OK, first off, based on the title of the post, you can probably guess where this is headed. But to recap, Sineo was nice enough to post for me last night regarding my sudden headlight switch failure (I was at work and the network was screwed up). Here's the original post:

https://www.audiforums.com/m.asp?m=7...age=1&key=

I was given some good leads to check into in replies to that thread (thanks again everyone) and decided to try my luck with A1 Auto Parts in Utica, NY - they had the combination switch listed at $50, which was too good a price to pass up. I live a little under 100 miles from Utica, and faced with the option of either going there to pick up the part and having it today, or waiting for it to be shipped and likely not getting it until Wednesday, I decided to go up and get it. Nice day, buddy went with me, yada yada.

I called the place at 8:15AM today and confirmed that they still had the part - they did. A1 is a salvage yard filled with Audi, BMW, Jaguar, VW, and a few other marques. I described the exact part I needed, as well as telling them what they had to do to remove it and have it ready. I also asked for the hazard switch, as my hazard/turn signal relay took a dump last Friday and I had no turn signals (which last night was compounded by my combi switch dying, and leaving me with no headlights either). I was assured that a worker would go out immediately to remove the parts and they'd be waiting for me.

I arrived at the yard later than I wanted to (about 3PM - thanks for sending me in the wrong direction, Google Maps). I went in, told the guy who I was and about the arrangement made this morning, and was greeted with a blank, dumb stare. That didn't bode well. Then the guy on the phone that morning came in, and said, sure thing, here's your part - and hands me only a turn signal stalk, unplugged from its electronics, and the rest of the combi switch nowhere to be seen. I was pissed. Told him again what it was that I came for, reminded him of the overly detailed description I gave of the part and the removal process, and he didn't know what I meant. He grabbed one of the yard guys to take me out to a donor car to show him exactly what I needed, which he would pull for me on the spot. OK, fair enough.

We get out to the donor car (a horribly mangled Avant), and the column is disassembled already, which saved time. I showed the guy EXACTLY what I needed, framed it with my fingers, pointed out every part I needed. He went to work on it (you're not allowed to pull your own parts there), and I walked back to check out another A4 that was there. The yard guy comes over a few minutes later and hands me the headlight stalk - ONLY the headlight stalk, again NOT with the electronics of the switch, just the plastic part. I reiterate again what I need, and he says that in that car, the switch is broken. OK then, why did you waste the time to pull the stalk when I showed you I needed the electronics as well?

So the A4 I had gone to investigate (a 2.8 sedan) had a complete column. I said, let's get it out of here. He agrees. By now I'm getting nervous since dark is coming and I have no lights and a 100 mile drive to face. He breaks off the column trim (+1 for him for not wasting time there), and goes to work on trying to get the switch assembly out without removing the wheel (I find out later that he doesn't have the T55 torx bit necessary to remove the wheel). I show him again what I need, and he pries the f*cking switch plate off, lets the switching components fall into his hand, hands them to me, and says "here ya go". WTF am I supposed to do with that? I tell him he's just butchered a third car and it's ridiculous.

As you may have read in the original post (linked above), my switch was jammed somehow and wouldn't go up past the detent that turns on the parking lights. I spoke with one person at the yard who actually had some knowledge of the car, and he said that in what he's seen of the failures of the type I have, the culprit is usually a small spring on one of the inner pieces of the switch. He gave me the spring, said to take out my switch assembly, carefully take it apart, and make sure the spring is at fault. Given that the other components inside are just stationary contacts, it stands to reason that the failure may well be caused by the spring. So tomorrow, I will remove my full combination switch assembly and autopsy it to see if it is indeed the spring. If so, I will repair it with the new spring and reassemble it. If it works, great - I don't have to shell out $160 or more for another switch assembly.

I did end up buying the turn signal stalk they had removed (he gave it to me for $15) since my cruise control is messed up, and that may be an easy fix with this. In any event, success or failure, I will take photographs of every step I take and write up a comprehensive overhaul DIY for this. If it works, it may end up saving people a considerable amount of money in the future (I'll measure the spring and provide that info for anyone, so they can source a similar spring to use to fix their own faulty switches). If it does not work, I have an alternate plan to put into play so that the lights will have full functionality until a new switch assembly arrives and I can replace it. All of this will be detailed as well, no matter what, along with a potential way to save some hassle in diagnosing switch problems and replacement. The post will follow sometime tomorrow or Sunday, and hopefully it'll help someone else out.

One upside was, while the guy was butchering the final combi switch, I found yet another A4 whose center dash section was already disassembled, and I was able to get the hazard switch/relay from it. The button face was missing, but I can swap my own onto it, so in any event, at least my flashers and turn signals should work tomorrow (that's a quick fix for sure). So with that, and with either a successful spring replacement or my alternate modification, I should have all the problems solved tomorrow. Information will be forthcoming in great detail.

Sorry for the length of this - just wanted to spread the full story of what I found out today and set up for a (hopefully) fully successful repair tomorrow. As for A1, they didn't seem to know a whole hell of a lot from what I saw, but they were good about trying to make it right for me and they do have a pretty good variety of cars. Most of them had significant body damage (believe me, I was looking for facelift headlights and a few other things, but no luck - they were destroyed or missing), but there seemed to be a pretty good amount of viable parts on them. They're willing to ship directly to you, so they'd be worth talking to for parts - just make sure you can email them a picture or a link to a picture - of exactly what you need to avoid going through what I went through. Doing it that way, I'd be willing to go back.

As a final point, due to the delays, I ended up driving about 75 of those 100 miles back in the dark, with 10 layers of scotch tape holding my turn stalk in the "flash to pass" position to keep the high beams on. Amazingly enough, I didn't get pulled over - some consolation I guess.

 

all i gotta say is HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. at least they were nice lol. you should get nightvision goggles from your brother lol

 

LOL, you bastard I should've figured on a smartass reply from you! The NV goggles would be cool for me, but not for anyone pulling out onto what they assume is an empty road. You just wait - your day is coming when you have these kind of PITA failures. And if it doesn't come soon enough, I'm laying spike strips out by your house

 

haha, i have very bright lights so i will be able to see the spikestrips. well at least we know another place to get cheap parts for our cars. we should go visit shokan sometimes. it's like an audi frankenstein yard there. i think it's closer than utica too.

 

Yeah, I'm game for it. I didn't bother calling you from there since most of the cars were buried in snow, and many didn't even have a front clip at all, or it was mangled, so the chances of getting your under-engine shroud were practically nil. Maybe better luck with Shokan - I'm down to find out.

 

i figured there wasn't one lol. i wish i could get one to copy and make my own. too bad you couldn't get you rone piece lights though. shokan should have it for sure

 

I hope so - I'm all about shopping around for them (and a few other parts as well).

 

As I posted to Hiwords earlier. If you call 1800vwparts and talk to Eric, he'll know exactly what part you're talking about, know the likelyhood of thatpart failing and will send you a used or new oem part to fix the problem. They're in Fleischmanns, NY. I bought lots of parts from him, he knows more about parts than anyone I've crossed paths with.

 

Cool - how's his prices, just out of curiosity?

 

For used parts he seems really flexible. Talk to him and he'll be helpful. I bought an inside door handle for $20 and the entire assembly that surrounds the steering column for $25.