Headlight connector melted

[audipersempre]

Last night popped into Halfords to get a new dip beam headlight bulb for my 2.7T Quattro saloon. I got the Halfords kid to replace it as it was cold and dark outside and it was the off side headlight where the plastic air intake ducts have to be removed first. I know lazy me!

Anyway when he removed the old bulb the electrical connector was quite badly heat damaged and melted in places. Is that just a once in a while thing with a rogue bulb or a sign of something more sinister?

I have had the car almost 3 years and this will be the third time I have replaced this same headlight bulb. And the near side one has been replaced twice. So with the original ones that were there when I bought the car that's 7 headlight bulbs in 3 or 4 years.

No other lights on the car have failed in the entire 3 years I have had the car.

[Crasher]

Presumably these are standard rating 55w bulbs you are using?

[audipersempre]

Hi Crasher, yes bog standard 55w bulbs I have never used super whites, blues or any other flavour of 'performance' headlight bulbs!

[kid-jensen]

The plating (or lack of it) on the connectors is suffering from thousands of heat cycles and starting to corrode.

This puts the resistance up and the plug/socket combination startes to get hot (well, hotter than it's designed to). It also loses you a volt or two which translates into less brightness at the bulb.

Next time the bulb packs up, consided replacing the spade connectors too...

[audipersempre]

Thank you that makes complete sense to me.

I have to replace the connector anyway as the heat damage is pretty severe and will replace the spade connectors. Not sure how Audi sell them. Maybe connector, spades and wiring loom complete?

Will do the other side while I am at it.

[kid-jensen]

There may be enough wire to just crimp or solder another spade connector on there....

If not, extend it a bit with wire of similar diameter and an inline crimp/solder.

Should be able to get spade connectors anywhere, even in these days of "fix by replacing the biggest module you can get away with" philosophy..

[JimC64]

strange...I've had 80w/100w in mine for 18 months or so and haven't had any problems !!
Thanks for the info though and I hope you get it fixed mate