Technical Service Bulletin
94 Xenon headlight flickers or is inoperative on one side (DTC 00978 or 00979)
94 14 31 2021751/4 January 16, 2014. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 94 number 10-19 dated June
7, 2010 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

A4

2009

A5

2008

All

A5

2009

000001 - 034000

Q5

2009

000001 - 003400

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

N000001 - N050000
A000001 - A179000
Xenon headlights

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

4

-

Revised header data (Added DTCs)
Revised Service (Clarified instructions)
Revised Warranty (Corrected labor operations)

3

6/7/2010

Revised Warranty

2

4/29/2010

Revised Service (Clarification of procedure and bulb date code decoder)
Revised Warranty

1

10/6/2009

Original publication

• The xenon headlight on one side of the vehicle flickers or is inoperative. The condition may be intermittent or
permanent.
• One of the following DTCs is stored in the electronic central electronics control module, J519, (address word
09) for the affected headlight:
• DTC 00978 (Left Low Beam Headlight -M29- Electrical fault in circuit).
• DTC 00979 (Right Low Beam Headlight -M31- Electrical fault in circuit).
• Only xenon bulbs manufactured by Philips are affected.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Technical Background
The xenon bulb may have an internal leak at the crimp of
the electrodes, and xenon gas can be released (Figure 1).
Without an adequate amount of xenon gas, the bulb
cannot establish a stable light arc. The xenon igniter
control unit (ballast) repeatedly tries to establish an arc,
which may cause a flickering of the headlight.

Figure 1. The location of the xenon bulb leak.

Production Solution
Improved xenon bulbs in production.

Service
If the condition occurs permanently:
1.

Swap the bulbs between the left and right headlights.
• If the condition does not follow the bulb:
Check the power supply and control unit of the headlight assembly according to Guided Fault Finding.
• If the condition does follow the bulb:
Proceed to step 1 under If the condition occurs intermittently, below.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
If the condition occurs intermittently:
1.

Locate the 4-digit alphanumeric production date code on the label
of each of the xenon bulbs (Figure 1)

Figure 1. Location of the 4-digit
alphanumeric production date code.
2.

Determine the production of the xenon bulbs by using the Production Date Decoder table below.
• If the bulbs were produced before June 1, 2008:
Replace both bulbs, even without a customer complaint. The bulbs will be covered under the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty (NVLW) extension.
• If the bulbs were produced on or after June 1, 2008:
Replace only the failing bulb. The bulb will be covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty (NVLW)
extension.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Production Date Decoder (read code from left to right)
If the first character is a letter:

If the first character is a number:

First character:

A = January

G = July

First character:

0 = 2010

(Indicates month)

B = February

H = August

(Indicates year)

1 = 2011

C = March

J = September

2 = 2012

D = April

K = October

3 = 2013

E = May

L = November

F = June

M = December

Second

6 = 2006

Second character:

A = January

G = July

character:

7 = 2007

(Indicates month)

B = February

H = August

(Indicates year)

8 = 2008

C = March

J = September

9 = 2009

D = April

K = October

E = May

L = November

F = June

M = December

Third and fourth

01 = 1st

17 = 17th

Third and fourth

01 = 1st

17 = 17th

characters:

02 = 2nd

18 = 18th

characters:

02 = 2nd

18 = 18th

(Indicate day)

03 = 3rd

19 = 19th

(Indicate day)

03 = 3rd

19 = 19th

04 = 4th

20 = 20th

04 = 4th

20 = 20th

05 = 5th

21 = 21st

05 = 5th

21 = 21st

06 = 6th

22 = 22nd

06 = 6th

22 = 22nd

07 = 7th

23 = 23rd

07 = 7th

23 = 23rd

08 = 8th

24 = 24th

08 = 8th

24 = 24th

09 = 9th

25 = 25th

09 = 9th

25 = 25th

10 = 10th

26 = 26th

10 = 10th

26 = 26th

11 = 11th

27 = 27th

11 = 11th

27 = 27th

12 = 12th

28 = 28th

12 = 12th

28 = 28th

13 = 13th

29 = 29th

13 = 13th

29 = 29th

14 = 14th

30 = 30th

14 = 14th

30 = 30th

15 = 15th

31 = 31st

15 = 15th

31 = 31st

16 = 16th

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

16 = 16th

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Warranty
Claim Type:

Use applicable claim type. If vehicle is outside any warranty, this Technical
Service Bulletin is informational only.

Service Number:

9459

Damage Code:

0040

Labor Operations:

For A4 and A5 - If one bulb was replaced:
1 Headlight assembly remove+reinstall

9415 1901

50 TU

1 Gas discharge bulb remove+reinstall

9459 1950

10 TU

2 Headlight assembly adjust

9415 1600

20 TU

2 Headlight assembly remove+reinstall

9415 2001

70 TU

2 Gas discharge bulb remove+reinstall

9459 2050

20 TU

2 Headlight assembly adjust

9415 1600

20 TU

For A4 and A5 - If both bulbs were replaced:

For A4 and A5 - If bulbs were tested due to permanent failure:
2 Gas discharge bulb remove+reinstall

9459 2050

20 TU

Test/swap 2 gas discharge bulbs

9459 3299

20 TU

2 Headlight assembly adjust

9415 1600

20 TU

1 Gas discharge bulb remove+reinstall

9459 1900

50 TU

2 Headlight assembly adjust

9415 1600

20 TU

1 Gas discharge bulb remove+reinstall

9459 1901

90 TU

2 Headlight assembly adjust

9415 1600

20 TU

For Q5 - If one bulb was replaced (left side):

For Q5 - If one bulb was replaced (right side):

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
For Q5 - If both bulbs were replaced:
2 Gas discharge bulb remove+reinstall

9459 2000

110 TU

2 Headlight assembly adjust

9415 1600

20 TU

For Q5 - If bulbs were tested due to permanent failure:
2 Gas discharge bulb remove+reinstall

9459 2000

110 TU

Test/swap 2 gas discharge bulbs

9459 3299

20 TU

2 Headlight assembly adjust

9415 1600

20 TU

Diagnostic Time:

GFF – Checking and clearing fault codes and

0150 0000

Time stated

(All vehicles)

basic settings

on diagnostic
protocol (Max
40 TU)

Road test prior to service procedure

No allowance

0 TU

Road test after service procedure

No allowance

0 TU

Technical diagnosis at dealer’ s discretion
(Refer to Section 2.2.1.2 and Audi Warranty Online for DADP allowance details)
Claim Comment:

As per TSB #2021751/4

All warranty claims submitted for payment must be in accordance with the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures

Manual. Claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty.

Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2021751) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.