I am driving my 1996 Audi A4 2.8L Quattro (Manual) across the country.. I am currently in Rapid City South Dakota for the night. And the problem is my headlights just stopped working. (Both of them) I checked all the fuses in the fuse box next to the drivers side door. and they all checked out okay. The High beams work only if i hold them on to the "Pass" mode.. but if i turn them on normaly by clicking them forward they dont work. I believe its due to the fact that the headlights arent on. Both rear and front fog lights wont turn on either. All turn signals and running lights work though. I have to Find a way to fix this or figure out what is wrong. Will be checking back very frequently for someones post to help me... Other wise I dont know how i will make it home to Seattle. Thanks for all your help

Karl

 

I am really curious if there is another hidden fuse or something else very simple to check.. Also if anyone knows of a repair shop that i could take this too... if I cant do it myself, would be greatly appreciated..
Thanks

 

1) Check the fuses with an ohm meter, or swap in some new ones. The break in a blown fuse can sometimes be hard to see.
2) Check for +12V and a good ground at the headlight sockets themselves.
3) Check the lightbulbs themselves with an ohm meter.

The only time I lost both low beams at once, it actually turned out to be two burned-out low beam filaments, but I checked everything else out first, because I couldn't believe they both went simultaneously. It turns out the car had a faulty voltage regulator, which was also causing it to eat batteries pretty frequently, by overcharging them.

I have the Haynes A4 headlight wiring diagram in front of me. It looks pretty simple, with just the headlight switch, then the dimmer switch, then the fuses in series with the bulbs. If you are not getting 12V at the fuses or, assuming the fuses are good, at the lamps themselves, then I strongly suspect the headlight on-off switch, which is indeed bypassed in flash mode. I hope this helps ...

 

Do you think it could be the Relay? I want to check that as well.. do you know where its located.. Sorry still kind of new to the Audi Life. I didnt get any manuals on the car or anything. THanks again

 

According to my Haynes book, these cars do not use a relay for the headlights. The circuit is simple: battery positive through light switch through dimmer switch (flash position bypasses light switch) through fuses to bulbs, then back to battery negative via chassis. I strongly suspect your main headlight on/off switch, but you'll want to verify this with a volt-ohm meter before digging in there.

 

i dont know about the audi lights but i have heard of 1 light burning out and they both will shut off

 

no they don't both turn off, it's probably an issue with the headlight stalk.

found this:
"I had a problem with my headlights where they wouldn't work. Playing with the high-beam flasher switch would cause them to monentarily work. The passing high beam actuation position on the switch would work.

I took a can of WD-40 and sprayed inside the steering column at the location of the on-off switch and the passing/hi-lo switch. Worked both of these switches back and forth. This got them working; did this about a year ago and no problem since. "

 

Thanks alot going to try that tomorrow. This site has been tremendous help for a lot of things. Thanks so much

 

You might try Radio Shack tuner cleaner spray.

 

I would look into the switch also.