Dealer quote of €280 to change bulbs..!
 

Was going to go down the lazy route until I got a quote from a dealer of €280 to change the headlight bulbs.... !!

Why? Because they need to remove the front bumper and the under-trays to get at the bulb. Then they have to realign the lights and put parts back again....

They should be subscribed to this forum!!!

:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL::ROFL::ROFL::ROFL::ROFL::ROFL::R OFL::ROFL:

So you're not having it done then? :ROFL:

And to think some people pay that. I'm in the wrong game, i should be changing bulbs for a living

That's almost as good as the £4,000 (no typo, or missing decimal..) that I was quoted to replace the broken circular cap on the centre console on my D2 S8 a couple of years ago. It was fixed in the end with a £10 replacement from A8 Parts of the whole central cartridge +++

Dealer quote (service supervisor) at the time - "it's an integral part of the whole computer system, so it'll all need to be replaced, and can't be replaced on it's own":angry4:

I didn't realise I looked that stupid...

Depends on the model, but some do require headlight removal to get proper access, and some require bumper off before the headlights come out. Even on the V10 I think you can avoid that with removal of airboxes and a bracket or 2 to get to the back of them.

If that cost includes a couple of OEM gas discharge headlights it's actually not that unreasonable. They're usually a fair wack. If that's just labour then it's certainly a bit chunky!

If headlights come out they should always be realigned - had mine done properly after refurbishing the headlights as I'd had them out and in bits!

Time to move on and use another dealer !

Air boxes out on both sides and also the inner wheel arch. Therefore the wheel too. That then gives plenty of access. Even on the V10. It's not too bad a job...

To be honest I don't think it's to bad 280 euro is £220 , I did a Range Rover sport the other week , grill off, pull pins for headlamp removal , headlamp aim re check , we charged 1/2 hours labour £30 .

Owner insisted on doing both sides and using dealer bulbs ....from memory £70 each

So £140 +£30 =£170 plus vat = £204 so looks like we are a bigger rip off than the dealers as the landrovers are quite easy to get at the bulbs

Dont think for a second I'm defending dealer prices because I'm not , but them gas discharge bulbs are expensive from the dealers ...... yes there on eBay for blah blah but the dealer will only use genuine Audi bulbs ( probably sourced off eBay snigger )

If it just the labour charge it does sound expensive though

Interesting posts...thanks for your comments...

this quote was just for the labour...so pretty expensive.

I was reading the lighting thread and considering the HID bulbs but they'll fail our equivilant of the MOT, which means you'd have to swop them out before the test.

I've halogens in mine (07 D3) and not happy with them, they've not been bright enough this winter at all..so hence changing them. May just go down the route of the philips extremevision....

Well £220 is about 2 hours labour at a dealers, so is that an acceptable time-frame in which to change the bulbs, considering that the bumper needs to come off. They will charge based on the replacement procedure in their manuals. We all know there is a quicker way to do it, but they will work by the book I guess. Not sticking up for them but just saying like... if you go to a dealer to get such jobs done then expect dealer prices on the parts and the labour.

I mean at the dealers even if you do the sneak way ..... so up on a ramp both front wheels off ( an hour emptying junk out of boot to get wheel key ) both inner arch panels , both air boxes out ........must be still over an hours labour easy .

Didnt know the Irish mot equivalent your not allowed HID lamps ....seems a bit mad seeing that there passed for european single vehicle approval .............then again you do have the obligatory extra large cup holders to hold the pint of guinness .....so not all bad news :ROFL:

Find a good independant repairer rather than a dealer maybe ??


Fitting bulbs are a big gripe for garages now ....... i did a renault modis last year sometime ....... took me about 2 1/2 hours to do both halogen h7

There un beileivable ....... upper bumper panel off ..... yes all captivated bolts are spinning in the panel , main bumper .....yes you guessed all captivated bolts spinning ....... drill em out ........feck about ..... finally get lamps out .......replace bulbs ......feck about some more.... sorting out all captivated bolt fastenings out .....blah blah .

Explain this lot to the customer /owner ....... they look at you like you have two heads !!........... best of it , its the French who say you have to carry a bulbs kit in the car .......... whose going to fit them for you hahahaha

moan , grumble , groan ,day in the life of a mechcanic eh !!...... now Dentistry... theres a job ......stick em in the chair ......feck about with a drill and a pick ...... ive already got a snap on pick set and an air drill ......use an a8 comfort seat on a transmission jack .....up, down , spin around ...... charge a couple of hundred pound an hour should do it ........... i will look into it .... oh hang on its regulated ....... you have to have qualifications , accreditations .... cleanliness and standards to up hold ...........

oh ayyyupp!!!! here comes Fred in his shed ....get a unit ,couple of spanners and a monkey wrench ........lets start a car repair business .... under cut all the other garages because i have no insurance or liability , no training fees ......
regualtions ......... dont need any of that ........... i fixed the chain on my Raleigh Grifter years back so i know all about engines ......... easy dosh init
......
See im at it again ranting !!!oh my !! Lee .....have a minuite ......deep breaths ........in ........out ...... in ...... out ........... arghhhhhhhh ....... making scones and cakes ...then sell em .......... now theres a job ..................