Just had Valeo Euro Spec Headlights Installed - Question about Auto Leveler
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Just had Valeo Euro Spec Headlights Installed - Question about Auto Leveler
Hi,
I just had my mechanic install a new sets of Euro Spec Headlamp assemblies into my 2001 S4. I notice that they do not seem to auto level when I turn them on, and can't recall whether my stock headlamps did much auto leveling before I had him swap these out. Can you tell me if that would have required them to swap out some electronics or hook something up from my old OEM lights to the new ones to achieve the auto leveling function? Is it OK to not have the auto leveling as I have read during my searches that some people have problems with them messing up and causing the low beams to dip down?
Basically, I'd like to know if I should have them swap out any electronics from my old lights to the new ones and hook this feature up, or just stick with the way it is set up now and be done with it?
Also, does anyone have recommendations for the turn signal lights? The pair I had that came with these euro spec lights ended up not fitting, and they were the kind that looked silver during the day, and would turn amber when being used.
Thanks.
T.
I just had my mechanic install a new sets of Euro Spec Headlamp assemblies into my 2001 S4. I notice that they do not seem to auto level when I turn them on, and can't recall whether my stock headlamps did much auto leveling before I had him swap these out. Can you tell me if that would have required them to swap out some electronics or hook something up from my old OEM lights to the new ones to achieve the auto leveling function? Is it OK to not have the auto leveling as I have read during my searches that some people have problems with them messing up and causing the low beams to dip down?
Basically, I'd like to know if I should have them swap out any electronics from my old lights to the new ones and hook this feature up, or just stick with the way it is set up now and be done with it?
Also, does anyone have recommendations for the turn signal lights? The pair I had that came with these euro spec lights ended up not fitting, and they were the kind that looked silver during the day, and would turn amber when being used.
Thanks.
T.
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If your mechanic forgot to swap out the leveling motors in the old housings, then the new headlights won't level.
From what I remember, your fingers have to be really nimble, and you have to be really gentle, or else the adjusting finger can snap.
If you need to buy new ones, looks like ECS carries them:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_S4-...hts/ES2561424/
Good Luck!
From what I remember, your fingers have to be really nimble, and you have to be really gentle, or else the adjusting finger can snap.
If you need to buy new ones, looks like ECS carries them:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_S4-...hts/ES2561424/
Good Luck!
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Thanks for the information. I believe that is the case, he didn't swap them out from the old ones.
So my questions is this:
1. How difficult is it to install these now that the car is all back together?
2. Would it just be worth it for me to buy new ones considering that the old ones were over 10 years old if I do decide to have them installed?
3. Is it OK to just leave the headlamps without this auto leveler and just live with them fixed in one position? What are the real drawbacks of this?
4. Without having the auto leveler installed, can I just adjust the lights myself without needing to have the the vag hooked up to the car's computer?
Appreciate the help.
T.
So my questions is this:
1. How difficult is it to install these now that the car is all back together?
2. Would it just be worth it for me to buy new ones considering that the old ones were over 10 years old if I do decide to have them installed?
3. Is it OK to just leave the headlamps without this auto leveler and just live with them fixed in one position? What are the real drawbacks of this?
4. Without having the auto leveler installed, can I just adjust the lights myself without needing to have the the vag hooked up to the car's computer?
Appreciate the help.
T.
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Let me know if you need any more info.
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Thank you for the detailed response, this was a huge help. It's a bummer the lights didn't come with the leveler already installed, curious as to why they wouldn't have that in there already.
From the sounds of it, I should probably have the levelers installed to ensure I don't run into any problems with the law in the future, especially since these lights are so freaking bright compared to the old stock ones.
Just to ensure that they didn't come with the levelers already inside the housing, would a simple test be to adjust the lights on my own without the VAG connected, and then turn the car on and off to see if they moved or not? Or based on the fact that every time I've turned the lights on since the swap I haven't seen the lights move at all point to the fact that the levelers are not in there?
Thanks,
T.
From the sounds of it, I should probably have the levelers installed to ensure I don't run into any problems with the law in the future, especially since these lights are so freaking bright compared to the old stock ones.
Just to ensure that they didn't come with the levelers already inside the housing, would a simple test be to adjust the lights on my own without the VAG connected, and then turn the car on and off to see if they moved or not? Or based on the fact that every time I've turned the lights on since the swap I haven't seen the lights move at all point to the fact that the levelers are not in there?
Thanks,
T.
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Just to ensure that they didn't come with the levelers already inside the housing, would a simple test be to adjust the lights on my own without the VAG connected, and then turn the car on and off to see if they moved or not? Or based on the fact that every time I've turned the lights on since the swap I haven't seen the lights move at all point to the fact that the levelers are not in there?
Good Luck!
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All of this sounds great, thanks for the explanation. One last set of questions for you:
1. Do you believe I will need this part as well, or would this have still been left on my car?
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_S4-...ghts/ES370285/
2. Are you familiar with the correct bulb needed for the turn signal indicators within the Valeo Euro Spec housing? I had bought a silver looking set of bulbs that light up as amber when in use, but they didn't fit for some reason, so my mechanic just used the old ones from my stock headlamps. If you have a link to where I can find a set of these "stealth" bulbs that will fit it would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
T.
