Xenon headlight controller unit

[fastestlouigie]

I bought a 2003 Superb Elegance a couple of weeks ago but couldn't pick it up until last Friday,as the driver's side Xenon controller unit was faulty and required replacing.However,when I picked the car up,the Lights Failure warning on the Maxidot display lit up.When I checked around the car,none of the lights seemed to be out(including all the little interior lights),so I booked the car into the garage to be looked at on the 9th of January(earliest I/the dealer could do it).However,when my wife drove the car yesterday am,there was no dipped beam!It was lucky that she was only going a few miles.The dealer I bought it from couldn't fix it so they asked me to drive it to the local Skoda service centre.On looking at it properly this morning,surprise suprise,the controller unit is faulty-they reckon that water has got into it somehow(they don't know how).Now,I've seen a couple of posts in these forums quoting similar problems but does anybody know how the water gets in and how you solve this issue?

Update from the garage I bought the car from-it seems that both headlights(control units) need doing-£304+vat.The service person is waiting for authorisation from the Sales Manager to have the work done.Even though the car only has a 3 month Warranty,this car was not fit for purpose when I got it so 'should be covered.All these 'phone calls are making me jittery though.'Any answers as to the water ingress problem and what my rights are re. this work being covered would be appreciated.

[VRSPhil]

This is probably not much help, but, I had a similar problem on my Octavia. I found that despite both control units being identical, the left (Near side) works as a master and the off side is a slave. I'm just questioning weather or not you actually need both. When my nearside unit died - both headlights failed. When I swapped the units over, the passenger side worked and just the drivers side (which now had the faulty unit) didn't.

[westerdam2]

Hope this might be helpful from a fellow 03 Superb owner!

Although I can't answer the water query, I'm 99.99% sure you should not have any problem re the replacement. A vehicle without working lights is not fit for purpose and the dealer must be given the opportunity to remedy the situation. This will be at his expense for parts and labour. If you want to be absolutely certain give ConsumerDirect a call - it's a free government advice service dealing with car problems etc. The number is 08454 04 05 06.

I had a problem with my headlights when I bought it second hand. They won't auto adjust and it cost the garage a small fortune to fix. And they had to supply me with a hire car although it was covered by my own insurance company.

If the garage plays up, don't give an inch! Good luck!!

[fastestlouigie]

Well,the dealer has got back to me and said that they've authorised the local Skoda service centre to do the work:)(which can't be done until they get the parts tomorrow or Monday:thumbdwn:).On 'phoning Skoda Uk,they have said that they are unaware of this being a common issue,so could not comment on how to resolve the problem if it happens again.Again,any thoughts/suggestions on the water ingress would be most welcome.Not having a car is a major pain but at least I'm on holiday at the moment-I'll hopefully be getting a courtesy car tonight from the Dealership I bought the car from,once one becomes available.

[rotodiesel]

Well done, but make it absolutely clear that you are not paying the bill when it goes to the VAG dealer. Car dealers are an unbusinesslike lot and tend not to put this kind of agreement in writing.

If it all goes wrong, get the car MOT tested (which it will fail), then make a claim via the Small Claims Court, using the failure slip as evidence. They will pay up if you hold your ground - they make their money out of those who don't.

Water ingress is a VAG speciality - there's an Engineer there who doesn't understand gravity. I'd like to get my hands on him....

rotodiesel.

[westerdam2]

Ah the power of Briskoda!

Glad you got a good result. As mentioned, make sure the Skoda garage invoices the dealer ie don't you pay the bill then have possible hassle getting it refunded.

Hope you get the water situation resolved.

Enjoy your 03 Elegance - I wouldn't have anything else

[fastestlouigie]

Thanks Westerdam2 and Rotodiesel,it helps knowing that you've got people on your side!The 'dealer is liasing directly with the Skoda garage(a Saab/Alfa Romeo dealer but with official Skoda servicing capability),so the bill does not come anywhere near me:).A bit of a mixed bag with Evans Halshaw I suppose.They have dealt with the problem quickly but I guess that they should have noticed the Maxidot warning before I took delivery of the car.Also,they have no courtesy car available(hoping to get one tomorrow am,or my car may be fixed by lunchtime tomorrow,with luck).'Good job I'm on holiday really.

[Baker21]

Can you confirm what part has actually broken or needs replacing?

Is this a Convinience Module problem or a Headlamp problem?

