Audi A6 C6 with Bi Xenon Headlights - bulb help!

Lion Heart

Lion Heart

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Hi guys

Just bought a C6 A6 for my partner. It has bi-xenons so both xenon bulbs are housed within the same lens within the headlight.

That's fine,understand that!

However, two things:

In the other large round lens in the headlight there is a bigger bulb in the middle, and a small bulb above this at the top of the lens...

1) Is the large lens the daytime running light bulb? What type of bulb is that?

2) Is the little one the coming home light AND sidelight? Seems to be 501 bulb type.

The previous owner installed LED 501 bulbs into the top one, and it comes up with a warning when you put the ignotion on that bulbs are out, and those two LED 501's don't currently illuminate at all. I assume they are not CANBUScompatible bulbs.

Is there normally an issue upgrading either of these two bulbs to an LED equivalent, provided they are CANBUS compatible of course?

Thanks guys!
 
Oh yes, 2008 BTW. Not sure if that makes any difference what-so-ever :)
 
Send us picture.
Sound like modded headlamps to me


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Pretty surethey are standard factory bi Xenon's. Image...
 

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Here's a better image I just took. I have drawn a circle around the two bulbs I'm talking about.

You can see on the left side of the image is the Bi-Xenon lens, and this image shows the inner lens of the two, which has two bulbs.

It's a high spec factory car so has coming home and daytime running light options.

Any ideas?
 

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Just did the factory code checker using the build label, definitely factory Bi-Xenon's:

PRCode: 8EC = Bi-functional headlight with gas discharge lamp for driving on the left
PRCode: 8Q3 = Automatic headlight-range adjustment dynamic (self-adjusting while driving)
 
Forgot this bi-xenon option.

Position (drl) bulb will be most likely 501 (w5w)
As for the main beam one, should be H7 or H11.
Any booklet with the car?

Coming / leaving home lights usually are enabled/disabled via mmi (with delay choice) and come up as drl + fogs.
At least mine 2010 avant have it like that.


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Which bulb should illuminate when I switch on just sidelights?

Currently when I select sidelights on the switch nothing at all illuminates (on the front, rear is ok).

The round bulb in the middle looks more like a 383 or similar bulb. This illuminates when the switch is set to auto, I think like DRL.

So I'm trying to find out of those two bulbs which sholdilluminate for sidelights, and which should illuminate for DRL.

Also, for coming home lights is it the fog lights that illuminate?
 
From what I understand, sidelights supposed to work when any option from the switch is selected.

Fogs should come on as coming / leaving home.

Any booklet with the car?


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But which is the two bulbs is sidelight?

And what is the other bulb for?

Yes, I have the manual but it does not give a diagram of the eadlights, and it only gves instructions for replacing the indicator bulb as the other bulbs require moving components (e.g. air box) and so to be done by qualified technician. The usual nonsense.

Here is a much better photo I found online where you can see the two bubs very clearly.
 

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Bigger bulb should be main beam, smaller one side light.
I have leds at the bottom of the lamp but xenon bulb with lens for dipped and halogen bulb for main beam.

Switch the main beam on with stalk by the steering wheel and you see which one is on.
Flashing main beam should be from the xenon bulb with lens.

Your last picture is A4 and don’t know how the bulb replacement would look like in there.

A6 xenon bulbs do require air box and steering fluid reservoir removal to get to them. Main beam bulbs replacement is a bumper off job.
Not so technical but with patience and general tips you can do it on a driveway.

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Last edited:
Thank you for the input.

Yes, mine are different. I don't have the drl led strip along the bottom.

Also mine are bi xenon. Both xenon bulbs are within the same lens for main beam and high beam (I've tested this and this is definitely how these work).

Yes, the last image is an a4 but a good clear image of the same bulb layout I have with xenon one side and two bulbs the other.

It would make sense if the small top bulb was sidelights, and the larger halogen bulb was drl actually.

In mine the small bulbs are aftermarket led and I believe not canbus compatible ones as they throw an error on the dash when you switch on the ignition. I've never seen those led bulbs light up. Maybe if the car thinks they are blown it sends them no power?

When I choose auto headlights the halogen bulb lights up, so I think this is the drl as I have that option enabled in Mimi.

But when I choose sidelights nothing illuminates. I guess when you choose sidelights it would disable drl so that both are not running together.

So I'm hoping if I change the two small led bulbs then I should be good. Are those easy to change? Hopefully not bumper off?
 
If the car detects a blown bulb, it does shut off power, so non-canbus LEDs may not light up at all.

You may be able to change the bulbs with the headlights in situ, but removing the bumper only takes about 10-15 minutes. Just be aware that if you do need to remove the headlamps that they fit on adjustable mounts that screw in an out, so don't move them or the headlight unit may not line up properly with the bumper and wing again. Also, I would make the position on the headlight on the mount so that it goes back into exactly the same place again.
 
Both xenons ? It has only 1 xenon per headlight ...

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niedzial1983 said:
Both xenons ? It has only 1 xenon per headlight ...

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Click to expand...

Bi-Xenon, so main beam AND dipped beam both Xenon. They are in the same outer reflector. NOt sure if it's one bulb or two in there, but that one reflector does both dipped and full beam Xenon.
 
Lion Heart said:
Bi-Xenon, so main beam AND dipped beam both Xenon. They are in the same outer reflector. NOt sure if it's one bulb or two in there, but that one reflector does both dipped and full beam Xenon.
Click to expand...
Yep still 1 xenon per headlight. There is a flap inside :) in 2004-2009 are d2s and 2009+ facelifted d3s

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Simon968 said:
If the car detects a blown bulb, it does shut off power, so non-canbus LEDs may not light up at all.

