Beecatdog

Hi guys,

If my 2007 q7 doesn't come with xenon headlights can Audi install it in my vehicle without being the "illegal" hids? Also if they can what is the estimated cost?

Thanks

thewiz

This has been discussed for A4s and other cars, so I could take a wild guess that it's similar for the Q7. If you want just HIDs without range control (i.e. motoring up and down) and without AFS (i.e. motoring left and right), you would need:
1) new headlight housings -- retail can easily be $700 or more each side for an A4 for US spec, and more than that for E-code, although there are forum members on some forums who can get them to you for cheaper
2) ballasts -- attach to the underside of the headlight housings
3) bulbs (obviously)
4) wiring harness -- at least for A4s, this is available from Kufatec
5) VAG-COM to recode

Some people have done it for $600-$1000 on an A4, but it could easily be $2000 at retail. Labor is easy enough to do yourself because the harness is almost plug 'n' play, but you will need to run two wires through the firewall with the Kufatec harness (at least on A4s). There are DIYs available for A4s on various forums.

For range control, you would need to buy the front and rear height sensors, which attach to control arms on A4s, and I'm assuming this is the same for Q7s. I'm not sure how much these cost for the Q7, but I think they were $100 for front and $60 for back on an A4, plus you have to wire them (I think both are simple 4-wire plugs).

For AFS, this is more complicated. First, you need a control module that goes behind the glovebox in an A4. There will probably be a few more wires on the harness that you run through the firewall, and then you have to run wires from the control module to the height sensors. The control module sends the AFS signals via steering angle sensors already in the car, so no wiring is needed for that. Also, the AFS ballasts are different from regular ballasts, and the headlight housings are different from regular housings.

In some jurisdictions, you may be required by law to have range control or headlight washers if you have HIDs. If you have to get the headlight washers, then it'll cost you more because you'll need a new bumper and the kit.

If you poke around, you can get some parts from EBay or some forum members can hook you up. The stealership will rob you.

thewiz

Just looked up part of this. It looks like there is one control module for range control and one for range control + AFS, so you need a control module even for non-AFS on a Q7:

http://www.audipartsnationwide.com/p...iagram=1380345

The control module for AFS is $317, and the one for non-AFS is $233. The sensors on the front and rear appear to be similar to the A4, $96 and $82.50.

Beecatdog

thanks for the detailed response!

if i get these HIDs installed, would they be the "illegal" aftermarket ones that I see on the road which blinds other cars or look "blueish" ?

thanks

thewiz

No, what I was talking about above are OEM bi-xenons -- these are easily available. You can get the OEM housings and the OEM ballasts on Ebay, from retail, or from other forum members, and you can get a wiring harness from Kufatec or do the wiring yourself. You would still have to get the OEM control module, which you could get from AudiPartsNationwide.com (Rector Audi's parts portal).

These will not be crappy blue ricer lights for sure. As long as you get the new housings, and especially if you wire the range control motors, you shouldn't be blinding people on the road. Sometimes the ricers will replace a halogen bulb with an HID bulb and ballasts but will illegally continue using the reflective halogen housing, and that will definitely blind people.

I am not entirely sure if you are required to wire up the range control motors to move the lights up and down in order to be "legal" in all jurisdictions. This is dependent on what country/state you're in, and some countries may even require you to have headlamp washers to be legal. I believe in Europe you must have auto-leveling + headlamp washers, but in the US, I don't think you are required to have auto-leveling.

To be honest, there are probably more threads on how to do this in the A4 forums. However, the A4 doesn't always require the separate control module that the Q7 appears to need.

Beecatdog

thanks,

would the parts be similar to installing the led bi-xenons?

I would not be able to install these myself, so I would have to get someone else to install it. Audi service charges alot, do u recommend me finding a difference service dealer to install these?

Thanks.