you need any other info then give me a shout

Would like to say thank you for the information and pics, I lke the look of them so i will change mine in due course.

 

[MA3RC]

No problem it's what we're all here for at the end of the day. To gain and share knowledge.

I've actually just booked my car in to have HIDs fitted for Monday. I didn't want to attempt them myself. So fingers crossed they all work correctly and no wiper issues.

 

[kier333]

Has anyone used the following bulbs, if they work as advertised they would be perfect

http://www.ledperf.co.uk/pack-xenon-effects-headlight-bulbs-for-audi-a3-8v-p-5912.html

 

[steverobertsbbc]

I think you need to ask yourself if you are aiming to simply get a cosmetic effect here (ie white lights) or to improve the amount of illumination. The Philips Xtreme bulbs certainly improve the illumination, but the light is still fundamentally warmer coloured because it's a tungsten bulb. Tungsten emits yellow light, you can't get round that. To make it appear white, they simply put a blue filter round the bulb which cuts down some of the yellow light (reducing light output) and shifting the spectrum away from the warmer end. Personally, I went for the Philips bulbs because I wanted to be able to see more of the road at night, plus I think the blue filtered bulbs seen through the headlamp glass look really naff during the day...