HID Upgrade - Not Without Problems

K

ksimpson

Member
Kit installed fine and is working very well. I checked the headlight alignment against the garage door before installing and then again afterwards. Didn't look as though they needed any adjustment. I took the car out for a drive in the dark and didn't get flashed once so I presume they are fine.

Now for the problems which aren't directly related to the HID kit. I disconnted the wiring to the passenger headlight unit without difficulty. This is really necessary as it's difficult to insert the HID bulb when the unit is in situ. There would be a risk of damaging the bulb.

However, the drivers side headlight wiring connector would not budge. I tried prising it lightly with a screwdriver to no avail. I then used a bit more force and got it moving, a bit more and it came free. What had happened was that the orange sealing ring appears to have melted and had sealed the male and female connections. I installed the HID bulb and tried ot reconnect it, but wasn't getting any power to the light unit.

The sealing right was now distorted and wouldn't allow the male end insert fully. My only option was to remove the seal. Now the male and female are not held togehter very well and I fear that they may disconnect. It only needs a small amount of movement for the light unit to lose power. I guess this is down to the connection not bieing right as the seal is now missing.

Any suggestions? Is it possible to purchase a the female part of the connector and rewire it?

Very happy with the upgrade, but disapointed that I damaged the connector for the light unit and worried that my wife may loose power to that unit which means losing the indicator as well as everything in the light unit is powered by that connector.
 
If you look on the connector you'll see the part number for the plug - just quote this to your parts department.

Getting the pins out is tricky without a proper extractor but the use of a small jewellers screwdriver usually helps.

Cheers

Mike
 
Aah, I had huge difficulty removing the same connection on both sets of lamps yesterday so in fact gave up for fear of mangling the fixings - glad I did by the sounds of it. Hope you get a new connector easily.
 
There is a particular knack to removing these connectors you know and without knowing this, removal is very difficult.

I'll post photos when I get home unless someone else beats me to it.

I'd also be wondering just what has caused the melting of the connector seal as they're heatproof and chemical resistant.

Cheers

Mike
 
I was wondering if I could seal it with silicone. It would hold it in place and would peel off easily enough if I have to remove it in the future. It could at least be a temporary measure until I get a new plug.
 
Yes, silicone would do the trick. You're best off putting a ring of the stuff around the top of the connector on the headlamp itself, so that when you push the other part on, it coats all the way in and makes a good seal.

Cheers

Mike
 
Skipton01 said:
There is a particular knack to removing these connectors you know and without knowing this, removal is very difficult.

I'll post photos when I get home unless someone else beats me to it.

I'd also be wondering just what has caused the melting of the connector seal as they're heatproof and chemical resistant.

Cheers

Mike
Click to expand...

I'd appreciate pictures on how to remove the connectors because I nearly broke one of them the last time I had a go. If I remember correctly I pulled out the headlight assembly without removing the connector to change the bulb but it would be easier next time if I could remove the connectors as well.
 
use a small, rounded piece of metal. Not a small screwdriver, they'll break them. I have an old Ljushäller (sp?) that is perfect. push it into the gap, hold the lamp with your left hand and ease the clip away from the connector; lever a cm or so away from the clip. It doesn't need that much strength.
Just breaking it off is also an option; my driver's side one is, and there's not been a problem yet.

Bret
 
Xiter said:
I'd appreciate pictures on how to remove the connectors because I nearly broke one of them the last time I had a go. If I remember correctly I pulled out the headlight assembly without removing the connector to change the bulb but it would be easier next time if I could remove the connectors as well.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay and please accept my apologies for the quality of the following photos, they're not up to my normal standards!

The connector shown is different to the one on your headlight, but the principals are the same.

The first 2 photos show the catch inside the connector (arrowed) that you are releasing, the first photo is in the locked position (near to the pins) and the second is in the released position.

The third photo shows a blade inserted into the side of the connector - not that the tip goes under the front part and you then push down at the back, only slight pressure is needed, so that the internal catch is lifted up and away from the pins, unlocking the connector.

The last photo just shows the connector alone.

Hope this helps, and it is the same principal for a lot of Audi connectors.

Cheers,

Mike
 
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