Headlights no longer dip on startup

[3.0ss]

Can someone help me with my headlights please(2010 S4 non AFS)? I noticed they stopped pointing down/up when I start the car. I performed the "Headlamp Adjustment" with VagCom and right as I press "Go" on group 001, it throws this* code on the dash then quickly goes away/clears itself once I press On/Off/Next and adjust them. I've checked for codes and nothing pops up regarding the headlights. I also ran through the 3 output tests and they all worked pointing up and down so the headlights themselves work, just won't point up/down on startup. Is there something else I can do with VagCom to further diagnose them or try to reactive the dip on startup? Thanks

217998

* 217999

218000




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[Smac770]

You have VCDS (it's not been named VagCom in over 10 years) there, so do a full autoscan and post the complete log.

[3.0ss]

You have VCDS (it's not been named VagCom in over 10 years) there, so do a full autoscan and post the complete log.

Oh my bad lol, here's the log. Also just now noticed when scanning, once it got toward the end of the scan the lights moved down/up but as they moved down, they made a very strange vibrating/grinding noise then moved back up but no codes.
https://textuploader.com/184cq

[Smac770]

Could be an intermittently detected issues as maybe the motors are wearing. It would have been more interesting then to have checked the DTCs when the error in the DIS was up. As you noted, at the moment the Headlight Range module is keeping any secrets to itself. Instead of the basic setting, I would see if there's an output test for the range motors and see if you can recreate the noise.

Also notice a lot of comms and voltage issues with dates from just the past few days. Don't think they would play into this issue particularly, but they should be concerning.

[3.0ss]

Could be an intermittently detected issues as maybe the motors are wearing. It would have been more interesting then to have checked the DTCs when the error in the DIS was up. As you noted, at the moment the Headlight Range module is keeping any secrets to itself. Instead of the basic setting, I would see if there's an output test for the range motors and see if you can recreate the noise.

Also notice a lot of comms and voltage issues with dates from just the past few days. Don't think they would play into this issue particularly, but they should be concerning.

Interesting.. I’ll get a video of the noise today it happens every time I auto scan. It’s almost like whatever causes them to point down is getting stuck on something, but yet in the downward output test they do just fine.


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[3.0ss]

Here’s that noise https://youtu.be/IuIK9weNFjA




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[Ford Prefect]

That sounds like your headlights aren’t adjusted properly and the motor is driving the adjusters too far. But that’s from a complete laymen. The only time I’ve had that range control fault is when I screwed up the adjustment. I never completed it in vagcom.

Are your headlights aimed properly? I could be that the motors or adjusters are worn. I’ve also seen that if you adjust them incorrectly you can drive the adjuster off. That was a DAP video.

BTW, vagcom and Vcds are synonyms from what I’ve seen. Just don’t say Oh34 Motorsports haha


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[3.0ss]

That sounds like your headlights aren’t adjusted properly and the motor is driving the adjusters too far. But that’s from a complete laymen. The only time I’ve had that range control fault is when I screwed up the adjustment. I never completed it in vagcom.

Are your headlights aimed properly? I could be that the motors or adjusters are worn. I’ve also seen that if you adjust them incorrectly you can drive the adjuster off. That was a DAP video.

BTW, vagcom and Vcds are synonyms from what I’ve seen. Just don’t say Oh34 Motorsports haha


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I’ve adjusted them a few times without VCDS but nothing crazy so they couldn’t have fallen off the adjuster. Last night was the first time actually adjusting them and saving the position with vcds but I still had this weird noise before doing that.


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[Smac770]

Whatever the issue is, it's something inside the headlamp. The headlamp housing itself doesn't move for the range adjustment, just the HID unit internally is moved. When you perform the output tests, if you look at the horizontal line drawn across the HID bulb cover, you'll see it moves up and down, nothing else of the headlamp housing does. Some real rough measurements, but with the headlamp 3 ft from the wall, up raised the garage wall projection about 1.5" and down lowered the wall projection about 2.5". And no noises like you have, just the noise of the motor moving the bulb up and down.

I think you'd have to try and get visual on the motors (or motor if it's just the left side) themselves. Do note they are not designed to be accessible or replaceable.

VagCom is the old name of the Ross-Tech software; they changed the name to VCDS something like 2008.

[3.0ss]

Whatever the issue is, it's something inside the headlamp. The headlamp itself doesn't move for the range adjustment, just the HID bulb internally is moved. When you perform the output tests, if you look at the horizontal line drawn across the HID bulb cover, you'll see it moves up and down, nothing else of the headlamp housing does. Some real rough measurements, but with the headlamp 3 ft from the wall, up raised the garage wall projection about 1.5" and down lowered the wall projection about 2.5". And no noises like you have, just the noise of the motor moving the bulb up and down.

I think you'd have to try and get visual on the motors (or motor if it's just the left side) themselves. Do note they are not designed to be accessible or replaceable.

VagCom is the old name of the Ross-Tech software; they changed the name to VCDS something like 2008.

Ok I'll open it up and make that noise again hope I can see what's causing it lol.. also when I was performing the tests, the whole projector moved down/up not just the bulb.

[Smac770]

Semantics.