That was a common gray rat snake. Nonvenomous and completely harmless. Bonus ... free rodent control! Probably a good idea to just leave it alone until you clean the garage out. It is only there because it can smell the scent of a mouse.
Yup. Do not harm them. They are great pest control. We have copper head snakes and water moccasins where I live and the rat snakes will chase them and eat them too.
Man, that Ivan can stay calm and continue working and filming.. It doesn't matter what kind of snake, I would've got rid of it first.. Snakes creep me out.. The rats and mice I can take care of with poison..
You are the man ! My hat's off to you sir. Most mechanics would've replaced the whole assembly and callbit a day. You saved the owner a small fortune and educated the rest of us the value of complete diagnostics. Love your channel.
I’ve heard of snaking wires through, but Ivan took it literal with this Audi disconnection. In all seriousness, Ivan is the NPR KING. Absolutely the best.
As a UK resident, I often wonder about your videos and the wildlife (snakes etc) and if you need to watch your footing when working around cars. At least one of your viewers noted it is a gray rat snake so a good one and not to be feared! Back to the repair, that was a great diagnosis and I just wonder how many Audi TTs suffer from this failure and then the owners throw away a headlight assembly when a simple repair can sort them out!! Well done Ivan. (Maybe you can edit the headline to mention Audi TTs so it is easily found by TT owners?)
Great diagnostics. I am analyzing the wiring inside my 2008 Audi A3 w/headlights just like those in the TT. The wiring inside has many many cracks in the plastic all over the place. Two wires have broken themselvs off on one motor for the adaptive headlights and one wire has broken itself off the dip motor. All of the wires inside are so fragile. They have not aged well at all.
Wow, Ivan is the royal king of no parts required!!! You literally saved the owner thousands of dollars by fixing those 2 wires!! Wow, you the man! Great checks and continuity and resistance as well. Great video! 👍 love it how it turns out!!
You are the go to Master of Automotive Diagnostics. It's interesting watching you go step by step in a very logical fashion. I wish we had you here in Colorado.
Well, thanks! I just replaced the headlamps on my 2008 Audi TT Mk2 for the very same issue, only to find out the replacement made zero difference - still no high beam. A little Google magic and found this exact video. When replacing the bulb, I discovered a black wire (with white stripe) and a purple wire (with black stripe) that both were not connected and wondered if that's what my problem was... so I'm headed back out to the garage! Many thanks for the helpful and informative video, sir!
Expensive headlight light assembly! Good you were able to fix it! As cool as these headlights are, when they all start breaking, everyone will be wishing for those $20 replaceable bulb type lights!
@@palamco Yes, you hear of this more and more. Or if parts are hard to get like some Teslas, and the insurance has to pay for a loaner while the repair is being done might find it cheaper to not fix the car, save on renting a loaner and just pay you out. Sad really.
And the thing is even much more basic cars have stuff like these days, with similar motors and all that controlling range, HB/LB, levelling, cornering, etc. I'm sure people are thinking this is par for the course on once-expensive Audi but when it happens to them on their Civic, CX-5, etc.--different story! HID/xenon is basically basic stuff these days and LEDs are typically the increased-cost option. Only then when your headlight goes out it's probably not going to be an easy to replace bulb, but probably an entire assembly replacement or something crazy like that. Of course LEDs last a long time, but anything can fail, even things outside the LEDs themselves like the drivers, boards, wiring, etc. all of which may not be replaceable or diagrammed, and the manufacturer's solution is just to "replace the headlight" 😳
Insurance companies generally only pay for a 30 day rental period unless your policy is written differently. At least that’s very common with major carriers.
Vechor bought a salvage car that was written off because cost of providing a rental to the client outweighed the time waiting for replacement parts and repair.
Great diagnosis and repair Ivan. I worked for a company that makes headlight clusters and tailights for the N.A. OEM, I predict you are going to see alot more goofy acting expensive to replace lights on North American built cars too.
Hey Wayne. I wouldn't be surprised if the wires Ivan repaired snap off again. Soldering just makes the connection totally rigid, so it will just keep happening over & over.
Nice fix Ivan. I appreciate your approach to repairs. Thorough testing to prove wiring integrity to pinpoint issue(s) followed with no parts repairs is admirable and rare these days. Great lesson for all techs.
Thank you! Thank you,!Thank you for posting this video. My '08 Audi TT Quattro just experienced the no high beam failure on the left/drivers side. Ironically, my right headlight had been replaced by a previous owner. Anyway, my first reaction was to replace the bulbs. When that didn't produce the fix...I luckily found this video. When I opened mine and saw my purple wire dangling from the connector...bingo! My white/black wire was still intact, but was on its way to being cut in half. What a weird issue...that these wires are being cut like that. My repair isn't as tidy as yours as I don't have the tools to solder wires to pins, but nonetheless effective. Soldered them up and working like they should. Anyone with a TT of this vintage...guessing will require this fix! Thank you again!!!
Bro! You're amazing! I had this exact issue on my 07 TT. Decided to take out the headlight for a visual inspection and boom! Same problem. Fixed it in a total of 20 mins. Thank you so much!
Hi marscruz. Yeah, it's probly a solenoid to activate a 'shutter' to move out the way for high beam. Stupid fricken idea! This dumbass idea causes a razor sharp cut-off between headlight beam & no headlight beam, so an oncoming vehicle with this type of headlight appears to be flashing high beam on & off at you, as well as changing colours, as well as being waaaay too bright. This infuriates me to the point of wanting to smash their lights with a baseball bat!!! Grrrrr!!!
Hi Ivan, great fix, the word you were looking for was "Back EMF" from the motor voltage trace. Those sorts of words are always on the tip of the tongue but fail you when you need them most..
When you had the back of the headlight assembly opened up I was shaking my head. Way over engineered considering they are many new cars on the road today with simple three wire circuits. Over engineered to fail. Good job Ivan!
