Defective 2004 AudiA8 L(emon)
Question:
> Failing that, I’d probably have slapped a > couple strips of strategically-placed duct tape (The Handyman’s > Friend) on the lenses to block the offending rays while allowing > sufficient light to drive at night.
lol, you don’t seriously expect him to drive a 2004 A8L with duct tape on his lights, do you?? 
— Dave (who’d swap his TTQ with working auto adjusting lights for an A8 with defective ones anytime 
Response:
192 miles… how did they manage to justify such an "excursion"? If you keep experiencing unresolved problems, just complain to Audi AG in Germany and stick to it until you get a satisfactory solution. On a more prosaic note, what’s the car’s color? John
> The following update should be of interest only to persons who are thinking > of purchasing one of these vehicles or who have some kind of ongoing problem > with Audi. Anyone who is bored with this topic (I am, for one, but > unfortunately am "stuck" so far) please just stop reading. [...] > As dropped off, tank full, 531 miles. > As returned, tank empty (the out-of-gas light came on within a block of the > dealership) and 723 miles. That’s a heck of a test drive. 192 miles!
[...]
Response:
Hi David, > 7/29/03: 5:40 PM > Picked up my 2004 Audi A8 L(emon) this afternoon at Prestige Motors > afternoon of 7/29/03. > As dropped off, tank full, 531 miles. > As returned, tank empty (the out-of-gas light came on within a block of the > dealership) and 723 miles. That’s a heck of a test drive. 192 miles!
Yes. And again it seems that Audi is suffering from it’s biggest drawback: Dealerships. Reading your posts i can understand your frustration. > I had the car’s headlights set on "automatic" mode. It was daylight, around > 5:40 PM. I parked the car, set the parking brake and turned of the ignition > and withdrew the key. When I opened the driver’s door the "headlights-on" > warning tone sounded (although there was no indication on the dashboard > relating to headlights and they did not, in fact, actually appear to be on.
I would not worry in this case. As long as the headlights are not on this sound just tells you you have left the switch to "on" or "auto". Same thing by design in my A6. > I closed the door and the alarm stopped. I opened the door again, the alarm > sounded.
As it should. > I re-started the car and turned it off and opened the driver’s door. The > alarm came on.
As it should. > I switched the headlight control to off, no change.
Oh, so you mean the headlights were "OFF" and the alarm sounded? > I put it back on > "Automatic", no change.
I would not be surprised about that as Auto is a possible "ON". What exactly does the owners manual state? What is the default behaviour in detail? Is it not behaving like it should according to the manual or is it not behaving according to what you would expect it to do? Btw. I would anyway not have the headlights on auto all the time. But that’s my 2 cents. Wolfgang
Response:
(Snipped facts of headlight sensor failures.) It sounds to me like you have *one* problem with this car and it’s questionable in my mind whether it would even satisfy your state’s (or any state’s) ‘Lemon Law’ requirements. I know it wouldn’t here. I find myself wondering why you let a perfectly serviceable vehicle sit in a dealership while waiting for parts. Can you not drive it only during the day? If you must drive it at night, can the dealer not set the lights in a ‘failure mode’ that won’t glare into oncoming drivers’ eyes? Did you even ask? Failing that, I’d probably have slapped a couple strips of strategically-placed duct tape (The Handyman’s Friend) on the lenses to block the offending rays while allowing sufficient light to drive at night. At least that way, you can explain your tale of woe to many more others, as they ask. > Picked up my 2004 Audi A8 L(emon) this afternoon at Prestige Motors > afternoon of 7/29/03. > As dropped off, tank full, 531 miles. > As returned, tank empty (the out-of-gas light came on within a block of the > dealership) and 723 miles. That’s a heck of a test drive. 192 miles!
I’d certainly ask what the hell they were doing. Headlights and adjustment sensors could be tested sitting in the shop (well, with a little bouncing on the bumpers …). > So what do I do? Is anyone interested? It is almost impossible to manage to > actually bring this car to Prestige Motors and demonstrate this behavior as > one has no knowledge as to whether this will happen at any given instance of > turning this bug-infested vehicle off.
You know, if a problem can’t be reproduced, it’s damn hard to analyze how it’s happening. Think about it. > In any case, this is not an encouraging omen. It is, in fact, exactly what I > had anticipated: more nuisance, more frustration, more fruitless trips to > dealer etc. I like the ride and comfort of the car when it is operating > properly, but I cannot live indefinitely with a different failure or "issue" > on what seems to be a daily basis.
Sorry to sound unsympathetic, but non-adjusting headlights that have to be manually turned off ain’t exactly the end of the world. There are still people in the world who do that stuff manually! — C.R. Krieger (The Jag’s lights work …)
Response:
> On a more prosaic note, what’s the car’s color?
It would be funny if he says "yellow"… I also appreciate the thread. I like to know about these kinds of problems. He should complain to the regional Audi distributor, the US headquarters and NHTSA (http://www.nhtsa.gov)
Response:
> Ahhh there lies your problem > Audi 2004 must be a pre-release version or Beta and you may need to install > a service pack soon
Let’s hope he never sees the "blue screen of death"…
Response:
just a thought about this one: what happens if you put the automatic mode on, turn the ignition off and walk away from the car, and it gets dark while you’re gone, do the lights go on? if that is the case, I would expect the warning tone sounding to be the normal behaviour of the car. — Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Within two hours of leaving Prestige Motors, my defective 2004 Audi A8 > L(emon) was back in trouble mode. An "issue" (defect) which I had previously > reported to both Prestige Motors and to Audi of America re-appeared. > I had the car’s headlights set on "automatic" mode. It was daylight, around > 5:40 PM. I parked the car, set the parking brake and turned of the ignition > and withdrew the key. When I opened the driver’s door the "headlights-on" > warning tone sounded (although there was no indication on the dashboard > relating to headlights and they did not, in fact, actually appear to be on.
Response:
Ahhh there lies your problem Audi 2004 must be a pre-release version or Beta and you may need to install a service pack soon Liam
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> A further update is in order: > My defective 2004 Audi A8 L(emon) has now been out-of-service since it > disappeared into the shop at Prestige Imports (Miami, FL) on 7/17/03. A > total of two weeks! > I am now informed that the dealer has finally obtained missing repair parts > and intends to turn the car back over to me tomorrow after a road test. > So far, in 8 weeks of leasing and paying for this vehicle, I have not had > one full week (or even three consecutive days) without some failure or > other. I am, therefore, pretty skeptical about having "all" my "concerns" > (read factory-defects) "cured." > I will report further equipment failures on my defective 2004 Audi A8 > L(emon) as they occur. Other owners of defective 2004 Audi A8 L(emon)s, > please reply on or off group. I am interested in exchanging information > about Audi of America’s policies with regard to owners denied the reasonable > use of their vehicles due to excessive downtime and parts availability.
Response:
> My defective 2004 Audi A8 L(emon) has now been out-of-service since it Here in my country, a so-called "lemon" is commonly referred to as a "mandagsbil" or "Monday car" ( = made on a Monday). This is because supposedly not all auto workers are quite up to it after a weekend, after two days of leisure and partying, or that they are generally feeling down on Mondays after a nice weekend. Therefore they do not perform at their best on Mondays, and easily make a few "Monday cars" with some faults. This is also called "the Monday disease" or "blue Monday" ("bl
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