How did you route the wires to the headlamp area?

I routed them via A-pillar which you have to remove anyway to cut existing windscreen.This is not standard place for those wires.

The standard route is via B-billar and then behind headliner. There is special plastic thing where b-pillar meets headliner specifically designed for wires not to stand on the way of curtain airbag when it deploys. You will need to lower headliner a bit if you go this path and whole b-pillar trim should be out, which is rear seats out job. I think you'll need to do it anyway as you're routing wires to boot.

If you decide to go via a-pillar you'll have to route wires near airbag. Make sure you route wires in such a way that when airbag deploys it will not throw wire into passenger.

Make sure you purchase upper clips for a-pillar trim, which are designed to control airbag deployment. You'll most probably damage them when you remove a-pillar trim.

Did you ever remove a-pillar trim? Removing a-pillar trim deserves a separate article. It is very easy to damage a-pillar trim because of that idiotic airbag clip. A-pillar trim can 'crease' in the middle and that 'wrinkle' will always be right near your nose when you drive, always reminding about mistake.

If you find windscreen specialist who can cut windscreen without removing a-pillar trims and without damaging them / making them dirty I'd suggest going that path and route wires via b-pillar without completely removing a-pillar trim. Pay bonus premium to windscreen specialist. It'll be easier than finding good a-pillar trim without crease. They are only available from audi tradition shop not in all color combinations and cost about £150 each. Used ones are all damaged/creased as people don't know how to remove them properly.

Apologies if it sounds confusing.

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I have a query about the plug in the picture. Having read the thread, I suspect I already know the answer :( but will ask anyway.

I noticed the ends of these plugs poking out of the bottom of the A pillars. I also have a spec list from the Erwin site which shows my car has (had) a heated windscreen (PDB). Since I can see these plugs, can I assume that the windscreen has been replaced at some point with a non-heated one?

This is very safe assumption to make :)

They removed heated windscreen replacing it with non-heated one.

I'd now remove windscreen surround frame and check quality of their work for corrosion in that cavity behind windscreen surround.

Interesting, I missed this the first time round....

That heated screen has contacts at the bottom left and right edges - The screen I saw in the past had them in the middle at the bottom, central more like the upper ones. It is wiring to this location that would have been difficult, although probably could be done with the windscreen out maybe....

Nice job. +++

Was a bit annoyed to say the least that this might have happened, but finally managed to do some work on the car as one of the fuses kept blowing. With screwdriver in hand, I decided to check all the windscreen contacts, and things may be looking up. Removed the courtesy lights to reveal this:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/picture.p...&pictureid=465

There is another one hidden over to the right. I then had a 'really' good look at the lower contacts that were peeking up. To my surprise, they appear to be connected. I just have to wait until the temperature drops to see if it all works.

Note the black goo on the trim. This is what was holding the lights in place, as the front retaining clips had been snapped off previously.

I doubt that is was messy windscreen connection that caused fuses to blow. Connection look good for me and 'foil' is not damaged. When I arranged wires in that area I used 3M VHB (very high bond) sticky tape to attach those connection to headliner from inner side so that they don't make mess in the area. I also watched that there plenty of 'foil' length left, so foil never get stretched.

Broken clips of interior light assembly is a separate problem. It is easy to get that light used and transplant.

To test windscreen just remove two wires which go windscreen direction from the monster windscreen ECU in the boot and test resistance with multimeter. Resistance should be from 2 to 3 Ohms.