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Thread: issue with self leveling headlight...

  1. #1
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    issue with self leveling headlight...

    Hello all,

    I went in late may to upgrade my suspension and replace the upper control arms and my 2003 RS6. I do not drive the car daily or at night too often but on my next evening outing 3 weeks later, i noticed my driver side headlight not leveling properly, quite on the low side actually. Now both headlights are moving, they both are leveling (at least attempting to) but the driver side is not finding the right height compare to the passenger side.

    This was never an issue before the component replacements on the suspension and upper control arms at the shop. Before i go back and ask for them to fix it, i am trying to educate myself on this. Does it have anything to do with my upper control arms or suspension replacements? I feel that it does but not sure how to associate it with it since i do not know how the headlights leveler work and what they use to find levels. I want to make sure that if it is associated with those parts that were replaced, i can go back to that shop and have them fix it right away.

    Thanks for any help on this.

  2. #2
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    There is a level sensor on driver's side lower control arm.
    It affects both headlights, however (they should be in sync), so if they aren't - it's likely not related to suspension work.

  3. #3
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    OK Thanks for that. But when they redid the suspension work is when it started this issue, that's interesting. Either way to remove the suspension i would think they moved the lower control arms as well. I think i'll have them check it out and go from there. Thanks for your time.

  4. #4
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    The only connection I can think of is that they may have reinstalled the level sensor in a slightly different place, or possibly flipped it around (which is possible, ask me how I know). This could have caused to the headlight levelers to try and compensate and one of them failed at that time. Given the age of our cars, it wouldn't surprise me that something at the edge of it's wear-range would abruptly fail with a relatively minor change.

    Are you getting any errors on the display? When I installed the sensor wrong, it immediately gave me a warning.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by GreggPDX View Post
    The only connection I can think of is that they may have reinstalled the level sensor in a slightly different place, or possibly flipped it around (which is possible, ask me how I know). This could have caused to the headlight levelers to try and compensate and one of them failed at that time. Given the age of our cars, it wouldn't surprise me that something at the edge of it's wear-range would abruptly fail with a relatively minor change.

    Are you getting any errors on the display? When I installed the sensor wrong, it immediately gave me a warning.
    Thanks for the reply! I do not get any errors on display no and that where i'm confused also. When i turn the headlights on, they don't necessarily search for positioning but when they do, the driver side sets itself way lower then normal and the passenger side a little low as well but nothing to dramatic. If i do a startup with the headlights on (with them on when the ignition is off) they will automatically self level but in the wrong position as well. I guess i can look at the sensor and see if it was placed on the wrong spot and go from there?

    After my two emails in the last 3 weeks that didn't get an answer sent to the shop that did the suspension work, i am about to walk in there anyways on my next day off as well... I will post the results soon. Please let me know if you have any other ideas!

    Thanks again for the help.

  6. #6
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    Do you have a VAGCOM cable? It sounds like the lights might just need to be readjusted.

    http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/car...alignment.html

    It might also be worth looking at the sensor and see if it's obviously been moved. They just clamp onto the lower control arm, and it's possible that they were not reinstalled in exactly the same place. You might be able to see marks in the dirt on the arms that would show where they were originally.

    You'l probably want to do the adjustment procedure in any case since any suspension changes could move things around a bit.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by GreggPDX View Post
    Do you have a VAGCOM cable? It sounds like the lights might just need to be readjusted.

    http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/car...alignment.html

    It might also be worth looking at the sensor and see if it's obviously been moved. They just clamp onto the lower control arm, and it's possible that they were not reinstalled in exactly the same place. You might be able to see marks in the dirt on the arms that would show where they were originally.

    You'l probably want to do the adjustment procedure in any case since any suspension changes could move things around a bit.
    Thank you so much for this.I do not have a VAGCOM cable but my friend does have one ,so i will hit him up on and see if we can follow the readjustment procedures. I will check on the sensor first though.

    I have yet to look at the sensors to see if it was moved, been pretty steady busy for the past couple of weeks including purchasing a house but that's just excuses, i got to get to it! I have a few days off next week and i will make sure to try to get to it then.

    Thanks again, i'll update once i look into it.

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