@@tehfalcon Terribly simple and Terribly cheap. I will never need a guy like Ivan to help with my headlights or anything else on this vehicle😁. My van on the other hand.......
Another great case study of effective trackdown, perfectly illustrated. It takes an electronics wizard like Ivan to understand today's cars. Entertaining robot snake.
Great fix, i had a VAG product with similar headlights and a problem with the hugh beam flickering on and off when cornering function was on - great when it worked but fix was alledgedly a new headlight for a great deal of money, i opted to switch the cornering function off and since sold it and have a car with normal headlights.
Remember that United Radio in Schenectady can fix all sorts of problems in modern automotive electronics, if you can't figure it out, Ivan. Nice job on the repair.
Awesome work. I never would have imagined a scanner communicating with my headlights. One of my cars still has 4 glass headlights and a switch on the floor
That's a pretty old car! I loved those, hands free. Is your car old enough to have the starter switch on the floor either next to or under the gas pedal?
The sound of those floor mounted dimmer switches. You could identify that sound 50 years later if you heard it. I appreciate most of the new technology but I miss machinery that was engineered to be rebuilt instead of replaced.
It's a giant hissing rattler... Just messing, in the northeast with my limited knowledge all I can think of is a full grown garter snake. Caught a smaller one trying to eat a young frog out of my pond and scared it off!
Eastern rat snake. They are good at detecting rodent infestation in vehicles, etc., but not very reliable when it comes to consistently showing up on time for work (according to cats). (;-)
Yay nice to see a same-model car as one of mine on the channel 😁 Awesome no-parts fix Ivan! I think what happens in these headlights is there's so much wiring and a lot of it is wrapped very tight, then the motors move, the temp changes, vibration occurs--all that stuff over time, and something ends up giving. Nice the wires were an easy location to get to, otherwise I've seen ppl online either having to remove the lens (which requires careful heating) or drill holes into the assembly to get to what they're after. My left headlight on my own TT seems to be giving intermittent cornering motor issues where it disables the cornering feature, but it only occurs towards the end of the summer when it gets cooler (car is not winter driven). During most of the season, it functions perfectly fine...thinking it's the wiring shrinking up but could be that little motor too, didn't even know it was replaceable.
Bought one of those topdon chargers using your discount code a while back and so far have loved the thing. You should definitely do an in-depth video on the charger for other people needing such a charger!
Ivan, I wonder how many mechanics would have reported to the customer that the problem was not repairable in the headlight assembly, but that they had located a used replacement part for $1,500.00, it's important to make a decision on that used part because it won't be for sale for long....
Nice! You saved the owner a lot of money AND a lot of waiting time for a replacement item. Maybe the right side will fail in a few months with the same symptoms, and you can fix it in under 1 hour now.
Well done Ivan.....Great diagnosis, great fix and so what if a 4 foot snakes slithers over your work bench eh? Job needs finishing lol. Well done again young sir......Very impressed.
I had a crazy low beam issue with a volvo, the diode inside the fog light relay failed. The fog lights use the left low beam power as switching voltage for the front fog light relay, but the diode was shorted and would cause the fuse to blow
Loved the snake. I had one in my shop that stayed a few weeks. It eliminated all issues with people getting in the way of me doing work. He made the mistake of visiting the chicken coop and I had to relocate him. I took him for a long ride on the side by side.
That snake was on duty, excellent diagnostic and repair, possibly vibration from it actuating, that was the OE headlight assembly so figure it was used
I have found many of the compact switching battery chargers at currents above around 10 Amps are extremely electrically noisy when not connected directly to the battery (battery acts like a filter), meaning to the under hood jump start posts. Take a look at the battery charger noise with your scope when used at higher currents in a jump start post (battery not under the hood) vehicle. The max noise should be around 50mV p-p. I would recommend, when soldering a wire to a pin, use a third hand to hold the wire and pin stationary while soldering to avoid cold solder joints (movement). It may be possible to use a small Tie wrap to add strain relief to the connector wires so they will not break again.
I I'm writing this in the third minute of the clip :) I had a very similar problem, with my 2003 Volvo XC70... The behavior was kind of similar, the affected headlight again was only the left one, which send me in quite wrong direction of searching the problem. But in my case, I had high beams on both headlight, but after I switch to low beams, it pop a message about faulty headlight on the dash and move the left low beam at maximum low position. I don't remember what the code was, but the issue was with a loose pin connection on the On/Of switch for the lights.
Great NPR repair! I wonder what could have caused the wires to break - if it was movement inside the headlight, it will break again in a few years (maybe outlast the car). Love these ones :-)
The snake, wtf you so chilled with it. What snake was that? and then there was a butterfly. Who new you could learn diagnostics and get a bit of nature channel going same time. You really have taught me alot about vehicle electronics. Next thing on my list is Alldata. Great Video from South Africa
Ivan, you always amaze me with ur logic thinking and approach to solve the problem learning from the best thank you for sharing and the time it took cheeeeers brother.
Hope the customer gave you a suitable gratuity in addition to the actual invoice for this repair as you saved him a fortune and the car is back in use immediatley.Nice one
Had to do similar work on a A6 C6. Active headlight fault. Had snapped wires for the left/right swivel. Had to cut a hole in the bottom to fix those. 3 weeks later the other headlight went and same issue.
In the late 80s, the Honda Accord had pop up headlights in the US models. Over time, the wires to both headlights stress fractured like a paper clip. I spliced in 6 inches on each side. I think the ground was in the harness and I believe it was a 4 year model. I think they were selling about 400,000 a year. So 2 foot per car if they had put 6 inches on each side. 400,000 X 4 X 2 = 3,200,000 feet of wire. The person at Honda who cut it that close probably got a bonus.
A few years back I was over at a friends house. The house they live in is a "historic" house I guess, another words it's over a 100 years old. Later in the evening I was in the kitchen doing something, and I went to open the silverware drawer. I got a nice surprise to find a baby rattlesnake just sitting on the spoons. It was only about 12 inches long, but it still made me jump.
