Headlight range control fault 01534

[spark365]

Well, it's me again ! New day, new problem. This problem happened before and after I replaced my j519 module, so I don't think it's linked to this problem.

Let's start. My car is giving me intermittently "headlight range control" fault for the left headlight. I did check the fuse, all ok. I also can say that I pulled the headlight connector a few time and it happened after that, but not immediately. The first time that the fault appeared, the headlight wasn't leveled with the right one. But the times after, everything seemed ok. Now, here is the VCDS code

1 Fault Found:
01534 -
Control Circuit for Left Headlight Range Adjusting Motor (V48)
010
- Open or Short to Plus
- Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00101010
Fault Praguenoy?
Reset counter: 125
Mileage: 173072 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2010.01.22
Time: 01:49:44

What should I look into ?

Thank you guys

[Smac770]

B8.0 or B8.5? With or without AFS (cornering lamps)?
(though I could answer those if you posted a complete scan log instead of a truncated data set)

[spark365]

Sorry, I thought including only the error would be easier to read

It's a 2011 b8 s4 6MT. No cornering lamp

[Smac770]

Truncating information curtails one's ability to be aware of all aspects. One person might make a correlation of disparate information which another might not realize means something.

So B8.0. There's a separate headlamp range control module that sits behind the glove box in B8.0. I presume the DTC then came from the J431 at address 55 rather than from the J519 at address 09. B8.5 integrated the J431 into the J519, so there's no more device at address 55 on B8.5.

There's four wires from the J431 to the leveling motor in each headlamp. Your issue could be a problem with the electronics inside the J431, or a problem with the wiring from the J431 to the headlamp, or a problem with the wiring inside the headlamp from the 14-pin plug to the actual V48 left headlamp leveling motor, or a problem with the V48 itself.

The real problem being the issue seems intermittent. Oddly, the fault frequency value is absent? (Praguenoy?) This makes isolation harder since you can't be sure if the issue is live or not. Could be a motor starting to flake out, could be wiring corrosion. But you can't be sure if when you test say for continuity if you're on the problem component but it's just not acting up at that instant.

The four wires for the front left are:

J431 T26a/17 -> green/yellow -> headlamp T14a/1
J431 T26a/19 -> green/brown -> headlamp T14a/2
J431 T26a/16 -> green/gray -> headlamp T14a/3
J431 T26a/18 -> green/black -> headlamp T14a/4

There should be output tests to exercise the motors in Output Tests for address 55.

This is the motor: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...ach/8p0941293/

Unfortunately, there's no documentation on how the four wires are configured (what power/ground/signaling is present on each and when). You'd have to watch the voltage values on the lines when sitting there and when in motion up and down during the test to define a baseline. As the error is "open circuit / short to +", you're looking for a line on which 12v is present or is presented; the J431 is trying to put 12v on that line and seeing no current flow. It presumes the line is broken. But it could be the motor is blown and it is the "open circuit".

But that's kind of the framework you're working with.

[spark365]

Would "swapping" headlight from one side to the other be a good idea to isolate the problem ? Or would swapping the headlights cause more codes and make the diagnostic more complicated? Isolating if the problem is coming from the headlight itself or the wires seems a good idea in my book, but those cars are so complex that I'm afraid it will act up.


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[spark365]

I'm including what I have from VCDS

IMG_1506.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[spark365]

Sorry for the multiple posts, for some reason my phone is acting up (currently on the go, can't access to a computer)

I tried to translate everything

Here it is

Address 55: Headlight Range
Part No: 8K5 907 357 B
Component: Dynamische LWR H02 0010
Revision:00000001
Serial number
Coding:0000004
Shop #: W5C 06325 000 00000
VCID:3973702670599B43C4-8060
Labels:8K0-907-357.c1b
1 Fault Found:
01534 -
Control Circuit for Left Headlight Range Adjusting Motor (V48)
010
- Open or Short to Plus
- Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00101010
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 2
Reset counter: 125
Mileage: 173072 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2010.01.22
Time: 01:49:44

[spark365]

After driving the car a little more, I found that when I drive on uneven roads or park the car in an angle, the error message will appear. I don't know what it could mean, but it's the way I found to trigger the message

[Smac770]

I measured the voltages on the pins 1-4 (ripped the probe right off my backprobe, yeah) while doing the output test (adjust to lowered and adjust to raised) and not sure what they were saying. I measured them relative to chassis ground (negative jump start post on strut tower).

1 - ~0v, changed to 10.x or 11.x during tests
2 - ~0v, changed to 10.x or 11.x during tests
3 - ~11.7v, changed to 10.x during tests
4 - ~10.7v, changed to 11.x during tests

So no idea what the power/signal system is for that connection.

In the measuring blocks, 004-1 is voltage at light input (3.98v in my case) and 002-3 is actuator motor activation (55.3% in my case).

You need to figure out which line is showing 12v, you'll need a backprobe probe for your multimeter to slide in from the backside of the harness plug, make sure to slide past the rubber seal. See what you read on all four standard, and then with the two different tests active. That should tell you something.


I disconnected the plug and removed the headlight so I could take resistance measurements between the pins on the headlamp. 1 <> 2 and 3 <> 4 both measured 8Ω. There was no continuity between the 1/2 pins and the 3/4 pins. I don't know if the motor would demonstrate this though in its disconnected state. It could be a problem with your motor that only exhibits when the motor extends to a particular position.

To remove the headlamp, there's one T30 bolt on the front you have to remove, one T30 bolt on the inside front you have to loosen (remove lock carrier cover to access), and two T30 bolts on the lower backside you have to loosen. Notice the groove in the mount plate which the headlamp has to set down into when reinstalling.


I'd clear DTCs and run the output test to lowered, see if the DTC comes up. If not, run the test to raised, see if the DTC comes up. If the DTC came on for lowered, clear it before testing raised. If you can create the DTC on demand by one of the output tests, I'd suspect just replace the motor.

[spark365]

Thank you for all this investigation!

After driving the car a little more, I suspect that the wiring is wrong, not the motor because the LED stripes is intermittently flickering or shutting off, showing a code.

I will be playing with this today by cleaning the connector, since I've connected and disconnected it a lot

[Wey]

Thank you for all this investigation!

After driving the car a little more, I suspect that the wiring is wrong, not the motor because the LED stripes is intermittently flickering or shutting off, showing a code.

I will be playing with this today by cleaning the connector, since I've connected and disconnected it a lot

@spark365, did you solve? would you share your finding? thanks!