Installing Xenon HID in A6

[JustCruisin']

Hi,

I've been looking for a usuable manual to install Xenon HID in my "new" A6. Since I found a lot of general info but no specifics, I decided to just go for it and do it myself and make some pics on the way. I hope it is usefull and may even wind up in the FAQ (http://www.netwiz.net/~jds/files/a6_links.html)

Background: I own a '00 A6, European model (I live in the Netherlands) which has "everything" sans xenon. So I took the challenge of installing it myself, the automotive way, meaning nice, durable etc.etc. I scanned the internet for available HID conversion kits and there are a lot! My A6 take H1 bulbs for low beams so I had to find a H1 conversion set.
All claim to be best and better than the other. I finally went for the most cost effective solution bought from a Netherland based car tuning shop, because if anything doesn't work, I have someone to talk to rather than an email adress.

This is the box of the kit.

It's a Asian manufactured kit of no particular brand. It is my take that most units come from a taiwanese manufacturing plant anyway. It's a risk, but this risk saved me $400 to begin with. So far everything works fine, so we'll see. The bulbs are "diamond white" 8000K bulbs.
- I checked the filament position compared to the 100 Watt H1 "xenone white" bulbs that were installed and the filament was located at exactly the same distance from the H1 base. This is important so that the light beam is no different after the conversion.
- Next, I checked the depth of the lighthouse since the HID bulb is some 30 mm longer than the Halogen bulb. There is plenty of depth in the A6 reflector, so no problems there either.
- For my particular engine, The left and right headlight units were treated differently. This is mainly due to the fact that I have the air intake duct running from above the grill, over the right headlight to the airfilter. I removed the air intake (which takes two screws to remove) so I was able to detach the lamp cover.

Here you see the result
- The left side is easier to reach without removing parts.
- However, on the left side I removed the cover that sits around the power steering oil container to free up some work space.
- Then a 25 MM cutout had to be made to run the wiring through. The kit comes with a silicon sleeve that isolates the lamp housing. I carefully choose the location in the lamp cover to do this as to have enough space in the lamphouse as well as outside.
- After I cut both holes, It was time to find a suitable mounting location for the starters.
As these are the smallest boxes in the set, and I had limited wiring length from the starters to the bulbs, I decided to mount them to the lamp covers.
- I chose the same location on the right side cover, making sure that is had sufficient space to take all the cables, AND sit nicely under the air intake duct.
- The starters were attached using double sided tape and secured with tie wraps.
- As you need to keep the lamp house moisture free, the holes that I drilled to run the tie wraps through were carefully filled with silicon to close them up.
It looks like this on the left side:


Then the ballasts.

- On left side I used the bracket the hold the ABS pump to firmly attach the ballast. It was a perfect fit with the aid of some tie wraps:


TEST DRIVE! A scary moment, cause many things can go wrong:
- Due to the increased startup current the fuse may blow and you may have to use a 15A fuse.
- I know that the board computer of (some volvo's) read a broken bulb after installing HID, and you'll have to tweak a shunt to correct for this. What woul my computer say? Therefore I left the original Halogen bulb in place to check if my comp would come up with someting.
- The test worked and the HID jumped to life without any problems. Can you feel the difference between 100 Watt and 35 Watt??

So, the left side is done and finally looks like this:

- On the right side, a different location for the ballast had to be found and I found a perfect spot between the radiator and the headlight unit.
- Again, double sided tape and tie wraps were used to neatly attach the ballast to the car:

Remember: all this will be covered by the air intake duct that will runn above this.

Final result:



Final remarks:

Most kits say it's plug and play. Yes, but if you want to do it right, take your time. I took about 5 Hrs to get it all in, because I measure twice, cut once. I think, look and find the best solution. I insulate and use loads of tie wraps. Because I want my job about as well engineered as Audi would do it. Second, it was no plug and play. The kits plugs didn't fit the my cars' light plug. I had to slightly modify the kits' plugs (no big issue, you just need to have the tools, in my case a Dremel)
The HID Bulb's base is thicker than a standard H1 so it takes some fiddling to get it fixed with the little metal fixing springs. But I got it to work, so can you.

I hope this will help potential HID converters without much experience under the hood (like me) to gain sufficient confidence to convert theis A6 to a Xenon loaded A6.

Edgar

[alexhifi]

...how much does it cost? Where are you located? Do you mind talking on the Audio System subject? If so my email is alexhifi@hotmailDOTcom.

Alex

[carbonLORD]

[JustCruisin']

The kit was EUR 220.- which is currently USD 260.-. The next best kit I could find was EUR 500.-.

The kit was purchased at a local tuning shop and I got the deal because it was the last kit on stock. I have full warranty, but I doubted because I'd rather had phillips bulbs and electronics. However, this kit seemed quality wise a perfect kit, no flimsy wiring or whatsoever.

As I replaced 100 watt bulbs for 35 watt HID, I don't expects any trouble with heat, but I keep you guys posted if anything goes wrong.

Anyway, now that the HID's are installed, it's back to designing High End loudspeakers again.

Edgar

• I am better with Loudspeakers than with cars

[Kgnast-Nemo4.2]

[DesmoTesta]

[Stoney]

[TE_A6]

[khogz]

are you happy with the color of the 8000k bulbs, do they give you the color that you were going for...i am looking to add hid to my a6 yet am not sure which temp to go with that willl give the a6 the right look, i want it to have a bit of the bluish/purpleish color but not tooo much and i would like it to light up the road at night as best as possible...is 8000k the best temp to go with i have read and heard so many diff thing i am not sure?????

[giovanniA6]

JustCruisin' I installed an HID conversion kit.
Now the car computer alert me that there is an error with the bulb.
How can I fix this?