Nice fix, as always!! Great shot on the scope of why there are diodes (snubbers or suppressors) around coils to stop this spike when the power is cut and the magnetic field collapses. Called flyback and a few other names I can't think of right now. But that is what can damage sensitive controllers if someone cuts the diodes off or replaces a relay that had in integral diode with a relay that doesn't have that integral diode. A collapsing DC field in just about any coil of wire and can create that. Awesome snake pics too!!! Free rodent control for sure!
That big black rat snake was so cool. If I would have known you back when you made this video, my grandson and I would have been happy to come up, catch, and relocate that snake for you.
I have 3 Audi A6'. I ran into no highbeam twice. The highbeam is the full projection area. Low beam is just a flap that blocks half of the light. There is no difference in power usage. Basically low beam spends 99% of the time with half of its light just blocked off. I used power probe to trigger flap/shutter in troubleshooting. Wires inside the headlight unit get dry and crumbly. One could also retrofit the housing with another projector. I haven't had the time. I've been buying used ones from ebay, and taking advantage of warranty if I got a bad one. New is typically $750 for BARE assembly (no modules). Used complete about $350.
What? Nearly 90 years of high beam lights and we have resorted to "shutters" for high/low beams? What was wrong with the old way? Just discovered this weekend my Dodge Durango has them. Sigh. The vortex is too strong for me.
Because projector headlights are miles better (no pun intended). Mainly used for xenon (though some cheaper cars using halogens) they can have the bulb emit insanely bright and focus the beam to go no higher than the shudder. The instant the shutter opens, the light can also project insanely high too (in my Audi I can see the top of trees). Reflector headlights (what older cars had and still do on very cheap cars like Mitubishi and Chevy Trax) do is just emit a light, reflect it backwards towards a bunch of mirrors which scatters the light forward and hopes for the best. Projector headlights are better in every way imaginable. The light is projected straight and to the side of the car and then the shutter opens and allows the light to shine upward too. I feel so much safer driving on roads with no street lamps now that I can see everything without blinding other drivers. Toyota and Honda are not good at aiming their projector xenon headlights though for some reason, and I'm always blinded/getting glare from them.
Nothing wrong with the old way, they just have to keep coming up with new "stuff" to keep you wanting MORE, Oh I got to have that! Plus when it breaks they get an extra 2k out of you
@@mydimeisup5103 You need to see the tops of trees when you're driving? Perhaps you should re-evaluate your priorities of what you're looking at when you're on the road. Also anyone with these f'ing annoying lights needs to have them shone in their eyes going the other direction for 8 or 10 hours straight.
@@gorak9000 Its was an example of how good projector headlights are and how far they can aim down the road (if they're aimed higher with high beams on they project farther down the road and don't dip as much). Also you need to calm down boss man. You're only getting blinded by people who lift their trucks and don't adjust properly, people throwing LEDs in their reflector bowl headlights, or people not aiming them properly when replacing the headlights. Guess you woke up on the wrong side of the bed being so aggressive.
great problem solving process taking advantage of the known good my guess the motor that was replaced the operation broke those wires cut is easy to discern green oxidation easy to discern clumsy hands my guess
We'll start seeing a lot of these failures more often. Now we're going to get beamforming and blocking at specific spots within the beam the systems will get as complicated as a TV. Headlight makers have decided to go with more complicated instead of more reliable.
Halogens don't last nearly as long as xenon and LEDs, use more power, and emit more heat and still give less light output. Throwing LEDs or xenons in a reflector-bowl results in blinding others by the way the bowl reflects light everywhere since they're so bright. Projectors are way better.
@@mydimeisup5103 Hey Dime! Yeah how much brighter are car headlights gonna get? Are they just gonna keep getting brighter & brighter with each new model? It's ridiculous; new car headlights, especially Mazdas, are 50% or more brighter than everyone elses, & I can't see fuckall else when they're driving towards me. I flash my high beam & swear at them every time, even though I know they're not on high beam. Their beams are so sharply focused it looks like they're flicking their high beam switch on & off when they travel over bumps, distracting me from watching the road cos I don't know if they're flashing me half the time. And what's up with the the colour-changing headlights from green to blue to purple to orange? I'll never buy a car with this type of headlights.
@@mydimeisup5103 Just a shame that manufacturers of these new headlight assemblies think it's great to rip people off with the price. Nothing inside that assembly warrants such a high price. This customer was indeed very lucky to find someone like Ivan to fix it. And Ivan in turn was lucky that he could actually get at the failure point, seeing that the ultra expensive headlights are designed not to be serviceable. Yes, these modern headlights might use less power, but what is the point when it's unserviceable design pretty much makes it less eco friendly in the long run? For the money they charge for these things, they could have at least made them serviceable. Just another case of company greed. It is so annoying because advances in technology like low energy lights should, in theory, be better for the planet. But in so many cases the technology gets used in such a way that any eco advantages are lost. It is bad enough that instead of changing a small part you have to throw the entire light unit away, it may well mean the early death of the entire vehicle when such a complex, car specific unit is no longer available. Compare that to just a decade or two ago when each manufacturer built their lights around a common set of components - namely the industry standard lamp designs. Not only did they build them around a commonly available part, they insured that you could change that part easily.
@@100SteveB I do definately agree. The inside of headlights is not just plastic, but VERY cheap plastic. Even a non-autoleveling projector lens (AKA no motors to move up/down or left/right) cost over 1k. I can tell you for a fact it does NOT cost that much. The reason manufacturers are probably charging so much is because "ItS NeW aNd ImPrOvEd" yet we've had projector lenses since the 90s when BMW introduced xenon headlights. The other reason is because of their artistic style and how it plays a major role in how the car looks so they know that people will want to pucker up the money. Since an Audi headlight probably cost at most $400 to manufacturer, and then they sell it for $2,000 since"It moves left and right when you turn".
