How do you replace the headlight bulb on an Audi A6--2006?

Answer 1

Required tools: Phillips and straight blade screw drivers. Make certain the car is off and the keys are not inside.

Highly recommended: You have the correct replacement bulb on hand before you start. Also, you might as well have a new air filter too. It is a simple thing to install the new filter while you have the airbox out of the car, and it never hurts to keep a clean filter in you car.

The right side headlamp on an 2006 Audi A6 is covered by the air filter and filter box. This makes getting to the lighbulb more difficult than some may want to attempt, but if you are handy enough and persistent, it is a fairly straight forward matter.

First remove the two large black decorative enging covers. (The front fan cover and the Injector manifold cover both lift straigh off with a gentle tug. Don't force them. you might need to wiggle them off their mounts a little, but there are no screws. Set them aside in a safe place.

Then remove the two Philips head screws above the front right side of the grill. These hold the front half of the air dam that feeds the air into the airbox/filter. Then remove the front half of the air dam by bending the felxible rubber of the back half a bit and pry it out of it's mouning from the grill. This takes a bit of force to get out, and the trick is to bend it back and towards the motor. Set it aside, then press top rear edge of the back half of the air dam with your thumb and lift it out of the triangular shaped input on the air box. (With the front half already removed, the back half of the air dam will come out pretty easily, but you do need to release the hidden molded catch on the top edge with by pressing it with your thumb first.

Filtered Fresh air hose:

This larger diameter hose feeds the fresh air into the engine from the air box. It needs to be moved out the way in order to remove the air back with the air filter. Loosen the two hose clamps holding the large round hose on the back of the airbox. These two clamps just need to be loosened enough to slide them back over the slight ridge on the hose. Then you should snug them up a bit so they can't possibly fall of the hose while it is loose. The large hose clamp holds the hose to the air-box, and the smaller one is under the previously removed decorative engine cover. This smaller one holds the hose onto the motor. . Before trying to move the hose, you will need to disconnect a small wiring connector that runs near the smaller hose clamp Use your thumb or the tip of a small straight blade screw dirver to release the catch and then slide the connector back and move it aside (away from the smaller hose clamp)

There are two smaller hoses that is held in place by friction clamps and mounts around the large hose you are trying to move... The one that is near the larger hose clamp has two black plasitc connectors that mount it onto the Air box. simply push these connectors off the air box. No tools required. The other small hose runs alongside the firewall side of the larger hose. This one just needs to be lifted straight up out of the semi-round friction clamps. Again, no tools required. You should now be ready to work the hose loose from the front and back connections and lift it up just enough to get to the top half of the air box. NONE of these hoses needs to be removed. They only need to be moved a few inches to make room for pulling out the air box.

The important part about removing the air box is to realize that it comes out in two pieces. First the top portion:

Release the two silver airbox clamps. The are located on the front and back of the box at the top. (near the inside edge of the fender). These clamps can be removed by pressing back with your thumbs. or a straight blade screw driver may be used if you can get them to pop off with your thumb. They don't come off. Just swing them back out of the way after releasing them both.

DO NOT loosen or release the hose clamp on the bottom rear of the air box. it is not attached to the motor and the short hose attached to it will be lifted out with the lower part of the air box assembly.

Now comes the tricky part. There are three plastic notches on the bottom inside edge of the top half of the airbox - near the motor. these act as guides and hold the top section to the bottom section of the airbox. You need to wiggle the bottom part of the TOP of the air box and lift it up until these come loose. Then slide and wiggle the entire top section of the air box until it breaks free from the bottom section. It is difficult and the important thing is that the bottom section needs to stay where it is until the top section is discconeted from it. There are hoses and a single wire connector on the back of the top section so be careful after you wiggle it up and out of the way of the bottom section. Release the wire connectors and the friction mount for the wire and your should then be able to lift and twist the top section of the air box out. It is a very tight fit. It will take some wigling and prying to get it out. Slow and steady wins the day.

The bottom half is held in place by three rubber bushing mounts two on the bottom and one on the inside. The inside one holds the lower airbox onto the inside of the wheel well, and there is a black friction pin in the middle of it that will need to be removed and put aside. I managed to get it out after wiggling and pulling on it for a while. There is probably a tool to use but I did not have anything that would work. Perhaps slipping a piece of twine like a noose around it and then using the end to pull it out would work. After removing the pin that holds the bushing onto the wheel well, you should be able to lift and twist the lower section of the airbox out. This will take some manuevering, but you have come to far to give up now. Set the lower half aside.

You can now see and more importanlty get access to the coverplate over the light bulb assembly. Be careful when trying to remove the coverplate! The trick is to gently push up on the two black tabs on the bottom of the coverplate, and pop the bottom out and then swing the top off it's two hinge/clamps. Don't over torque the bottom tabs or wiggle them or push down on them. They can easily be broken or cracked.

Now release off the single spring steel wire clamp on top of the light assembly cover. It does not come all the way off. Just swing it aside and then the grasp the silver box with the lightning bolt graphic and twist it counterclockwise about 1/8th of a turn. After rotating it should pop off and then lift out without drama. There is a single small wire harness attached. Unplug the wire harness. The connetor slides out easily. Set the silver box aside, and leave the wire hanging out of the way for the moment.

Now you are ready to release the two small spring clamps that hold the headlamp in place. These two clamps just push in a bit and then can be lifted out and way from the base of the lamp. The don't move very much but are key to getting the old lamp out and securing the new one, so be careful and gentle here. Slide the old lamp out.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but be certain when installing the replacement lamp that you DON'T touch the glass part of the bulb with your fingers. The oil from your skin will dramatically decrease the life of the bulb. It is also important to have the correct type and color rating (Xenon or not etc.) for your car. You don't have to buy the bulb from Audi either. I found two xenon bulbs on-line for less than 1/3rd of the price that Audi charges for a single factory replacement bulb. This is a matter of choice on your part, but for the thrifty, shop on-line.

Reassembly is much the same as dissasembly except you do everything backwards... ha ha, sorry I don't have the energy to type up detailed instructions on reassembly. Just make sure you don't forget to plug in the wire power cable back into the lamp cover box. This connector has a small ridge on one side that mates with a groove on the lampocver box. Be careful becasue the pins inside the coverbox are fragile and could easily be bent. Don't force anything.

Then test the headlights before you put the airbox back on. It would be a bummer if you put everything back together, then found out you forgot to plug the power cable back into the lampcover box or that the bulb was defective or something.

Good luck and always be careful!