LED Headlight help needed!!

[Moltentom]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and was wondering if anyone could help.

The sidelight/daytime running light recently went on my Audi (8v 2014). The issue is that the previous owner has retrofitted to the Hella LED headlights (picture attached) in which the sidelight isn't a bulb and is instead an LED strip. I really don't want to have to purchase a complete new headlight (priced at ~£300). Ive scarred the internet and cant find any replacement led.

Has anybody had this issue before with these lights? is there any way to fix or replace just the LED?

any help would greatly be appreciated!
below is the autodoc link to the product,

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/hella/9156959

 

[jrumball]

Are you sure they are not an OEM part and Hella is just the manufacture for Audi ?
Headlights are generally sealed units, repairs are always possible but generally not worth the hassle ...

 

[CanadaA3wales]

WOW I did not know you could buy Audi LED lights for £300.00 each, I have always been told they were about £1000.00 which stopped me upgrading.
But yes Hella do a lot of OEM parts for lights, but unsure if these units are OEM

 

[Dubjam]

Its time to heat up the oven...quite literally. The only way that glass is coming off.

 

[Dubjam]

WOW I did not know you could buy Audi LED lights for £300.00 each, I have always been told they were about £1000.00 which stopped me upgrading.
But yes Hella do a lot of OEM parts for lights, but unsure if these units are OEM

It's not including the ballast or the bulb...add those up, and you will be near to £500 a side anyway.

 

[CanadaA3wales]

It's not including the ballast or the bulb...add those up, and you will be near to £500 a side anyway.

Ah I see, I did notice it was missing some stuff, so not worth upgrading for some extra light.

 

[Dubjam]

Ah I see, I did notice it was missing some stuff, so not worth upgrading for some extra light.

I disagree, my feelings have never changed on this - Halogen bulbs should be banned from use on vehicles now that we have better technology, as they are quite simply, appalling .

 

[CanadaA3wales]

I disagree, my feelings have never changed on this - Halogen bulbs should be banned from use on vehicles now that we have better technology, as they are quite simply, appalling .

Yes I agree they are not that great.
I have priced up a full kit
£283.00 for the units
£35.00 per ballast
and about £50.00 per LED light.

So about £350.00 ish per side, depending on how cheap you can get some LED bulbs

I suppose if you do a lot of night driving it would be worth it, but for me right now, I am only driving at night once every 2 weeks.

So are they still making Halogen even with the 2021 cars? I thought LED would be standard by now.

 

[Dubjam]

Yes I agree they are not that great.
I have priced up a full kit
£283.00 for the units
£35.00 per ballast
and about £50.00 per LED light.

So about £350.00 ish per side, depending on how cheap you can get some LED bulbs

I suppose if you do a lot of night driving it would be worth it, but for me right now, I am only driving at night once every 2 weeks.

So are they still making Halogen even with the 2021 cars? I thought LED would be standard by now.

How are you going to incorporate the self levelling system and headlamp washers? Xenons require these, especially the latter by law I think now on the MOT.

Those units linked are not LED headlamps, they are Xenon, and the Xenon lamps incorporate an LED running light, which I think is the bit that has gone faulty with the OP's.

I think halogens are still used, even by Audi on the entry level cars. Ridiculous really, but I cant see it changing anytime soon especially within the VAG group as they have that emissions scandal bill to pay for..hence why all the new cars have crummy door cards

 

[CanadaA3wales]

So they rip us off and get a huge fine and no criminal charges of fraud
And we are probably paying for it with new cars, as they have increased the price without adding anything to justify these prices.
Got to love Big companies getting away with Fraud - then penalise new owners with their mistakes.
I bet this is why they took off google maps, as they didnt want to pay for it

 

[Dubjam]

So they rip us off and get a huge fine and no criminal charges of fraud
And we are probably paying for it with new cars, as they have increased the price without adding anything to justify these prices.
Got to love Big companies getting away with Fraud - then penalise new owners with their mistakes.
I bet this is why they took off google maps, as they didnt want to pay for it

No one needs to buy a new car..so the new owners merely penalise themselves by bending over and taking it just for something new and shiny.