It looks like they were calling a solenoid a "motor". I can see that, but it seems pretty misleading. Those Bavarians are so meticulous! Great job, Ivan! I think I could see the lamp/driver moving around as you worked, so maybe they move around a lot while driving and vibration broke the wires......
YES - Ivan you have saved me a fortune. Thank you. UK Audi Q7 2012 bi-xenon one intermittent high beam, didn't bother with testing just pulled the headlight unit and looked inside, different but it was a fault with the exact dip solenoid connector that you re-made! The pin was not properly locked into the connector, just resting on its contact so intermittent. All I had to do was push it home properly till it felt snug. 30 minutes, no tools and no parts, unit slid out and in easily, what a dream! Would like to send you $100 for the assistance (if you promise not to send it to help Trump???)🤯🤯🤯
I was in Paducah working and saw at Walmart, a mason jar ducktaped to the bumper of a jalopy with a bulb inside. I can't believe I didn't take a picture. That snake is still in the garage trying to find his way into your bedroom. Time to buy Rickey-Ticky-Tivey from the Pets-R-Us!
A while back Infiniti had a commercial showing the headlights moving as you turned . They now have " adaptive LED headlights " that follow the steering . Also in Cadillac , Mercedes , Volvo , BMW and Acura . In the 1970's I worked at an auto electric rebuilder . I was picking up cores for return at an auto store . When I pulled up , they put a snake in the starter motor box . I believe I declined credit ! When I was away at summer camp , they put a snake in my sleeping bag . Lucky I was tipped off about that one . Someone invited a bunch of people over on a Friday nighm t . Then the evil weed was torched . What they didn't say was their garter snake had gotten loose . So I'm sitting in a chair , dazed and confused , turn my head , and about 3" away the snake is staring at me ! Surprise !
Ivan. Not only did you do a tremendous troubleshooting job you did far more than that by producing a video that can help those in the craft and owners of this car see what is happening with the design. And on a personal level with my very smart 16 year young grandson who loves working on vehicles you show me that he can have a very rewarding career. He is good with computers and loves the mechanical aspect of troubleshooting. Young people don’t have to go into mega-debt to get an occupation that pays well. Common-sense, aptitude and a good work-ethic can be a great pathway. You should branch out and begin helping young people like my grandson see the options and help them make some wise choices. These vehicles will need skilled technicians. Multiply your effectiveness in a way similar to ‘Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe and give young people who have the desire and talents to follow in your footsteps. Check into Mike Rowe’s organization that is helping to improve our service-industry. Thanks for a great video.
the owner of this audi is lucky he found an honest guy like you!
...and smart
true so true ivan is a great guy!
That was a common gray rat snake. Nonvenomous and completely harmless. Bonus ... free rodent control! Probably a good idea to just leave it alone until you clean the garage out. It is only there because it can smell the scent of a mouse.
Yup. Natures exterminator.
I got the feeling it knew him by having lived there a while and hearing his voice constantly.
Yup. Do not harm them. They are great pest control. We have copper head snakes and water moccasins where I live and the rat snakes will chase them and eat them too.
Wife may have different opinion
Man, that Ivan can stay calm and continue working and filming.. It doesn't matter what kind of snake, I would've got rid of it first.. Snakes creep me out.. The rats and mice I can take care of with poison..
Never ceases to amaze how we have made the simplest thing absurdly complicated.
Somehow they went back to something simpler with LED headlamps instead of using motorised shutters.
You are the man ! My hat's off to you sir. Most mechanics would've replaced the whole assembly and callbit a day. You saved the owner a small fortune and educated the rest of us the value of complete diagnostics. Love your channel.
I’ve heard of snaking wires through, but Ivan took it literal with this Audi disconnection. In all seriousness, Ivan is the NPR KING. Absolutely the best.
Lol I didn't even notice the snake at first until the customer asked "hey is that your snake?" 🤣
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics A man with lots of work to finish to earn his living will not see these little distractions Great work IVAN as always!!
As a UK resident, I often wonder about your videos and the wildlife (snakes etc) and if you need to watch your footing when working around cars. At least one of your viewers noted it is a gray rat snake so a good one and not to be feared! Back to the repair, that was a great diagnosis and I just wonder how many Audi TTs suffer from this failure and then the owners throw away a headlight assembly when a simple repair can sort them out!! Well done Ivan. (Maybe you can edit the headline to mention Audi TTs so it is easily found by TT owners?)
Great diagnostics. I am analyzing the wiring inside my 2008 Audi A3 w/headlights just like those in the TT. The wiring inside has many many cracks in the plastic all over the place. Two wires have broken themselvs off on one motor for the adaptive headlights and one wire has broken itself off the dip motor. All of the wires inside are so fragile. They have not aged well at all.
Wow, Ivan is the royal king of no parts required!!! You literally saved the owner thousands of dollars by fixing those 2 wires!! Wow, you the man! Great checks and continuity and resistance as well. Great video! 👍 love it how it turns out!!
You are the go to Master of Automotive Diagnostics. It's interesting watching you go step by step in a very logical fashion. I wish we had you here in Colorado.
Well, thanks! I just replaced the headlamps on my 2008 Audi TT Mk2 for the very same issue, only to find out the replacement made zero difference - still no high beam. A little Google magic and found this exact video. When replacing the bulb, I discovered a black wire (with white stripe) and a purple wire (with black stripe) that both were not connected and wondered if that's what my problem was... so I'm headed back out to the garage! Many thanks for the helpful and informative video, sir!
I am very impressed with your new "shop assistant" Ivan!
Expensive headlight light assembly! Good you were able to fix it! As cool as these headlights are, when they all start breaking, everyone will be wishing for those $20 replaceable bulb type lights!
@@palamco Yes, you hear of this more and more. Or if parts are hard to get like some Teslas, and the insurance has to pay for a loaner while the repair is being done might find it cheaper to not fix the car, save on renting a loaner and just pay you out. Sad really.
