A8 Parts Forum  

Go Back   A8 Parts Forum > A8 D3 > D3 - Lights

D3 - Lights Headlights, xenons, foglights. Everything outside the car that glows

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11th February 2016, 03:29 PM
irelandbuyer irelandbuyer is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 116
Default 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!!!

:R OFL:
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11th February 2016, 03:36 PM
Dezzy's Avatar
Dezzy Dezzy is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: N. Devon
Posts: 2,715
Default

So you're not having it done then?

And to think some people pay that. I'm in the wrong game, i should be changing bulbs for a living
__________________
1996 A8 4.2 QS. Bose, Solar roof, um...um... rally sport towbar. Now gone to a new home as the Traders 8.

Bright yellow bus o love.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11th February 2016, 03:54 PM
tintin tintin is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Manchester
Posts: 3,560
Default

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"

I didn't realise I looked that stupid...
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11th February 2016, 04:01 PM
Adrian E's Avatar
Adrian E Adrian E is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gatwick area
Posts: 4,051
Default

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!
__________________
===SOLD===2002 Audi S8 D2 Final Edition (yes, really) in Avus Silver with purple extended leather===SOLD===

2011 S5 Sportback in Phantom Black with black Super Sports leather, 9x20s, tech pack high, adaptive xenon plus, intelligent key, memory seats pack, sunroof, B&O, Audi Drive Select & quattro Sports Diff, DAB, parking system plus

2015 VW Golf GTI Performance Pack in Carbon Grey with black Vienna leather, tech pack (Discovery Pro nav & Dynaudio), DCC, factory towbar and retrofit RVC
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11th February 2016, 06:33 PM
Joe2.0E Joe2.0E is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 428
Default

Time to move on and use another dealer !
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11th February 2016, 08:36 PM
kele kele is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Midlands
Posts: 216
Default

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...
__________________
2012 A6 3.0 TDI Avant, Silver, 7 Spd STronic, Bose, ACC, Advanced Parking Camera, Power close / open tailgate, Side and Lane Assist, AMI & Jukebox, Adaptive lights with corner and high beam assist, Through load with ski bag, Audi pre sense plus, sports diff and sport suspension, Panoramic roof, Storage pack, MMI touchpad and VIM, etc. Oh and now retro fit rear seat entertainment

2019 BMW I3. Heat pump, Winter, professional and comfort packs, Harmon Kardon, autopilot

2022 Mercedes EQC 400

Previously: 2009 S8, Silver, B&O, Ceramic Brakes, Advanced Parking Camera, VCDS
2008 A8 3.0 Tdi sport, B&O
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11th February 2016, 10:07 PM
Mechcanico Lee Mechcanico Lee is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: St Helens Haydock
Posts: 434
Default

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
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12th February 2016, 10:55 AM
irelandbuyer irelandbuyer is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 116
Default

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....
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12th February 2016, 11:01 AM
Lee S Lee S is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: South Wales
Posts: 512
Default

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.
__________________
Lee
2017 Nissan Leaf Tekna
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12th February 2016, 12:11 PM
Mechcanico Lee Mechcanico Lee is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: St Helens Haydock
Posts: 434
Red face

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

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 ..................

Last edited by Mechcanico Lee; 12th February 2016 at 12:13 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:56 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.