Headlight Replacement

[John Horne]

Anyone know if you really need to take your car to the dealer to get a headlight lamp replaced? That's what the manual suggests...

2001 A4 with the headlights that look like magnifying lenses. Don't think they are Xenon...

[marked001]

haha....no! its pretty simple... just pop the hood and look behind the headlight..there is a thin metal clip..pop that off and the plastic piece holding the socket should pretty much pop out.. think that's it.. this is off the top of my head.. but its simple..once you get in there..you'll figure it out.

[dennis stinson]

Well there is a bit more to it than taking off the back cover, and replacing the bulb.

First you have to get to the back cover, as when the headlamp assembly is in the car, it is right up against oter assemblies, and so, the head lamp assembly must be pulled out of the car in order to get to the back cover.

For the passenger side, you must remove four number 30 torx screws, two on the top of the headlamp assembly, easy to get to; and one on the back of the assembly, and one on the inside radiatror side of the assembly.

Tese are relative wasy to losen, as they do not have to be completly removed in order to pull out head lamp assembly.

Once the two on the top are removed, and the other two well lossened, the assembly slides out of it's "hole" and allows for access to the back.

Replacement is the reverse.

The right side of the car, is a bit tricker. mostly the same as above, except you have to remove the prewarmer for the theair intake to egt to the second set of screws.

Once removed, access to the back screws is easy, and if you follow the above, it all works out.

[marked001]

I have changed my headlight bulbs..I have never had to remove the housing..yes, a couple pieces of intake..but that's it.. maybe its different for 00 up..

[Talibangunner925]

Originally Posted by marked001

I have changed my headlight bulbs..I have never had to remove the housing..yes, a couple pieces of intake..but that's it.. maybe its different for 00 up..

same thing for the 96 and 97

[specialk9991]

don't remove your headlight housing, that's ridiculous. on the passenger side you will need to pull out the ductwork for the airbox (only the center piece, it just slides in and out), for the driver's side there is nor removing anything, you have plenty of space. There is a metal clip holding on a black plastic cover on the back of the housing, snap that back and remove the plastic piece. Now you are facing inside the headlamp housing itself. It helps to use a flashlight the first few times you do this. There is a matal clip retaining the bulb in the housing, you push that to one side and swing it away, now the bulb is free. Pull it out and replace the bulb with a new H7 bulb, making sure the tab on the new bulb is facing the same way as the old one.Repeat the process in reverse to get the bulb bak in.

BTW, that "magnifying glass looking thing" is a projector lens.