This is getting expensive. I have blown 3 H1 silverstar lights in my
2000 A6 Avant. This last one, the instant I turned it on the bulb light
in the dash went on. Headlight never even lit up.

Is the bulb really burned out? How long is the labor time on figuring
out what this is from the dealer??

 

I fear i may have a similar issue, I have blown the passenger side headlight twice sinc eowning the car. Its working now (knock on wood) but is seems unusual that one side blows so often. Sorry i dont have a real solution for you.

 

it all depends upon the cause of the failure...
High beam?
Low beam?
Both?

1. Never touch the bulb with your hands. The sodium on your hand will combine with the quartz glass and it will crack causing a failure.
2. Check the filiments. - Look at them to make sure they are complete and connected to the posts. You can also check them with an ohm meter for continuity.
3. Check the connector. Are the terminals bad? Coroded? Bent?
4. Turn the lights on and see if you have 12 volts at the connector.

don't know where you are getting the lights but if it is Autozone or someplace like that they might be able to help you find the problem.

Silverstar is Osram Sylvania -- Not noted for good lights..

 

If you have a working bulb on one side, use that as the "control" and swap it with the failed bulb. If the bulb is good, you have an electrical problem on the bad side. First thing I'd check is for the proper fuse. After that, good luck.

If the bulb is bad, the question is what is causing them to blow? My short list is too much current, vibration, or handling them with your fingers (which gets oil on the bulb causing hot spots resulting in failure). Since one blew almost immediately, it sounds like an electrical problem (again) unless it was coincidence.

I would invest in some cheap bulbs to do the troubleshooting until you find and correct the problem.

 

Mr PP forget the hot spot myth --

The chemistry -sodium from your hands and the quartz bulb- make sodium silicate glass when heated. It has a high expansion compared to just quartz and it crizzles (highly technical term) the surface. The crizzle then becomes the break source for the failure of the quartz. When the quartz fails air gets in the bulb, the tungsten filiment oxidizes, and wire breaks. Broken wire means no circuit and no light.

 

call me brain dead. culprit, fuse #21 (left low beam). guess I know have a couple silverstar bulbs.

 

Ok If you issist -- Your brain Dead..

But your really not brain dead cause you were able to figure it out!