Hello,

I had recently purchase the 2008 A3 but I was on a budget so I did not
add the tech package. Now I wish to have the bi-zenon projector headlights
I call one dealer they said (No we don't do that period) I thought this guy was giving me BS so I called another dealer they said ( Yes we can do that for you for $7K) .................. I don't believe it cost this much, to add the tech package is only $2K with a lot more option.

Can someone advise me what I can do, I have no problem going after market but all I can find is projector for 2007 models also which HID kitI can use to trick the computer system, cuz right now I do have HID and it gives me an low beam out msg all the time.

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi IvnA3,

Hmm...I think if you want the OEM HID lights you are really going to regret not getting them on when you bought it.

The $7000 for OEM sounds about right. They have to pull out all the wiring, and also install the sensor that adjusts the aiming of the lights, change the VAG-COM and a few other hassles that cost a lot of labor. The additional cost on a new car is not as bad as the labor installing these things on a half-built frame is nothing compared to doing it on a built car. Of course you may get a bit cheaper than 7k, but it's still a very expensive mod to do...and after all...they are just headlights!

You could look at going with Hella projectors, they will be a bit cheaper than OEM and about the same quality.

Putting HID lights into the Halogen housing, to me, is not a good idea. First, I really think it looks cheap. In my opinion, just keep the Halogen rather than non-projector HIDs. Second, there is no way to get the beam right when HIDs are installed in a halogen housing. This is really terrible on other drives (glare) and really doesn't offer improved vision for you. You might think the HIDs are brighter, they are, but you actually see worse at night since your eyes adjust to all that light thrown directly in front of your car. This means it's more difficult for a driver to see further down the road at night...which is really what matters...once an object is in your beam pattern, if you didn't see it before, you are going to hit it.

The other possibility is there may be a few guys who upgrade their pre-2009 A3s to have the new HID lights with LEDs. Thus, they may sell their OEM HID projectors. To put the new lights in though, you have to change the hood and the front of the car...so it's not a cheap upgrade and I have no idea how many people will do it.

If you really want to clear the message with your existing HID bulbs, you need to get a resistor. HOWEVER....there are numerous reports online how this can seriously mess up your car. E.g. if people do this on Golfs, their window wiper motors often get fried. I really recommend against messing with the electrical system of your car just to have non-projector HIDs, which as I said, don't really look cooler than Halogens, and from a safety perspective, and less safe than then Halogens your car came with.

I say all of this respectively!

 

Hey TPE_A3

Thanks for all your info and comments, I agree w/you as well.
I was suprise that OEM will cost this much, anyways
I will be looking into Hella Projector that you had suggested.

Thanks for your reply

 

you should check out the following site as they have euro-spec oem headlight housings,
www.ecstuning.com. a few members from other sites have had success with the single not bi-xenon conversions without too many problems, but you may want to check with ecs tuning before purchasing.
the price for the single xenon pair is 1099.95
bi-xenon 1295.97
still a premium over oem at time of purchase.

 

TPE: Do you have a link to the Hella projectors you are suggesting? Are those Hella projector headlights or are you suggesting retrofitting Hella projector units into the OEM headlights?

 

Just as an FYI, my Volvo has bi-xenons. On low beam I am overdrivng the lights....halogens are better. On high beam they are terrific. I went with the halogens on the A3 because most of my driving is low beam.