And the thing is even much more basic cars have stuff like these days, with similar motors and all that controlling range, HB/LB, levelling, cornering, etc. I'm sure people are thinking this is par for the course on once-expensive Audi but when it happens to them on their Civic, CX-5, etc.--different story! HID/xenon is basically basic stuff these days and LEDs are typically the increased-cost option. Only then when your headlight goes out it's probably not going to be an easy to replace bulb, but probably an entire assembly replacement or something crazy like that. Of course LEDs last a long time, but anything can fail, even things outside the LEDs themselves like the drivers, boards, wiring, etc. all of which may not be replaceable or diagrammed, and the manufacturer's solution is just to "replace the headlight" 😳
Insurance companies generally only pay for a 30 day rental period unless your policy is written differently. At least that’s very common with major carriers.
@@paulgilliland2992 yes your right there.
Vechor bought a salvage car that was written off because cost of providing a rental to the client outweighed the time waiting for replacement parts and repair.
Great diagnosis and repair Ivan. I worked for a company that makes headlight clusters and tailights for the N.A. OEM, I predict you are going to see alot more goofy acting expensive to replace lights on North American built cars too.
Hey Wayne. I wouldn't be surprised if the wires Ivan repaired snap off again. Soldering just makes the connection totally rigid, so it will just keep happening over & over.
😥
Nice fix Ivan. I appreciate your approach to repairs. Thorough testing to prove wiring integrity to pinpoint issue(s) followed with no parts repairs is admirable and rare these days. Great lesson for all techs.
Thank you! Thank you,!Thank you for posting this video. My '08 Audi TT Quattro just experienced the no high beam failure on the left/drivers side. Ironically, my right headlight had been replaced by a previous owner. Anyway, my first reaction was to replace the bulbs. When that didn't produce the fix...I luckily found this video. When I opened mine and saw my purple wire dangling from the connector...bingo! My white/black wire was still intact, but was on its way to being cut in half. What a weird issue...that these wires are being cut like that. My repair isn't as tidy as yours as I don't have the tools to solder wires to pins, but nonetheless effective. Soldered them up and working like they should. Anyone with a TT of this vintage...guessing will require this fix! Thank you again!!!
That was a great diagnosis, logic, and patience required. You saved the customer some big bucks. Good job.
A follow up video about the fate of the snake is a must ! 🤣
Great job as always Ivan!
yeah i wanna see a hawk rippin it into strips
Bro! You're amazing! I had this exact issue on my 07 TT. Decided to take out the headlight for a visual inspection and boom! Same problem. Fixed it in a total of 20 mins. Thank you so much!
"We can drive it home with one headlight"
Got that song playing in my head for this whole video. One of my favorites.
No rodent damage to your car's wiring with that snake on guard. A big snake beats peppermint spray any day.
I dunno... at least peppermint spray keeps my breath fresh.
Snakes do have a smell to em... Had a few in my wood piles...
And the ladies love it too
That high beam motor looks more like a solenoid than a motor. Great troubleshooting and repair. NPR. Excellent diagnostics and a cheap fix!
Hi marscruz. Yeah, it's probly a solenoid to activate a 'shutter' to move out the way for high beam. Stupid fricken idea! This dumbass idea causes a razor sharp cut-off between headlight beam & no headlight beam, so an oncoming vehicle with this type of headlight appears to be flashing high beam on & off at you, as well as changing colours, as well as being waaaay too bright.
This infuriates me to the point of wanting to smash their lights with a baseball bat!!! Grrrrr!!!
It is a solenoid, it activates to flip down the cut off shield.
Hi Ivan, great fix, the word you were looking for was "Back EMF" from the motor voltage trace.
Those sorts of words are always on the tip of the tongue but fail you when you need them most..
I love it when someone knows what they are doing, great job Ivan 👏👏
Wow, thx so much for posting and for your integrity. Impressive and super helpful. 💯
When you had the back of the headlight assembly opened up I was shaking my head. Way over engineered considering they are many new cars on the road today with simple three wire circuits. Over engineered to fail. Good job Ivan!
Design team meeting, I do not want anything simple, cheap, or easy to repair !
never seen a single headlight with only 3 wires. lmao.
@@tehfalcon My 83 Chevy has only 3 wires: ground, hi-beam hot and lo-beam hot. What else do you need?
@@frnkjones40 your 83 chevys headlights are terrible even compared to the most basic modern headlight.
@@tehfalcon Terribly simple and Terribly cheap. I will never need a guy like Ivan to help with my headlights or anything else on this vehicle😁. My van on the other hand.......
Another great case study of effective trackdown, perfectly illustrated. It takes an electronics wizard like Ivan to understand today's cars.
Entertaining robot snake.
Great fix, i had a VAG product with similar headlights and a problem with the hugh beam flickering on and off when cornering function was on - great when it worked but fix was alledgedly a new headlight for a great deal of money, i opted to switch the cornering function off and since sold it and have a car with normal headlights.
Remember that United Radio in Schenectady can fix all sorts of problems in modern automotive electronics, if you can't figure it out, Ivan. Nice job on the repair.
Awesome work. I never would have imagined a scanner communicating with my headlights. One of my cars still has 4 glass headlights and a switch on the floor
That's a pretty old car! I loved those, hands free. Is your car old enough to have the starter switch on the floor either next to or under the gas pedal?
That would be why they always work and will continue to.
@@wernerdanler2742 Yes and just after that idea it was pushing the gas to the floor to run the starter.
The sound of those floor mounted dimmer switches. You could identify that sound 50 years later if you heard it. I appreciate most of the new technology but I miss machinery that was engineered to be rebuilt instead of replaced.
Welcome to pine hollow wild kingdom! I was hoping for bonus footage of the removal to see how big and what kind that sucker was, wow!
I think he left on his own... Couldn't find it anywhere!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics does your wife know about it?
