Audi lighting

[Kneale Brownson]

At 09:20 AM 10/26/2001 -0400, Lee M. Levitt wrote:

>BenediktRochow at oaktech.com wrote:
>
> > >Many European cars have only the H4 low/high beam, e.g.
> > >typ44 100, for Audi content. Based on that, can I consider that setup
> > >enough? (If it's good enough for Audi, ...)
> >
>
>With regard to that last statement, I guess you've never driven a 200T or
>200Q with stock DOT lamps at night. Those lights are godawful, no better
>than a couple of candles ducttaped to the bumper. Can you say criminal
>negligence?

I keep reading these kinds of statements and I'd like to ask, who's driven 
a 200q20vt with brand new DOT headlights?  When I bought my 200 a couple 
years ago, the PO had just finished installing brand new stock 
headlights.   I drive all winter on rural roads that wind through the 
woods, and half the time I have to rely on the lights (ie., it's still dark 
out or it's become dark).  They're plenty adequate, especially when there's 
no oncoming traffic so that I can use the brights.    The PO said he was 
amazed at the difference between the  original lights and the new stock 
replacements.  I'm sure the years of driving on sanded roads and the years 
of exposure of the reflector surfaces to air (they're NOT sealed) had 
caused deterioration of the output.  I'm sure so many of the "two candles 
taped to the fenders" comments are based on years-old lights.  This is not 
to say that Euro lights would not be an improvement over the DOTs,  but new 
DOTs are considerably less expensive than Euro lights, I believe.  A relay 
harness probably improves DOT lights output too.