Is this normal...?!

[akarol]

Well, I was driving to see a friend last night and I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. When I was stopped at a red light behind another car, I noticed that my headlights were moving up and down very slightly. This seems to last only for about 30 seconds or so and then it stabilizes. I don't know if its constantly going on as I drive, but I can notice it when I'm stopped behind an object. I think it might be something with the auto-leveler's sensitivity. I have a 2003 A4 Cabriolet 3.0. Is this normal and is there something I can do to correct this? I am worried that this might end up breaking something in the future.

Thanks in advance...

[dougyfresh]

Do you have HID 'xenon' headlights?

If so, then your headlights were auto-adjusting. HID factory headlights auto adjust (up and down) depending on the road conditions. It is so slight you really can't tell while driving. The easiest way to see this happen is when you are at a stop and turn on the headlights. When initialized (turned on), they will self-adjust up and down.

[akarol]

How do I know if I have HID Xenon? My lights do move up when I first turn them on.

I figured it was something to do with the self-adjustment system, but I was wondering if this might eventually lead to mechanical problem. It keeps moving up and down ever so slightly when I am stopped. When I drive, I obviously can't tell since the movement is very slightly. I can only tell when I'm stopped in front of something close to my lights.

[dougyfresh]

You can try doing this to recenter the lights and see if they keep moving as much as you say they do: http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/car...alignment.html


Otherwise, if its a flickering you see then that could be any number of things
1) excess engine vibration channeled into the chassis
2) bad bulbs
3) bad ballasts



Xenon lights are bright and take a second to initialize when turned on. Normal Halogen bulbs turn on immediately. Xenons also have a high pitch sound to them if you are standing near the light housing when they are turned on.

[akarol]

It isn't really flickering, just jumpinging up and down slightly. I'll definitely try the link out to see if it helps. I believe I have Xenons then, as they take a second to initialize. I'll try to hear the pitch sound tonight to confirm. Thanks!

[ThreePointOhh]

they shouldnt be moving up and down if you're at a stop sign since you're on level ground. They only time you should really notice them moving is on startup. Your adjustments may be off and the auto level system is trying to learn the position but cant. Vag the car and see if you have any codes relating to the auto leveling sensor. I would suggest you look into the problem since i guess this will cause excessive wear on the motors.

[akarol]

I'm going to do a full scan this weekend and see if anything comes up. Do you know if there are any codes for changing the sensitivity of the auto-leveling system?