Headlight aiming?

[Longtallsally]

So I got my car registered today here in Germany, but apparently the driver’s side is aimed too high on one side (I don’t know if I buy this as I don’t see a difference when aiming at a wall, but whatever, it was replaced from a deer strike a year ago, so I have no clue).

Is this something I can do myself via OBDEleven or the like, or will this constitute a full system calibration?

Life in Europe is truly nothing more than costs from bureaucratic nonsense.

[Longtallsally]

All right, in doing some research, this is going to be a bit of both a physical adjustment, and a digital confirmation I believe.

These are what I’d be pretty sure are the adjustment screws (they are the white one in each picture):





I have to believe that one of those is horizontal and one is vertical or maybe one is low and one is high beam. Whatever or whichever they are, that is the physical component.

But now the hard question: how do I reset the baseline in OBDEleven? There are modules for right and left, and 2 of each. One I think is for the cornering lights and the other for the main beams. Either way, I cannot seem to find out how to set those values and I’m not about to start making changes and whatnot and screw things up.

[Longtallsally]

And to add to this, I have the “pro” version of OBDEleven, but it’s not the annual subscription kind of “pro” that I think they rolled out at some point.

I mention this as the recent videos I’ve found have a single headlight section in OBDEleven where the new values can be stored and confirmed and any errors cleared.

When I connected just a little bit ago I just figured that would be done by each side after the physical adjustments were made, but now I’m not so sure.

[Goonz]

OBDEleven will not allow you to adjust your headlights. You need VAS calibration/aiming program to set your headlight in calibration mode prior to adjusting. Unfortunately it isn't a simple process.

[Longtallsally]

OBDEleven will not allow you to adjust your headlights. You need VAS calibration/aiming program to set your headlight in calibration mode prior to adjusting. Unfortunately it isn't a simple process.

Yeah I figured I could at least manually adjust them and then have OBDEleven do the baseline setting. But alas, I bet you are correct. Is this a component of the system calibration from when the windshield is replaced? If so, I’ll just do it when I do yet another windshield (yes, it got a crack in it from the shipping process, which is another whole set of stories…).

Oh well, yet another way for the Germans to gouge ‘Mericans here. At least the dealer experience in Germany is LIGHT YEARS better than in the States. It’s true, dealers here are truly nice- across the board for motorcycles and cars and even different brands. And another thing that has always amazed me is that tires are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper here.

[SHCKR]

Do this! Be our guinea pig!

[Goonz]

Is that kit on Alibaba?


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[Smac770]

If you intend to do the headlamps "properly", here's your necessary $15k VAS621001 tool: https://audi.snapon.com/SpecialTools...temId=50000129 Have fun with that.

The special tools posted above are for calibrating the camera system, not the headlamps.

You should certainly be able to invoke the headlight range basic setting and set the headlamps based on their marked angle to get close enough. ECE B9 will be 1%, NAR B9.0 will be 0.0% VOR, NAR B9.5 will be 0.7% VOL.

[Longtallsally]

If you intend to do the headlamps "properly", here's your necessary $15k VAS621001 tool: https://audi.snapon.com/SpecialTools...temId=50000129 Have fun with that.

The special tools posted above are for calibrating the camera system, not the headlamps.

You should certainly be able to invoke the headlight range basic setting and set the headlamps based on their marked angle to get close enough. ECE B9 will be 1%, NAR B9.0 will be 0.0% VOR, NAR B9.5 will be 0.7% VOL.

I like my car, but not that much. :)

That alibaba deal looks pretty cool, but honestly I’m assuming it will be just an hour or so at a dealer over here. I still think it’s BS that they are even off as the clowns that do the inspections have their cute little fiefdom and like to be the smartest guys in the room, and make things difficult for people with even nice cars. Honestly, the registration process here is the biggest PITA, but whatever.

I’m going to swing by a dealer tomorrow and I’ll report back what it entails.

[Goonz]

I need to have mine re-aligned as well since they are a bit high. Unfortunately going to the dealer will not work for me as I have Matrix LEDs and dealers here just won't have the appropriate info to calibrate and aim ECE headlights.

[Smac770]

All the information is in the workshop manual, for all the headlamp variants. The procedures for the matrix LED headlamps are based solely on the digital tool, that expensive thing I linked above, versus just the analog tool version (whose purpose is so you can accurately adjust the headlamps with only 1m distance from the headlamps instead of the spec 10m open distance). So you might need to confirm they have that version of the tool. But after that, it's "read the instructions line by line".

[oxxomxxo]

All the information is in the workshop manual, for all the headlamp variants. The procedures for the matrix LED headlamps are based solely on the digital tool, that expensive thing I linked above, versus just the analog tool version (whose purpose is so you can accurately adjust the headlamps with only 1m distance from the headlamps instead of the spec 10m open distance). So you might need to confirm they have that version of the tool. But after that, it's "read the instructions line by line".