@@dans_Learning_Curve she does now 😉
It's a giant hissing rattler...
Just messing, in the northeast with my limited knowledge all I can think of is a full grown garter snake. Caught a smaller one trying to eat a young frog out of my pond and scared it off!
Eastern rat snake. They are good at detecting rodent infestation in vehicles, etc., but not very reliable when it comes to consistently showing up on time for work (according to cats). (;-)
No parts replaced is a great TH-cam channel name! Great work and good filming and editing, Ivan.
Hey Amanda , if that hose moves, let me know!
LMFAO. GREAT ONE, DAMN THAT'S FUNNY.
Yay nice to see a same-model car as one of mine on the channel 😁 Awesome no-parts fix Ivan! I think what happens in these headlights is there's so much wiring and a lot of it is wrapped very tight, then the motors move, the temp changes, vibration occurs--all that stuff over time, and something ends up giving. Nice the wires were an easy location to get to, otherwise I've seen ppl online either having to remove the lens (which requires careful heating) or drill holes into the assembly to get to what they're after. My left headlight on my own TT seems to be giving intermittent cornering motor issues where it disables the cornering feature, but it only occurs towards the end of the summer when it gets cooler (car is not winter driven). During most of the season, it functions perfectly fine...thinking it's the wiring shrinking up but could be that little motor too, didn't even know it was replaceable.
Bought one of those topdon chargers using your discount code a while back and so far have loved the thing. You should definitely do an in-depth video on the charger for other people needing such a charger!
Been using it programming Fords for literally up to 20 hours straight with no problems at all!
I’m a collision tech. Worked on BMW X5 Hybrid over last winter. Headlights were $5,800 each our cost
Great diag and repair. A very satisfying outcome and vid to watch. Thanks Ivan.
Ivan, I wonder how many mechanics would have reported to the customer that the problem was not repairable in the headlight assembly, but that they had located a used replacement part for $1,500.00, it's important to make a decision on that used part because it won't be for sale for long....
Another fantastic video Ivan! This time with some wild action and adventure thrown in.
Nice! You saved the owner a lot of money AND a lot of waiting time for a replacement item. Maybe the right side will fail in a few months with the same symptoms, and you can fix it in under 1 hour now.
Well done Ivan.....Great diagnosis, great fix and so what if a 4 foot snakes slithers over your work bench eh? Job needs finishing lol. Well done again young sir......Very impressed.
Awesome, thank you!!!!!!! Had the exact same 2 wires broken. Bravo!!!! Lengthened my wires 3", hopefully it lasts.
I had a crazy low beam issue with a volvo, the diode inside the fog light relay failed. The fog lights use the left low beam power as switching voltage for the front fog light relay, but the diode was shorted and would cause the fuse to blow
The snake needs his mini cooper repaired. The wood pile is the waiting room for snakes.
Loved the snake. I had one in my shop that stayed a few weeks. It eliminated all issues with people getting in the way of me doing work. He made the mistake of visiting the chicken coop and I had to relocate him. I took him for a long ride on the side by side.
That snake was on duty, excellent diagnostic and repair, possibly vibration from it actuating, that was the OE headlight assembly so figure it was used
I have found many of the compact switching battery chargers at currents above around 10 Amps are extremely electrically noisy when not connected directly to the battery (battery acts like a filter), meaning to the under hood jump start posts. Take a look at the battery charger noise with your scope when used at higher currents in a jump start post (battery not under the hood) vehicle. The max noise should be around 50mV p-p.
I would recommend, when soldering a wire to a pin, use a third hand to hold the wire and pin stationary while soldering to avoid cold solder joints (movement). It may be possible to use a small Tie wrap to add strain relief to the connector wires so they will not break again.
I I'm writing this in the third minute of the clip :) I had a very similar problem, with my 2003 Volvo XC70... The behavior was kind of similar, the affected headlight again was only the left one, which send me in quite wrong direction of searching the problem. But in my case, I had high beams on both headlight, but after I switch to low beams, it pop a message about faulty headlight on the dash and move the left low beam at maximum low position. I don't remember what the code was, but the issue was with a loose pin connection on the On/Of switch for the lights.
Amazing repair Ivan!
Considering how much dislike Audis you sure do make them look easy and almost reasonably engineered. Amazing job!
Great NPR repair! I wonder what could have caused the wires to break - if it was movement inside the headlight, it will break again in a few years (maybe outlast the car). Love these ones :-)
German over-engineering at it's best. I love hearing my brother's stories of how much it cost to keep his beamer on the road.
How in the world did we ever get here it's a headlight. Love your videos but I cannot take this one anymore but you still get the thumbs up
The snake, wtf you so chilled with it. What snake was that? and then there was a butterfly. Who new you could learn diagnostics and get a bit of nature channel going same time. You really have taught me alot about vehicle electronics. Next thing on my list is Alldata. Great Video from South Africa
Horses don't like snakes I believe. He on the prowl for a mouse likely.
Nice diag and thought process. Love the repair of course.
Ivan, you always amaze me with ur logic thinking and approach to solve the problem learning from the best thank you for sharing and the time it took cheeeeers brother.
I hope they tip you according to the $ saved... another great job as always!
Hope the customer gave you a suitable gratuity in addition to the actual invoice for this repair as you saved him a fortune and the car is back in use immediatley.Nice one
That'll be $2000, sir. Great job Ivan.👍
Need a scope to diag a headlight?
Way to go Audi!
Awesome diagnosis and repair !!
Had to do similar work on a A6 C6. Active headlight fault. Had snapped wires for the left/right swivel. Had to cut a hole in the bottom to fix those. 3 weeks later the other headlight went and same issue.
In the late 80s, the Honda Accord had pop up headlights in the US models. Over time, the wires to both headlights stress fractured like a paper clip. I spliced in 6 inches on each side. I think the ground was in the harness and I believe it was a 4 year model. I think they were selling about 400,000 a year. So 2 foot per car if they had put 6 inches on each side. 400,000 X 4 X 2 = 3,200,000 feet of wire. The person at Honda who cut it that close probably got a bonus.