You may be able to change the bulbs with the headlights in situ, but removing the bumper only takes about 10-15 minutes. Just be aware that if you do need to remove the headlamps that they fit on adjustable mounts that screw in an out, so don't move them or the headlight unit may not line up properly with the bumper and wing again. Also, I would make the position on the headlight on the mount so that it goes back into exactly the same place again.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm thinking what may have happened is because the smaller bulbs are blown, it is sending them no power, and the larger bulb is being used temporarily as the DRL.

This would explain why when I select side lights nothing illuminates as it's swapped the function to DRL.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens whe I change these bulbs over. All ordered. Waiting for them to arrive.
 
Lion Heart said:
But which is the two bulbs is sidelight?

And what is the other bulb for?

Yes, I have the manual but it does not give a diagram of the eadlights, and it only gves instructions for replacing the indicator bulb as the other bulbs require moving components (e.g. air box) and so to be done by qualified technician. The usual nonsense.

Here is a much better photo I found online where you can see the two bubs very clearly.
Click to expand...
This photo is not a6 c6 , i think its form a4

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niedzial1983 said:
This photo is not a6 c6 , i think its form a4
Click to expand...

Yes, that is correct. That was covered earlier in the post actually. It IS an A4, but has the same bulb arrangement as my A6, just a REALLY good and clear image that shows the bulb layout.
 
Ok, so I've changed the two 501 bulbs, which are the smaller ones at the top.

No warnings on dash now, and they work.

The 501 bulbs are the sidelights, and it seems also the DRL as well.

The larger bulb did nothing on my tests (headlights on, auto, sidelights only). I'm thinking maybe those are only for flashing, so not to engage the Xenon to flash. I'll test that.

But those small 501's are defnitely sidelights, and pretty sure the DRL too.
 
501 are sidelights ( led strip in facelifted)
P21 are drl ( led strip in facelifted)
D2s main beem (d3s in facelifted)
H7 halogen (h11 facelifted) also coming home lights

At least this is what i have

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Lion Heart.

Did you ever get to the bottom of what that larger bulb did? I have exactly the same issue. Brought a secondhand A6 C6 4.2, but cannot get the light to work or determine what it does or how it operates. I have had the bulbs out and changed the bulb that is fitted (a P21 watt single filament bulb).

Any help might retain what hair I have left on my head as I am slowly pulling it out.

Thanks RSVGreg
 
Try switching on the daytime running light on the car menu on the MIMI, and report back what happens :)
 
Hey Presto, they work. Thanks so much. I guess the upside is I already know how to change the bulbs on either side should they go wrong in future
 
The central bulb is probably just for flashing, Xenon's didn't turn on and off quick enough to be useful for that.

My bi-xenon e60 had a lens and bulb where the main beam would be, that only came on when you pulled back on the stalk.
 
Good news! Yes, the large bulb is daytime running, the tiny bulb in the top of the same cluster is sidelights. Xenon in the second cluster does both standard and high beam (bi xenon).

Or at least that's my set up :)
 
Coming in late here, but you are correct large bulb is daytime running light. You can switch on/off in the settings. Mine came with standard bulb which was 382. did not match the xenons at all so I switched them out for the below. Muck better match this time. Also the one above this is the sidelight, I just have matching white coloured 501 bulbs in there.

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/b...fords-advanced-twin-pack?_br_psugg_q=382+bulb
 
Thanks for the input! Nice to get something locked down with a concrete answer Doesn't always happen!!

Yes, LED bulbs upgrade is a nice option HOWEVER, make sure that the bulbs you buy are CanBus compatible, otherwise it will throw a warning light on the dash every time you start the car The previous owner had installed LED 501's for the side lights, and I had this exact issue. Changed them back to standard 501's and warning gone.

Provided the bulbs are CanBus compatible they should be fine though. The ones he installed, it seems, were non CanBus versions :-(
 
BTW, the Halford's bulbs do not state they are CanBus, BUT they are quite pricey compared to eBay ones, and Halford's don't need the hassle of returns etc, so they are probably CanBus compatible as standard, but they don't make a thing of it. When buying on eBay, they are cheaper, but not all are CanBus. Worth remembering.
 
Yeah it was really just to let you know what has worked for me, I know searching on forums it is tough to get a straight answer. These DRL LED bulbs have been in my car for 3 months now with no error message. Your right it is cheaper to go on ebay, but I find a hassle to return. This way i could just bring them back to Halfords and get a quick refund. Havent had an issue though.
 
V13MKE said:
Yeah it was really just to let you know what has worked for me, I know searching on forums it is tough to get a straight answer. These DRL LED bulbs have been in my car for 3 months now with no error message. Your right it is cheaper to go on ebay, but I find a hassle to return. This way i could just bring them back to Halfords and get a quick refund. Havent had an issue though.
Click to expand...
Start the car and turn off the lights. Observe the led , it will flash every 30 seconds as the car checks for faulty bulbs

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As you say given it's an LED it will flash when checking for faulty bulbs, but during the day DRL's are on so not an issue and as I have auto headlights xenons come on at night so have never driven with the lights off. We all know there is never a perfect solution when it comes to LED's but I am happy woth the outcome of mine. none of that horrible yellow halogen glow!
 
My xenon high beam is not working either. Would it be a simple xenon globe change or is it mechanical?
 
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