[V8] Headlight switch meltdown forum

[Bastian Homburg]

Well, I`ve driven those Type 44 and V8 cars since the mid-eighties. And 
never had any fire trouble with the headlight switch, too. They fail 
regularly, yes, and failing light switches ARE an issue with all of 
these cars -  but they don't pose a fire hazard. BUT, you're right, 
these things are badly designed as all the power to the lights is routed 
through the column switch, leading to premature wear because the 
contacts "burn" over time.
To prevent this from happening as well as to improve the overall 
brightness of the headlights, it is definitely advisable to retrofit 
relays to both the high beams and the low beam circuit. With these 
installed, only the control current (~150mA) is routed through the light 
switch instead of the full operating current (~10A) like before, greatly 
reducing the stress this component is exposed to.
Another effect is that with relays installed, voltage at the headlights 
typically increases from about 10V to the full 13.something volts the 
electrical system delivers - they get noticeably brighter. This is a 
"must have" update IMHO, and really easy to install yourself. A lot of 
the European Type44/V8 owners I know use this ready-made one: 
http://www.audi100-online.de/Forum_/Shop/body_shop.html#Beleuchtung

regards,
Bastian



urq wrote:
> ... I can't remember any reports of any fires caused by the headlight switch
> melting down.  This isn't a situation where anything would likely get into a
> "runaway" situation ... as the conductors deteriorate eventually the circuit
> is opened (as you experienced).  Frankly, I've never had a problem like this
> on any of my Audis ... and the first question I would expect to hear is
> whether or not you or any other PO has run headlamps of higher than stock
> wattage in the bulbs.  I screwed up the switch on my motorcycle running an
> 80/100 bulb with no relay ... no way I'd blame BMW for that one ... 
>
> Steve B
> San José, CA (USA)
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> Hey people,,,,,just removed my combination switch and yes, I had  
> meltdown on number 1....connector is baked (99K),  Every time I start  
> the car it says OK......It's got low mileage, and with all the new  
> front end parts,it's perfect......except the meltdown..... ..Since  
> this is a known issue, I want ALL who've had the unfortunate  issue  
> of a combination switch  meltdown directly under a KNOWN EXPLOSIVE  
> DEVICE, to email me and I'll send them all to the NTSB(might still  
> know someone there:)  It's time for someone(AUDI) to take  
> responsibility for at least this  SERIOUS issue.........WILLING and  
> ABLE to push AUDI on this issue.....Wondering if anyone has numbers  
> on how many v8's still are registered.....If you had a fire under  
> your'e airbag, what happens?????
> Who's dealt with this........let me know....Tom
>
> _______________________________________________
> Audifans V8 mailing list
> Send posts to: mailto:V8 at audifans.com
> Manage your list connection: http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/v8
>
> You can help keep the audifans site running by shopping at http://audifans.com/shop/
>
>
>