B8.5 low beams way too low

[Nitrousbird]

I did some searching and everything regarding this seems to be post-accident, after lowering the car, etc. '13 on stock suspension, has never been in an accident, perfectly clear housings, etc.. But slowly over the years, the low beams cut off lower and lower. I replaced both headlamp bulbs with stock replacements 6 years/33k miles ago. The brightness seems fine and the high beams are perfect. Both of my Porsches have bi-xenon and don't have this issue, nor do the factory LED lights in my truck, just this car.

Before I watch more videos and break out the VCDS, is there any component that would have worn that needs to be replaced prior to me just adjusting the headlamps? The beam cuts off perfectly level for both headlamps but boy does that light not travel very far before the very defined cutoff.

[simrag]

The white allen fitting circled in the photo will adjust the headlight/cutoff up and down.

https://i.postimg.cc/8zztG5pW/headlight-adjuster.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Nillious]

Don't touch that screw until you check the sensor on the left rear or make sure it's adjusted with vcds first. You can move the manual adjuster, but trying to compensate for a bad or damaged sensor you can move it too far and the adjuster will come apart in the headlight.

[simrag]

I didn't realize VCDS was involved, but it looks like you just use it to learn the headlight position after adjusting it with the allen screw? http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/Audi_A6_(4G/4H)_Headlight_Regulation_Basic (note that it is in [09] rather then [55] on a B8.5 S4). I had to adjust mine after retrofitting G5 projectors that ended up being aimed lower than the stock projectors. I didn't have to adjust very much (less than 3/4 of a turn). I'll do the reset in VCDS on mine now that I know it should be done after re-aiming the lights.

WRT to the original post, if your high beams don't seem to be low (although it might be hard to tell since high beams shine higher by design), and the cutoff is getting lower and lower, I'd check the leveling mechanism built into the rear suspension to see if the arm has broken or is loose. Picture of it in this thread: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/518273-2009-A4-B8-Headlight-Level-sensor-Arm-broken if it seems to be ok, I wonder if the low beam shield built into the headlight is somehow slipping to lower the cutoff because that is the only way the low beam cutoff would change without changing the high beam pattern.