As I work for the company that makes the Headlamps, the only way to get water inside them is if the caps on the back of the lamps have not been fitted correctly.....

[fastestlouigie]

Mmmm....'don't know about this but I'll definitely ask the Skoda garage about this tomorrow and post again.They said this morning that water had got in(they didn't specify where) and a new controller unit was required as a result.I then got another call from the dealer I bought the car from(after they had spoken with the Skoda garage)and they informed me that it needed two new controller units!The garage I bought the car from also assured me that when they replaced the first controller unit(before I took delivery of the car),that they had properly sealed/secured the headlamp unit and could not understand how water had entered the 'unit(is the 'controller actually in the headlamp?-I don't know).

[Baker21]

Mmmm....'don't know about this but I'll definitely ask the Skoda garage about this tomorrow and post again.They said this morning that water had got in(they didn't specify where) and a new controller unit was required as a result.I then got another call from the dealer I bought the car from(after they had spoken with the Skoda garage)and they informed me that it needed two new controller units!

If water has got inside the headlamps then the water will have possibly knocked out the Ballasts that control the Dipped and Main Xenon Beam functions, so I am guessing these are what they want to replace......I have loads of these units at work......it is more than likely that someone has been messing with the back of the lamps and not sealed them correctly and as a result water has got inside as they don't 'just leak'.......look foward to hearing your results!!

[Ben Smith]

A friend of mine had this problem on another friends superb taxi he was servicing last week. Looks like someone had been messing with the backs of the lights and broken the covers on both sides. This is a problem he has seen several times before.

Ben.

[Baker21]

A friend of mine had this problem on another friends superb taxi he was servicing last week. Looks like someone had been messing with the backs of the lights and broken the covers on both sides. This is a problem he has seen several times before.

Ben.

Sounds familiar to me.....

[fastestlouigie]

The garage hasn't got any courtesy cars,so I 'm without a car until Monday(gnashes teeth)-'Parts not coming until Monday.

[fastestlouigie]

Ok,an update for anybody who's interested.The parts didn't arrive until today(Wednesday 2nd) but Whitequay of Reading have completed the work and I got my car back this evening('had a courtesy car from Evans Halshaw to get me around).The service guy at Whitequay reckons that a rubber seal wasn't fitted properly in the headlight and this has allowed water to get into the delicate control unit(electrical bits).He thinks that this was also the probable cause of the failure of the other headlights' control unit('shorted it).Other than getting my car back,the other good news is that this work is guaranteed for 2 years now,so if it occurs again,I'm covered.

[westerdam2]

Excellent Nice to have good news to start the year!

[Baker21]

Seal not fitted correctly.......I am confident that this can't be the ballast seal as the lamps wouldn't pass leak or electrical test if they weren't fitted properly so the only other seals are on the caps meaning that they haven't been fitted properly......is your car brand new or did you buy it second hand?

[fastestlouigie]

Baker21,all of this talk of Ballasts and such like is losing me!:confused:You might find the following interesting though.The car is a 2003/03 Elegance model.The Skoda Service centre left reams of A4 in my car.This Diagnostic Log provides a history of all the faults that my car has had from new(from what I can read;it's in mumbojumbo/technospeak).However,the 1 current fault detected reads:

Automatic verticle headlight aim control

4Z7907357

dynamische LWR D09

Coding 5

Dealer Number #####

1 fault detected

01535 030

Control of servo motor for headlight levelling,right-V49

Open circuit/short to positive

I appreciate that this doesn't really answer your question but I thought that it looked vaguely interesting anyway.

[Baker21]

Baker21,all of this talk of Ballasts and such like is losing me!:confused:You might find the following interesting though.The car is a 2003/03 Elegance model.The Skoda Service centre left reams of A4 in my car.This Diagnostic Log provides a history of all the faults that my car has had from new(from what I can read;it's in mumbojumbo/technospeak).However,the 1 current fault detected reads:

Automatic verticle headlight aim control

4Z7907357

dynamische LWR D09

Coding 5

Dealer Number #####

1 fault detected

01535 030

Control of servo motor for headlight levelling,right-V49

Open circuit/short to positive

I appreciate that this doesn't really answer your question but I thought that it looked vaguely interesting anyway.

The Ballast is an electronic device that allows up to 24,000 Volts to go to the ignitor on the back of the bulb to burn the gas inside the bulb....

By the looks of the information you have provided one of the stepper motors is not working due to an open circuit.....