HID Problem Need Advise

[fahrer]

Hi Everyone,

Need your opinion on the following issue.
Was in a fender-bender end of December 2014, ended up rear-ending a truck in front of me due to some third guy running a red light, causing some front damage to grill hood, head-lights etc.
My 2010 Audi had to be taken in and I went with a small body-shop my German mechanic recommended.
They replaced the front parts of my Audi, headlight assembly's by aftermarket housings, due to insurance and age of car. Which do look like OEM's, but keeping the bulbs and ballasts. Since then my HID's which I loved so much are no longer working as they used to and night time driving has become a problem.
The light beams are no longer in an unnoticeable beam, illuminating much of the road in front of me but a stepped line, with left lower, a hard horizontal cut off. When switching to high beams the stepped cut off disappears though.
They still were either pointing up, blinding others or to close in the ground.
After several times going back to the body shop an readjusting them myself, I have now identified that the auto-leveling when I start the car changes the headlight setting as if they are not affixed properly in the housing.
Each time the auto leveling happens the left and right beam are in slightly different positions.
What in your opinion is the problem, what should I do? As the body shop doesn't seem really to know what is wrong and I keep going there constantly.
Thanks in advance.

[Gunnark100]

Have you tried all calibration methods etc with cable? Any error codes in memory? No idea how those aftermarket "lights" may act with oem autolevellling but any chance you can change them out with insurance or?

[Unleaded20T]

I've been in your shoes before where insurance companies attempted to replace with aftermarket headlight and i was not able to align it
i reported the issue to my body shop and my insurance company, they ordered a OEM replacement housing and called me to make an appointment for the swap once it arrived.

If the replacement headlight is not performing as the OEM or fitting properly, the Insurance company needs to replace it.
In your case, the replacement housing doesnt have the clamps to properly attach the leveling or whatever it is... that is your case.

I suggest you call your insurance back to explaint he issues with the headlight, letting them know that it is unsafe, that people are giving you the finger at night, whatever you what and that you will have to take the car back to the shop.

[elscotto80]

Agree. Talk to insurance and have them put in the OEM lights that should have been put in to begin with. Just went through thus myself but with my driver side front fender. They ordered an aftermarket one which was cheaper and whatdayaknow...it didn't fit right. Took longer to get my car back because they were pinching pennies...