Audi 200 Headlight - Not Bright Enough

[Brett Dikeman]

At 6:17 PM -0500 2/19/02, Pranu Bhargava wrote:
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>Hi,
>
>I recently got a 1989 Audi 200 TQ, but am having a terrible time trying
>to get it to pass VA State Inspection laws. The damn headlights don't
>seem to be bright enough at all. I originally had 9004 65/45W bulbs.

That's not the proper bulb...45W isn't right for the highbeam.


>Replaced those with 100/80W bulbs - didn't work.

Ouch.  Don't run that with the stock wiring.

>Battery is working fine - brand new!

Yes, but the battery is only one of many parts of the system.

>
>I just don't know what to do.

First, make sure that at idle you have proper voltage in the entire
system.  Watch the dash meter, with the headlights on.  Let the car
idle for a bit like this.

Is it well below 13v?  Okay, now tap the throttle and raise it up to
1,500rpms or so. Did it just jump up to right around 14v, and sink
back down when engine RPMs returned to idle?  Should be very
repeatable.

If so, one cause is tthe pulley on the alternator might be too small.
Replace with the correct pulley(there's a TSB on this, alternator
doesn't spin quite fast enough.)

Ultimately the cheapest/easiest option will be going to a different
inspection station.  I had to deal with a pissy station that told me
my tires were too worn (they were well above the wear bars) and a
bunch of other things...drove over to the garage across the
street(literally) and had a sticker on the car in 5 minutes.
Granted, this is MA, with garages doing inspections, not the state.
A lot of garages try to take you for a ride...

Brett
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