A8 bulb problem
 

I have a 2007 Audi A8 Quattro with a light bulb issue. In the inner (closer to the grill) head lamp section of the whole assembly there are 3 bulbs (the headlight bulb itself, a cylindrical bulb, and a running light bulb, the last being the problem). The running light bulb looks like an old style camera flash bulb with a bayonet base of some kind (my garage, quite good and expert with German metal, attempted to remove the bulb directly, rather than by removing the left inner wheel well cover and removing the whole headlight assembly in order to get to the dead bulb and it dropped the bulb into the headlight assembly and the base is obscured).

My mechanic tells me that the exact replacement bulb is no longer available. I have searched the Internet extensively without success. He tells me that the supplier of the bulb is no longer in business and the bulb is not being made. He has gone through the Audi system which scans the parts in every dealers' inventory without success. The Audi solution is, you guessed it, replace the entire headlight assembly to the tune of mucho dinero. He has offered to attempt to do a Rube Goldberg with a similar looking Mercedes bulb that has a base slightly different from the Audi's. I have my doubts. I'm not up for doing the junk yard hunt, even assuming that if one had the correct headlight assembly that they would sell the innards piecemeal.

I'm eager to learn of the elegant solution, an exact replacement bulb. I know I can simply continue with the car as is, but sooner or later I'll want to sell or trade the car and have this issue. Please let me know what you can.

Thanks,

keno