Audi lighting

[Lee M. Levitt]

> I keep reading these kinds of statements and I'd like to ask,
> who's driven a 200q20vt with brand new DOT headlights?

Road and Track Magazine did a road test of the then new 200Q and commented
that this particular Audi had the singularly worst headlamps they had ever
experienced.

> 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.

Ever driven a car with euros?

> 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.

I've driven plenty of 5 and 10 year old cars, and have *never* seen lighting
as bad as these Audi lamps.

> 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.

Probably not. New DOT aero lamps tend to run $350-500 per side.

>  A relay harness probably improves DOT lights output too.
>

Here's another frequently stated view...if I have lousy light control and
distribution, more intense light will change everything. Nope. The lens and
reflector are much more critical for good lighting than the bulb output. I'd
take a 55 watt Euro setup over a 500 watt DOT setup any day (and night).

Lee
'95.5 S6 avant (with good euro spec lighting)
'96 A6 quattro avant (with fair US DOT spec lighting, soon to be
upgraded...)
ex '90 200t (with *horrible* lighting)