Where do you work? I need to come see you if youre close by lol


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[Smac770]

Where do you work? I need to come see you if youre close by lol

Haha, currently "between jobs".

[Longtallsally]

Just to close this out, I went to the dealer and it was 150 euro to get it done- about an hour labor. They did confirm one was aimed a scoshe out and the other was a bit high. Still a bit ridiculous. Between that and some other stuff I’ve discovered, I now know the shop that did the repair after I hit a deer kinda did a crappy job. Ah life in a redneck town…

[Goonz]

Thats good to know, I don't think dealers here in the US will be able to effectively aim my euro Matrix LEDs so I'm back to making my own aiming tool to help me adjust.

[Longtallsally]

Thats good to know, I don't think dealers here in the US will be able to effectively aim my euro Matrix LEDs so I'm back to making my own aiming tool to help me adjust.

I certainly can tell you the dealer in Colorado Springs sucks, bad. I didn’t even like using Audicare to get the oil changed there- total morons.

They are insane about light aiming over here in Germany, so I know the dealer did it correctly, which was confirmed in about 10 seconds with the inspection dickheads (not TUV, mind you).

[ILLITE]

I used to retrofit headlights..(adding projectors to non projector headlights). I had to obviously always aim them once finished. Park 25ft from a garage door on level ground (if you can) and use the adjustment screw. Haven’t had to do it on my Audi yet, but on mine it was always an 8mm, 10mm, or phillips head screw. Adjust until the top of the lines are touching on projectors. On my 2021 S4 being LED it’s a bit different. It’s simple just do it yourself.


Youtube will really help if you are a visual learner. Search “headlight projector alignment” and there are videos galore.

[Longtallsally]

I used to retrofit headlights..(adding projectors to non projector headlights). I had to obviously always aim them once finished. Park 25ft from a garage door on level ground (if you can) and use the adjustment screw. Haven’t had to do it on my Audi yet, but on mine it was always an 8mm, 10mm, or phillips head screw. Adjust until the top of the lines are touching on projectors. On my 2021 S4 being LED it’s a bit different. It’s simple just do it yourself.


Youtube will really help if you are a visual learner. Search “headlight projector alignment” and there are videos galore.

Yep I know all about that drill. However, the B9 has more sensors and toys than the space shuttle. As such and as was confirmed by a couple of the responses above, very expensive software is required in order to get it done properly. In the pics I posted, you probably could make the adjustment, but I’d be pretty certain various codes would come up.

[SHCKR]

I certainly can tell you the dealer in Colorado Springs sucks, bad. I didn’t even like using Audicare to get the oil changed there- total morons.

They are insane about light aiming over here in Germany, so I know the dealer did it correctly, which was confirmed in about 10 seconds with the inspection dickheads (not TUV, mind you).

I have some good dashcam videos of their service advisors talking shit about customers when they didn't know they were being recorded... They now have a warning that pops up every time they pull my name that states "customer has a dash cam and records all service"

[Longtallsally]

I have some good dashcam videos of their service advisors talking shit about customers when they didn't know they were being recorded... They now have a warning that pops up every time they pull my name that states "customer has a dash cam and records all service"

I’m not even remotely surprised. Sadly, how crappy they are is indicative of much of C Springs. The Rover dealer is equally useless and after spending a few grand on my wife’s Range Rover Sport and them throwing parts at it, the issue was never resolved. I’ve come to believe that although a beautiful place to be, C Springs has very little sophistication and as such, vendors cannot support complex products.

I think I did a thread here at some point detailing how the service advisor said to me after I said there was an error that came up on the dash and codes that were stored, “what do you want me to do about it? If the system is working, there is nothing I can do.” I was blown away at feeling like I was at a low rent fly by night place, rather than a relatively premium brand dealer.

I love our home in Colorado, but I’m not certain I want to go back there.

[SHCKR]

Yeah we think if we do, it'll be west of springs

[Longtallsally]

Yeah we think if we do, it'll be west of springs

Our property is in Monument and I couldn’t love it more there. And any longer, it’s close enough to Dumbver, I suspect if we go back, I’ll just head up there regardless of how much I dislike that place. But that’s a few years away and I’m going to enjoy dealers that are worth a darn for a few years…

Which brings me to what I think has been where a decision has been made: I’m going to keep the S4 and hunt for an air cooled 911. I’m never going to be able to retire…

[SHCKR]

Our property is in Monument and I couldn’t love it more there. And any longer, it’s close enough to Dumbver, I suspect if we go back, I’ll just head up there regardless of how much I dislike that place. But that’s a few years away and I’m going to enjoy dealers that are worth a darn for a few years…

Which brings me to what I think has been where a decision has been made: I’m going to keep the S4 and hunt for an air cooled 911. I’m never going to be able to retire…

Might as well before the electric revolution turns us all into antiques