I agree, Google Maps was probably removed for the cost implications.

Fraud is pretty much a daily occurrence in big business..our own government commits acts every single day, just dressed up in certain ways, this was just one instance where it caught up with them.

 

[traindweller]

How are you going to incorporate the self levelling system and headlamp washers? Xenons require these, especially the latter by law I think now on the MOT.

@Dubjam are you sure, my wife specced xenon on her 2019 a3 and no washers fitted.

 

[Dubjam]

@Dubjam are you sure, my wife specced xenon on her 2019 a3 and no washers fitted.

I think, post 2017, apparently if the bulb output is now less than 2000lumens they aren't needed, but the PFL cars, which are the cars mentioned on this thread above, would need them fitted as the light out put is above this hence why they where fitted from the factory.

I *think* anyway, unless things have changed again, which happens fairly regularly.

I am not sure if the date is a thing, I have never come across earlier cars without headlight washers, but Xenons was definitely a bit of a legislation nightmare, especially when lads, (such as myself) were fitting xenons to every car they had from an early age! I never failed an MOT because of them, but I know a few who have had failures now because of them.

 

[CanadaA3wales]

I would imagine the self leveling system that you say is needed wont be cheap, also coding on top of this, so you could be looking at well over £600 each by the time you are done.

 

[Dubjam]

I would imagine the self leveling system that you say is needed wont be cheap, also coding on top of this, so you could be looking at well over £600 each by the time you are done.

Only if you care, if you have a nice MOT tester...

Xenon bulb kits are pretty darn good. Does yours have projectors already?

 

[CanadaA3wales]

Mine are projectors I think
They have this weird metal square in front of the lights as well, never seen them on a car before.
Probably sound stupid saying metal square in front of lights LOL

I know HID Direct do LED with Canbus for around £60.00, but have been told its illegal to put LED in a projector housing as it dazzles other motorists due to the Projector type housing, I am not sure the legallity of it all.

 

[Dubjam]

Mine are projectors I think
They have this weird metal square in front of the lights as well, never seen them on a car before.
Probably sound stupid saying metal square in front of lights LOL

I know HID Direct do LED with Canbus for around £60.00, but have been told its illegal to put LED in a projector housing as it dazzles other motorists due to the Projector type housing, I am not sure the legallity of it all.

They say this..but then I never had any issues. Drive up to a garage door at night, you can pretty much draw your beam on the door. Then fit your HID's and do the same. 9/10, it'll be the same.

The only time I ever had an issue was when I removed by accident the beam 'cap' off the inside of the projector which stops the light spilling upwards, I was literally driving head on to people with full round xenons with no beam cap. It's a wonder I wasn't lynched. Oh to be young again!

Still, officially, it's illegal to retrofit HID's.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aftermarket-hid-headlamps/aftermarket-hid-headlamps#:~:text=In the Department for Transport's,completely new Xenon HID headlamps.

Interestingly it states

• once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have “self-levelling suspension” and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam'

 

[CanadaA3wales]

Oh right
Where did you get your HID kit from?

I was looking at these for my H7 bulbs

https://www.hids-direct.co.uk/categories/hid-kits/hid-kits-by-bulb-type/h7

 

[Dubjam]

Oh right
Where did you get your HID kit from?

I was looking at these for my H7 bulbs

https://www.hids-direct.co.uk/categories/hid-kits/hid-kits-by-bulb-type/h7

Lol, dude it was like 15 years ago I made sure after that point I always got a car with xenons.

But that is similar to the kits I used, never had any issues with them at all.

 

[CanadaA3wales]

Much appreciated.
Yeah I think I wont get another car with halogens.
I live in Ogmore by sea and its a very long winding country road with no lights and lots of sheep grazing and crossing the road at will/

Anyway, I think we have hijacked @Moltentom thread enough.

Will look into aftermarket LED

 

[CanadaA3wales]

Just looked and mine are reflectors.
So much for converting as lots of complaints online about the LED throwing lights in peoples faces LOL