Update on A6 upgrade - bulb failure

[dmiller@iea.com (Doug Miller)]

Just a quick note on my earlier post detailing how to alter the wiring in a
97 A6 and how my upgraded bulbs worked out.  Today, the "bulb out" warning
popped up on the information screen. Sure enough, the right hand low beam
was out after only 3 weeks of service.  I pulled it and the filament was
fine, but there was a section of the metal shaft close to the backing plate
that had been blued with heat. On closer inspection, the bulb's wire
appeared to have come unsoldered and burned away the connection on the
bulb's shaft by serious arcing.  No damage to the reflectors, which makes
me happy from the standpoint that obviously the short had generated a great
deal more heat than the upgraded bulb normally would, and the heat was
closer to the reflector than the filament where it was even more likely to
cause damage.  In short, (heh) this makes me even more confident the
upgraded bulbs are not anywhere near the ability of the reflector
assembly's ability to handle it.

Furthermore, the bulb was a PIAA and they have sent out a replacement at no
cost. They were very pleasant about it and even took the time to answer
some fairly technical questions about some of their other products in a
well informed manner.  I'm a Hella fan, but this encounter with PIAA
impressed me.


Doug Miller
dmiller@iea.com
97A6Q Wagon, 93 LandCruiser w/diff locks (and well used skidplates), 71
LeMans Sport V8 Convertible. Cannondale Super V 900 Comp.