Right on Ivan! Nice fix. Being curious enough to have a look for the win!!
A few years back I was over at a friends house. The house they live in is a "historic" house I guess, another words it's over a 100 years old. Later in the evening I was in the kitchen doing something, and I went to open the silverware drawer. I got a nice surprise to find a baby rattlesnake just sitting on the spoons. It was only about 12 inches long, but it still made me jump.
Nice fix, as always!! Great shot on the scope of why there are diodes (snubbers or suppressors) around coils to stop this spike when the power is cut and the magnetic field collapses. Called flyback and a few other names I can't think of right now. But that is what can damage sensitive controllers if someone cuts the diodes off or replaces a relay that had in integral diode with a relay that doesn't have that integral diode. A collapsing DC field in just about any coil of wire and can create that.
Awesome snake pics too!!! Free rodent control for sure!
In Holland we're not used to see snakes crawling around in the garage! Oh great video btw !
That big black rat snake was so cool. If I would have known you back when you made this video, my grandson and I would have been happy to come up, catch, and relocate that snake for you.
I have 3 Audi A6'. I ran into no highbeam twice. The highbeam is the full projection area. Low beam is just a flap that blocks half of the light. There is no difference in power usage. Basically low beam spends 99% of the time with half of its light just blocked off. I used power probe to trigger flap/shutter in troubleshooting. Wires inside the headlight unit get dry and crumbly. One could also retrofit the housing with another projector. I haven't had the time. I've been buying used ones from ebay, and taking advantage of warranty if I got a bad one. New is typically $750 for BARE assembly (no modules). Used complete about $350.
Thanks. Thing is, how is the alighnment adjusted, maybe!
no thug test is needed for crusties bravo Ivan if cables are too short or too tight they will snap off or even vibrations will do same damages
Same problem
Thanks
I work at a body shop and put a head light in a 22 infinity suv parts guy said it cost $5000.
Wow what a lucky find! you could have easily taken the guy to the cleaners, very honest!,Now about that snake......
What? Nearly 90 years of high beam lights and we have resorted to "shutters" for high/low beams? What was wrong with the old way?
Just discovered this weekend my Dodge Durango has them. Sigh. The vortex is too strong for me.
Because projector headlights are miles better (no pun intended). Mainly used for xenon (though some cheaper cars using halogens) they can have the bulb emit insanely bright and focus the beam to go no higher than the shudder. The instant the shutter opens, the light can also project insanely high too (in my Audi I can see the top of trees). Reflector headlights (what older cars had and still do on very cheap cars like Mitubishi and Chevy Trax) do is just emit a light, reflect it backwards towards a bunch of mirrors which scatters the light forward and hopes for the best.
Projector headlights are better in every way imaginable. The light is projected straight and to the side of the car and then the shutter opens and allows the light to shine upward too. I feel so much safer driving on roads with no street lamps now that I can see everything without blinding other drivers. Toyota and Honda are not good at aiming their projector xenon headlights though for some reason, and I'm always blinded/getting glare from them.
Nothing wrong with the old way, they just have to keep coming up with new "stuff" to keep you wanting MORE, Oh I got to have that! Plus when it breaks they get an extra 2k out of you
@@CSkwirl Actually the old way sucks compared to projectors with shutters.
@@mydimeisup5103 You need to see the tops of trees when you're driving? Perhaps you should re-evaluate your priorities of what you're looking at when you're on the road. Also anyone with these f'ing annoying lights needs to have them shone in their eyes going the other direction for 8 or 10 hours straight.
@@gorak9000 Its was an example of how good projector headlights are and how far they can aim down the road (if they're aimed higher with high beams on they project farther down the road and don't dip as much). Also you need to calm down boss man. You're only getting blinded by people who lift their trucks and don't adjust properly, people throwing LEDs in their reflector bowl headlights, or people not aiming them properly when replacing the headlights.
Guess you woke up on the wrong side of the bed being so aggressive.
Just replaced a fuel pump relay on my own 09 Audi A6 took nearly 3 hours between rusty screws and plastic bits they don't make them simple
Nice fix . What a expensive head light . Not interested in that. I been drinking tdi jettas for years . ..Thanks for the videos
great problem solving process taking advantage of the known good my guess the motor that was replaced the operation broke those wires cut is easy to discern green oxidation easy to discern clumsy hands my guess
Amazing! I have to turn in my wrenches for an oscilloscope.
Unbelievable great repair whatever happened to just a good old seal beam for Lowe's and a sealed Bean for highs when they actually worked unreal
Snakes keep the rodents from wrecking your house. Be grateful for the free pest control.
If only I didn't have to spend all year setting traps...
Yes unfortunately that is a free other Pest Controller 😎👍. Personally I wouldn't hurt it because I Really hate the four legged pest.
@@volvo09 Feral cats are a better pest control
cats ate better than snakes
You gotta be careful with snakes in australia most are venomous and best removed from your premises if possible.
ANOTHER great fix Ivan!
No headlights or snakes were harmed making this video... 😂😂😂
We'll start seeing a lot of these failures more often. Now we're going to get beamforming and blocking at specific spots within the beam the systems will get as complicated as a TV. Headlight makers have decided to go with more complicated instead of more reliable.
Halogens don't last nearly as long as xenon and LEDs, use more power, and emit more heat and still give less light output. Throwing LEDs or xenons in a reflector-bowl results in blinding others by the way the bowl reflects light everywhere since they're so bright. Projectors are way better.
@@mydimeisup5103 Hey Dime! Yeah how much brighter are car headlights gonna get? Are they just gonna keep getting brighter & brighter with each new model? It's ridiculous; new car headlights, especially Mazdas, are 50% or more brighter than everyone elses, & I can't see fuckall else when they're driving towards me. I flash my high beam & swear at them every time, even though I know they're not on high beam.
