danp

The other day i realized that my low-beams weren't working but my brights and fog lights were. I don't remember hitting any bumps or anything that could have jogged the bulbs loose and couldn't believe that they both would have gone out at the same time. so i took it to my dealer and had to pay $83 because they said they couldn't find anything electrical and it was just the bulbs. not under warranty. is it just me or does it seem extremeley unlikely that both headlights would just happen to go out at the same time? could it be shady business that it was something else but they charged me for the repair and didn't include it under warranty?

dan
'96 2.8 QM, brullen

Peter

Dan,
Your car is a '96. Is it still under warranty?
If so, the bulbs should be covered under warranty.
In truth, bulbs usually are not covered under any warranties. But many dealers will replace them as a warranty repair.

If you car is no longer under warranty, it is not unlikely that the dealer would charge you a labor charge to install new bulbs, or to troubleshoot other possible problems.

Heck -- I just bought splash guards from the dealer, and had to pay a labor charge to have them installed. (3/4 hour)

And when I bought wheel locks for my last car, they wanted to charge me 1/2 hour labor to install them. On principle, I just waited until I rotated the tires, so there was no additional labor.

Since your car is at or near the end of its warranty period (even if you have an extended warranty, it is likely NOT a bumper-to-bumper warranty) you should know how to change lightbulbs, fuses, and other such items.

These "repair" items are clearly discussed in the owners manual, because dealers don't want to be bothered with such simple tasks.

FYI, both my headlights went out a few weeks ago, it was discovered that the switch burned out, and was fixed under warranty. (I did NOT tell the dealer that I installed 80w bulbs in the headlights.)
Replacing the H7 bulbs is actually quite a simple task.

Not really sure if this helps your situation any, but I thought I'd respond to your question...

Peter
98.5 1.8Tqms

danp

thanks for your help. i have the audi assured extended warranty and i know that bulbs are not covered. but if something else had caused it which i think did, then i wouldn't have to pay the 80 bucks. i don't know, i'm probably just making a bigger deal out of it than it is

JR

I completely understand the functionality of the guards, but do they add or detract from the overall "look" of the car?

Thanks in advance for your, or anyone's response.

JR
'00 1.8T QMS Silver

ChuckH

...done, and two days later, the other one went out! Both done under AudiAdvantage. So, not all that unlikely that both could go out at the same time. Can't imagine how it got to $83 though! Bulbs are about $15 a piece and labor shouldn't be $50. You in Canada? That would make the deal sound better! :-)

Peter

JR --
I don't think that the splashguards add or detract from the looks of the car.
I don't even notice them, to tell the truth.
Although, I did notice today that they scraped the road as I was pulling into a parking lot (sport suspension).

I bought them for their functionality -- they keep the doors and rear fender a LOT cleaner.
Especially in the wintertime, when there is more salt on the roads than asphalt. Also sand, or chunks of ice and stuff that can SCRATCH the paint.
So my car will look better, and the paint will last longer. Those two benefits outweigh any negative aesthetic aspects of the splashguards.

-- Peter
98.5 1.8tqms, 1 bar, splashguards