Replacement xenon bulb

[smiley]

Please can someone assist. I have a 2008 B8 A4, one of my xenon bulbs has blown. Should I replace the bulb in pairs? I've herd changing one makes one look brighter than the other.

Secondly please can can you advise what type of bulb I should get. I want the original audi ones but don't want to pay dealer prices. Does anyone know if the Philips 35w xenstart is the one I need.

Many thanks

[Dieseldoos]

Replacement D3S HID bulbs are what you need. You can get even cheaper than Audi if you shop around even more such as ebay etc. I would probably stick with a brand like Philips or Osram. Its best to change in pairs as the light will differ with a new bulb in one and an older bulb in the other.

The headlight is not actually that hard to remove, you undo the 3 bolts (dont fully take them out), reach behind and undo the main electrical plug, then slide it forwards and out. It can be slightly fiddly the first time you do it and its adviseable to put a thin towel or similar on the bumper to avoid the risk of scratching. Once its out, you will see how to open it and swap the bulbs.


(Its basically the same to remove as the non Xenon headlight and it tells you how to do those in the manual!)

[smiley]

Many thanks much appreciated

[theskyfox]

I'm sure theres a guide to doing it on here somewhere too? and don't you have to disconnect the battery before you do it?

-Andrew

[Dieseldoos]

I suppose you could disconnect the battery for safety reason but as long as you dont try to change the bulbs straight after shutting the engine of and leave it for half an hour or so you should be fine.

[Caxap]

Philips and Osram are the bulbs most manufacturers use as OEM. I gather your bulbs are in D3S flavour, so key here is to buy (ebay) *genuine* bulbs, xelixtrading-uk sells them at £55 and hiddirect at £59 per bulb. It is recommended to replace bulbs as pair to avoid K difference. At least these bulbs last 3 times more than halogen bulbs. You can chance fake bulbs at lower prices but quality and longevity will be questionable.