1. Do you believe I will need this part as well, or would this have still been left on my car?
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_S4-...ghts/ES370285/
2. Are you familiar with the correct bulb needed for the turn signal indicators within the Valeo Euro Spec housing? I had bought a silver looking set of bulbs that light up as amber when in use, but they didn't fit for some reason, so my mechanic just used the old ones from my stock headlamps. If you have a link to where I can find a set of these "stealth" bulbs that will fit it would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
T.
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All of this sounds great, thanks for the explanation. One last set of questions for you:
1. Do you believe I will need this part as well, or would this have still been left on my car?
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_S4-...ghts/ES370285/
1. Do you believe I will need this part as well, or would this have still been left on my car?
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_S4-...ghts/ES370285/
2. Are you familiar with the correct bulb needed for the turn signal indicators within the Valeo Euro Spec housing? I had bought a silver looking set of bulbs that light up as amber when in use, but they didn't fit for some reason, so my mechanic just used the old ones from my stock headlamps. If you have a link to where I can find a set of these "stealth" bulbs that will fit it would be much appreciated.
You may have purchased a single filament bulb, which would have a different socket type, and why your mechanic wasn't able to use it.
The Valeo Eurocode headlight housings that I installed years ago had the single filament socket for the turn signal, and a small open socket between the HID and High Beam reflector for a city light (which is used as a parking light in Europe). If you don't have that hole between the two reflectors (you'll see it very clearly if you're looking into the housing from the front), then you may have US housings that someone removed the amber reflectors out of. (If that's the case, you'll notice clip holes where the amber reflectors used to be inside the housing).
The lack of the city light hole is tell tale for a US housing that's been modified. If you have the city light hole, then it's a Euro housing.
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Ok, so the plot thickens. After taking in your comments and seeing pictures from other threads, I poked around my old headlamps and the new Euro spec ones on the car. Here is what I've found:
1. My old OEM headlamps still had the headlight leveling motors in them.
2. When looking in that part of the housing on my new Euro Spec lights that are currently on my car, I noticed that there were indeed headlight leveling motors hooked up, and they appear to be plugged into the wiring harness, etc. These are the leveling motors that are currently installed in my light housing: http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/hell...lights/ES2364/ (after looking through my old emails, I now see that when my brother bought these lights for his car (which he never installed them on several years ago), he bought it with headlight leveling motors already installed. So this question is now solved.
3. I confirmed that this is the true Eurocode headlight, as I do see the city light next to the high beam, which is definitely not on my old OEM lights. It's funny you mention that those lights you used to have had the single filament turn signal bulb, since that is why my brother's kit had the single filament "stealth" bulbs included. I notice that there are two plastic looking conversion pieces that my mechanics left off that appear to be a dual filament to single filament conversion piece. Perhaps they didn't understand that when they were swapping things? Did your old car have a similar set up?
4. So I tried to adjust one of the lights last night using the white screw and it did nothing. Does this mean that the auto levelers are connected in with the computer and thus I'm not able to adjust without being hooked up to a VAG?
5. Based on the knowledge that I now do have the leveling motors in my lights, what could be the other reason they are not adjusting when I turn the car on? Could this have to now do with the Headlight Sensors being wonky?
6. Now that I know I have the Eurocode lights, is it worth going through the trouble to make the city lights functional? Is that a difficult process to make that into a daytime light?
Once again, thank you for your detailed responses on this subject, it is helping me greatly with navigating this issue and making sure it get's corrected with my mechanic.
T.
1. My old OEM headlamps still had the headlight leveling motors in them.
2. When looking in that part of the housing on my new Euro Spec lights that are currently on my car, I noticed that there were indeed headlight leveling motors hooked up, and they appear to be plugged into the wiring harness, etc. These are the leveling motors that are currently installed in my light housing: http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/hell...lights/ES2364/ (after looking through my old emails, I now see that when my brother bought these lights for his car (which he never installed them on several years ago), he bought it with headlight leveling motors already installed. So this question is now solved.
3. I confirmed that this is the true Eurocode headlight, as I do see the city light next to the high beam, which is definitely not on my old OEM lights. It's funny you mention that those lights you used to have had the single filament turn signal bulb, since that is why my brother's kit had the single filament "stealth" bulbs included. I notice that there are two plastic looking conversion pieces that my mechanics left off that appear to be a dual filament to single filament conversion piece. Perhaps they didn't understand that when they were swapping things? Did your old car have a similar set up?
4. So I tried to adjust one of the lights last night using the white screw and it did nothing. Does this mean that the auto levelers are connected in with the computer and thus I'm not able to adjust without being hooked up to a VAG?
5. Based on the knowledge that I now do have the leveling motors in my lights, what could be the other reason they are not adjusting when I turn the car on? Could this have to now do with the Headlight Sensors being wonky?
6. Now that I know I have the Eurocode lights, is it worth going through the trouble to make the city lights functional? Is that a difficult process to make that into a daytime light?
Once again, thank you for your detailed responses on this subject, it is helping me greatly with navigating this issue and making sure it get's corrected with my mechanic.
T.
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http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/xenonalignment.html
https://www.audiworld.com/tech/ext19.shtml
Here's the article on the Ross-Tech site on how to set the default home position of the lights in the computer via the VAG tool:
http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/car...alignment.html
Good Luck!
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