Audi A3 DRL Repair
Audi A3 DRL repair fixes the daytime running light inside the headlight you already own, with no need for a complete new unit. On the 8P and the 8V, a strip gone dull yellow or a board that no longer lights is replaced on its own.
Why the running light on an A3 gives up
The running light is a row of LEDs shining into a clear guide that spreads the glow along the headlight. The LEDs sit close to that guide, and over the years their heat scorches it until one side looks amber beside a white one.
It is a fault that turns up often on the A3, and a new LED module bought online seldom changes the colour.
8P and 8V headlights: two different jobs
On some A3 units the running light board lives in its own module, fixed to the rear of the housing with screws. That module can be unbolted and renewed without disturbing the lens or the factory seal.
Other A3 headlights carry the board sealed inside. Then the lens has to be lifted off, the board changed and the unit resealed so no water gets in afterwards.
Your photos and the year of registration tell us which of the two you have.
- Generations covered
- 8P and 8V
- Headlight types
- Xenon and LED units with an LED running light
- Common fault
- Running light gone yellow, dim or dark on one side
Parts renewed, parts left as they are
- A scorched light guide is swapped for a clear one.
- A failed LED board is changed together with its heatsink, never patched with solder.
- A faulty driver or control unit is replaced with a new part rather than repaired.
More on LED units: LED Headlight Repair.
A dead running light at the MOT
The MOT inspection manual treats a daytime running lamp that is missing or not working as a major defect. Where a lamp is made of several LEDs, up to half of them out is listed as minor and more than half as major.
The manual also lists a lamp whose emitted colour is not in line with the requirements.
A3 running light questions
Will a replacement LED module from the internet cure a yellow A3 running light?
Usually not. The yellow tint comes from the heat-damaged guide, so the original module may be working perfectly well. Send a photo before you spend money on parts.
Is the running light checked before the headlight goes back?
Yes, every board is powered up on the bench first. The dipped beam is different: it needs the car's own electronics, so it can only be confirmed once the unit is refitted.
Other Audi models are listed on Audi Headlight Repair. How long an A3 unit is away for the repair is confirmed in your quote.
Have your A3 running light looked at
Two photos are enough to start: one of the whole headlight, one with the lights on.
Send the details, get a price back
Say which car it is and what the headlight is doing, add a couple of photos, and your quote arrives by email. Nothing has to come off the car until you have agreed to it.