Their beams are so sharply focused it looks like they're flicking their high beam switch on & off when they travel over bumps, distracting me from watching the road cos I don't know if they're flashing me half the time. And what's up with the the colour-changing headlights from green to blue to purple to orange? I'll never buy a car with this type of headlights.
@@mydimeisup5103 Just a shame that manufacturers of these new headlight assemblies think it's great to rip people off with the price. Nothing inside that assembly warrants such a high price. This customer was indeed very lucky to find someone like Ivan to fix it. And Ivan in turn was lucky that he could actually get at the failure point, seeing that the ultra expensive headlights are designed not to be serviceable. Yes, these modern headlights might use less power, but what is the point when it's unserviceable design pretty much makes it less eco friendly in the long run? For the money they charge for these things, they could have at least made them serviceable. Just another case of company greed. It is so annoying because advances in technology like low energy lights should, in theory, be better for the planet. But in so many cases the technology gets used in such a way that any eco advantages are lost.
It is bad enough that instead of changing a small part you have to throw the entire light unit away, it may well mean the early death of the entire vehicle when such a complex, car specific unit is no longer available. Compare that to just a decade or two ago when each manufacturer built their lights around a common set of components - namely the industry standard lamp designs. Not only did they build them around a commonly available part, they insured that you could change that part easily.
@@nevillegoddard4966 I have noticed Toyota Corollas and Priuses also do this.
@@100SteveB I do definately agree. The inside of headlights is not just plastic, but VERY cheap plastic. Even a non-autoleveling projector lens (AKA no motors to move up/down or left/right) cost over 1k. I can tell you for a fact it does NOT cost that much. The reason manufacturers are probably charging so much is because "ItS NeW aNd ImPrOvEd" yet we've had projector lenses since the 90s when BMW introduced xenon headlights. The other reason is because of their artistic style and how it plays a major role in how the car looks so they know that people will want to pucker up the money. Since an Audi headlight probably cost at most $400 to manufacturer, and then they sell it for $2,000 since"It moves left and right when you turn".
Great save on a $2,000 headlight, Is why a Good Mechanic can save YOU thousands 😎👍.
Ivan,
Great video, diag, and NPR fix - thank you!
Paul (in MA)
"The wife is gonna freak out!" Poor Amanda, now that would be a fun video!! 😀
Hi Ivan. Funny how you guys are being overcharged for those light modules. Here in the UK they are readily available and cost between $300 and $500
It looks like they were calling a solenoid a "motor". I can see that, but it seems pretty misleading. Those Bavarians are so meticulous! Great job, Ivan! I think I could see the lamp/driver moving around as you worked, so maybe they move around a lot while driving and vibration broke the wires......
"linear motor" lol
Great video Ivan! I don’t think my concentration would’ve been the same with that snake around but hey it’s cheap pest control too!
Good works on the headlights
But what happen to the snake
YES - Ivan you have saved me a fortune. Thank you. UK Audi Q7 2012 bi-xenon one intermittent high beam, didn't bother with testing just pulled the headlight unit and looked inside, different but it was a fault with the exact dip solenoid connector that you re-made! The pin was not properly locked into the connector, just resting on its contact so intermittent. All I had to do was push it home properly till it felt snug. 30 minutes, no tools and no parts, unit slid out and in easily, what a dream! Would like to send you $100 for the assistance (if you promise not to send it to help Trump???)🤯🤯🤯
Great work! PayPal link on TH-cam home page 😊👍
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Found it and sent $100. Thanks again.
@@ridefast0 applicate that very much! 🙏
Yea, uh NOPE! Sorry, but my house would most likely be on 🔥 FIRE right now! And as usual, great job on the repair! 😎
This video makes me love my 1989 Mitsubishi Mighty Max
Better man than me, he saw a huge snake then went right back to working 🤣
Huge snake goes across the garage, Ivan looks at here and continues to solder wires "Real SLAV"
LOL let nature take its course 😅
Good spot to reinforce the pink and black on the TT, with shrink wrap.
Very nice explanation sir,blessings
I was in Paducah working and saw at Walmart, a mason jar ducktaped to the bumper of a jalopy with a bulb inside. I can't believe I didn't take a picture. That snake is still in the garage trying to find his way into your bedroom. Time to buy Rickey-Ticky-Tivey from the Pets-R-Us!
A while back Infiniti had a commercial showing the headlights moving as you turned . They now have " adaptive LED headlights " that follow the steering . Also in Cadillac , Mercedes , Volvo , BMW and Acura . In the 1970's I worked at an auto electric rebuilder . I was picking up cores for return at an auto store . When I pulled up , they put a snake in the starter motor box . I believe I declined credit ! When I was away at summer camp , they put a snake in my sleeping bag . Lucky I was tipped off about that one . Someone invited a bunch of people over on a Friday nighm t . Then the evil weed was torched . What they didn't say was their garter snake had gotten loose . So I'm sitting in a chair , dazed and confused , turn my head , and about 3" away the snake is staring at me ! Surprise !
Ivan. Not only did you do a tremendous troubleshooting job you did far more than that by producing a video that can help those in the craft and owners of this car see what is happening with the design. And on a personal level with my very smart 16 year young grandson who loves working on vehicles you show me that he can have a very rewarding career. He is good with computers and loves the mechanical aspect of troubleshooting. Young people don’t have to go into mega-debt to get an occupation that pays well. Common-sense, aptitude and a good work-ethic can be a great pathway. You should branch out and begin helping young people like my grandson see the options and help them make some wise choices. These vehicles will need skilled technicians. Multiply your effectiveness in a way similar to ‘Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe and give young people who have the desire and talents to follow in your footsteps. Check into Mike Rowe’s organization that is helping to improve our service-industry.
Thanks for a great video.
Thanks!! Saved me a lot of time!