Problem with xenon bulb on 2005 a3 tdi

[Makavelli2009]

I'm sad that my first post as a member is a problematic one but hopefully you guys can help, I've bought my first audi a 2005 a3 tdi 2l sline dsg and when driving the other day a bulb fault light popped up saying drivers dipped headlight, I checked the xenons when I pulled over and they were working but the drivers side did flicker a bit, further down the road and the light went out. When I got home I checked and it was working again and the bulb fault on the info system went.
Later when I drove again the bulb fault came up and the xenon went out again :(

Is the bulb faulty or is there something major wrong :( I would of thought if the bulb was broke then it wouldn't have Come on again would it?

Your help is greatly appreciated

Andy

[kite]

Could be the bulb or the ballast, move the bulb to the other side and see if the fault follows the bulb, if not its the ballast.

[Makavelli2009]

does anyone have a part number or price for the ballast? Are they stupidly expensive?

[kite]

Is it the ballast then ?

[Makavelli2009]

i really dont know :( lol

when i have a mess with the headlights ie turn them on and off a few times and flick the main beams the light fault clears off the dash, but then after a few minutes of driving it pings back up, when i check the lights they are both still on :(

could it be a loose connection? what are the symptoms of a broken ballast?

[kite]

If you have a broken ballast the lights would not strike.
The bulb failure warning is detecting a fault in the system, does it show left or right ?
By swapping the bulbs over you can see if the fault moves with the bulb or stays on the same side, that would indicate fault with ballast or bulb.
It could be a bad connection, try cleaning all connections you can find, with the lights off
of course..

[valeodude]

Its a faulty bulb. Flickering is a well known defect for xenon headlamps, there has been a batch of defective bulbs. I know, I work in an automotive headlamp manufacturing facility. Try this, replace left and with right and see if the problem is now in the other headlamp, that way you will know if it is the ballast or not. Bulbs are expensive, in spain around 200€ each.

[Makavelli2009]

sorted the problem a while ago it was the bulb which needed replacing :)

got a new one for 45 quid bargain :)

[marson]

andy makavelli !!!

Where abouts did you get a bulb from at £45, do you know the code for that bulb?

Similar problem where the light flickers, goes out get a message for right dipped headlight, turn the lights off and back on and they work again for a bit until the fault comes again.

[Cocteau]

Its a faulty bulb. Flickering is a well known defect for xenon headlamps, there has been a batch of defective bulbs. I know, I work in an automotive headlamp manufacturing facility. Try this, replace left and with right and see if the problem is now in the other headlamp, that way you will know if it is the ballast or not. Bulbs are expensive, in spain around 200€ each.

Exactly like this, they blowed up both ballasts in my B8.
“They” are the official Audi dealer “Porsche Bulgaria LTD”
The repair will cost from 900 up to 1000 EUR, but I have to pay only 30%