It pains me each morning when I have to leave my A4 in the parking structure at USC and head off to class :( I'm always paranoid that someone will do something to my car. Anyways, when I got back to my car today after class it was obvious that someone had been fiddling around with it. For starters, my paint is kinda nicked around my sidemarker on the passenger side and there are finger smudges all over the area. On closer observation, the sidemarker looked a little weird because it had been pried in an attempt to remove it. Arghh!!! Does anyone know of a way to KEEP those suckers on? I've been considering clear corners and smoked sidemarkers, but I won't pay 40 some odd dollars for sidemarkers if they are that easy to steal. <p>Mike

You've got to watch those sticker-applying Honda punks -- especially down at USC... <p>There's a name for these idiots, but we'll leave that for another thread.<p>-joe

Hey Mike,<p>If someone knows how to remove the side markers on the A4, they can do it in two seconds (literally). Even if you have a shock sensor on the car, It probably won't go off as it does not take much effort to remove them. A perimeter alarm might work, but it'll probably set off false alarms constantly. <p>So there's really not much you can do. Saw a new Bimmer 5 series the other day with both side markers ripped off the car. Most bumper lights on Jap cars are held in by one phillip screw as well. Even most aftermarket fogs are bolted to the bumper only. So if someone wanted lights, they'll get them. (I do remember a short article in a car audio mag that showed how to wire your fogs into your alarm system. Can't remember which though.<p>At least with the A4, it's not so blatantly obvious how the side markers are attatched to the car. If they do get stolen, it's probably by another A4/A8 owner. A sad, sad thought.<p>What's worse, if they do get stolen, they'll cost just as much as to replace as your insurance deductible. So you'll probably end up paying for them again.<p>Sorry, but can't help you much here.<p><br>James Wu<br>A4 Club of Vancouver<br>1998 Black/Onyx 1.8tqa with smoked side markers and yellow (not amber) bulbs inside<ul><li><a href="http://avant.extreme.com/va4">A4 Club of Vancouver</a></li></ul>

James wrote:<p>" If they do get stolen, it's probably by another A4/A8 owner. A sad, sad thought."<p>I totally disagree with this...if it is stolen it is probably the Honda/Acura crowd,<br>especially in Los Angeles area. It is the european car wanna-bees that will<br>steal the lenses. Why would an A8 owner steal an A4 side indicator light? <br>No way. Sorry, but I think you are way off with that statement.<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<br>

What do you think would happen if I bought some In Pro smoked sidemarkers and installed them with a generous dollop of adhesive on the inside? <p>Mike

Don't know the effect on Xenon lights, but every car I've driven with ABS had enough of a current draw to do this. A friend of mine used to have an RX-7 turbo that had huge fluctuations while ABS was active.<p>Charles<br>

Got to drive our A6 on ice (no snow, just ice, but that's even more fun) and with Xenons on all the time, when hitting the brakes I didn't see any adverse effects. I also tested the brakes from 180km/h to almost zero at night with somewhat wet pavement, no flicker. (German Autobahn, 3am, no cars to the horizon, center of five lanes - I think it was safe).<p>Maybe it's that once you start them, they are happy ever after with very little power and small fluctuations don't disturb them. Who knows. <p>- Stan