I have always wanted to have the dual xenon headlamps on my Phaeton, not really for any functional advantage that they offer, but simply because of the looks. The front headlight is a key element in the visual design of the Phaeton, and I don’t think that the single xenon headlight (with the halogen high beam) that we get here in North America looks as good as the original dual xenon design.
I finally got around to retrofitting dual xenon headlamps this week. The removal and installation of the headlamps is fairly simple, but sourcing the parts took forever. I didn’t want to buy two complete and fully built up dual xenon headlamps – the cost would have been about $1,500 per side – so, I rather slowly assembled all the parts I needed by scouring European salvage yards. This was a bit of a nuisance, and took a fair amount of time.
If you want to accomplish this modification, you will need the ‘basic’ headlamp assembly for each side of the car. The basic assembly includes the lenses and alignment motors, but does not include the bulbs or the controllers. The existing NAR spec low beam xenon controller (and bulb) can be re-used in the ROW spec dual xenon assemblies. A high beam controller costs about 300 Euro, and a xenon bulb costs about 100 Euro. The xenon bulbs are identical for all four positions, but there is a difference between the low beam and high beam controllers – they are not interchangeable.
A very small (and quite simple) modification to the wiring harness is needed, due to the provision of a third connector on the dual xenon headlamp assembly to power the city light (parking light). The parts cost for this modification is minimal, about $20 total. The lights will work without the wiring modification, but the city light won’t work, and you will get a ‘burned out light’ warning on the display in the instrument cluster.
Before considering this modification, you should check to see if the European beam pattern is accepted in the state you live in. Canada accepts the European beam pattern, and some manufacturers ship vehicles to Canada with European spec headlights in them. Not all American states will accept the European beam pattern, and this could cause problems down the road when it comes to safety checks or selling the vehicle.
Having said all that, here’s the instructions for doing the retrofit.
You will need a left and right hand side dual xenon headlight assembly. The current part number for this assembly is 3D1 941 017 (for the left side of the car) and 3D1 941 018 for the right side of the car. This presumes cars that are driven on the right side of the road, as in North America. If you want to retrofit dual xenon headlamps to a Phaeton that will be driven on the left side of the road, for example, in the UK or Singapore, the headlight assembly part numbers are different. There are other part numbers for the same assembly, such as 3D1 941 015 / 016. I’m not really sure what the difference is between the 15/16 assemblies and the 17/18 assemblies.
You will also need an additional xenon bulb for the high beam position and a high beam controller for each assembly, as well as a cable for the high beam controller. As mentioned earlier, the bulb is the same for both low and high beam. The high beam controller is part number 3D0 909 391, and the cable (which is NOT included with the controller) is 3D0 971 671. The low beam controller and cable is the same on both the NAR and ROW assemblies, so just salvage the low beam controller (PN 3D0 909 157) and cable from your NAR assembly. More detailed information about the different parts involved can be found on page 941-21 of the Phaeton parts catalog.
Headlamp assemblies are normally sold without controllers
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit1.jpg
Details of controllers
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit2.jpg
The headlight assemblies themselves are quite large, and the special purpose box that they ship in is about three feet long, one foot high, and one foot wide. So, you can anticipate some fairly hefty charges for ‘cubic weight’ if you are shipping these things from Europe to North America by air.
Before you start the installation process, purchase two small connectors PN 1J0 973 702 and two VW repair wires to fit those connectors, along with four heat shrink crimp connectors. These parts are very common (note the Golf part number) – my local VW dealer actually had them in stock and did not need to special order them. You will use these connectors to hook up the city light (parking light) on the dual xenon headlamp assemblies. You will also need a special crimping tool, and a heat gun.
Connector for City Lights
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit3.jpg
To remove the existing headlights and install the new ones, you have to remove the front bumper cover and do a fair amount of fooling around at the front of the Phaeton. So, it’s best to find some kind of platform that you can put your Phaeton on that allows you to lift it up to a comfortable working height. Personally, I prefer using a Hunter VAG 1944B alignment platform for this purpose. You can find one of these at your local VW dealer.
Drive the car onto the alignment platform, put a chock on either side of one of the rear wheels, then raise the Phaeton to a comfortable working height. Make sure you put the two front wheels on the rotating turntables, because you will need to turn the wheels later on to get access to screws and bolts in the front fender.
Phaeton on Alignment Platform
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit4.jpg
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit4b.jpg
The next task is to remove the front bumper cover. This process is fairly well described in the VW Phaeton repair manual in section 63. If you are going to undertake a project such as this, you really should get a VW Phaeton repair manual – see this post for more information: How to Purchase a Phaeton Service Manual. But, if you don’t happen to have a repair manual handy, you can usually find one within walking distance of the VAG 1944B alignment platform.
Although I said that the process of removing the bumper cover is “fairly well described” in the repair manual, there are a few hints and tips worth mentioning if you have never done this before. Here they are.
1) You need a Torx 25 with a one foot extension on it.
This is the “special tool T 10113” that the repair manual refers to. Don’t even think of starting work unless you have this tool. The photo below shows you what you have to accomplish with it.
Where you have to be able to reach with the special tool
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit5.jpg
Once you have the above tool (and the electrical parts needed to fabricate and install the city light connector), you can begin disassembly work. The first step is easy enough...
Put the washer jet covers in the Headlight service position using the ZAB central display.
Pull the washer jet covers fully open – they will lock in place, fully open.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit5b.jpg
2) Print out the bumper cover removal instructions.
There are about 25 different fasteners used to hold the bumper cover on. Not all of them are obvious – in fact, some are hidden pretty well. You really need to have a printed copy of the disassembly instructions to refer to, and you have to read the instructions very carefully to make sure you have not missed anything.
3) Identify the fasteners as you remove them.
You can easily identify the fasteners by just attaching them to a piece of masking tape, and marking the masking tape with the number that the disassembly instructions assign to that particular fastener. Be aware that there are four or five different types of fasteners used – they all look quite similar but they are NOT interchangeable.
Start by removing the foglight covers. You can find a detailed explanation about how to remove the foglight covers at this post: There's fog in my foglight... , but note that you only have to remove the plastic cover from the foglight. The foglight itself remains untouched, installed on the bumper cover - don't take it off.
Single screw holding the cover for the foglight
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit6.jpg
Then remove the large, obvious bolts under the grille…
http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit7.jpg
http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit8.jpg
…and all sorts of other bolts and screws
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit9.jpg
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit10.jpg
There are three ‘friction-fit’ plugs that just pull out. These are not screws.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit11.jpg
Remove these four screws from each side. It helps to turn the wheel go get easier access.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit12.jpg
This will allow this little flap to open up
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit13.jpg
Now, remove the ‘hidden screw’ that everyone always misses
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit14.jpg
Finally, undo the last fastener on each side, using the super-long screwdriver.
This fastener normally will not ‘come out’ with the screwdriver – it is caged.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit15.jpg
Where you are aiming for with the long screwdriver
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit16.jpg
continued in next post...
I finally got around to retrofitting dual xenon headlamps this week. The removal and installation of the headlamps is fairly simple, but sourcing the parts took forever. I didn’t want to buy two complete and fully built up dual xenon headlamps – the cost would have been about $1,500 per side – so, I rather slowly assembled all the parts I needed by scouring European salvage yards. This was a bit of a nuisance, and took a fair amount of time.
If you want to accomplish this modification, you will need the ‘basic’ headlamp assembly for each side of the car. The basic assembly includes the lenses and alignment motors, but does not include the bulbs or the controllers. The existing NAR spec low beam xenon controller (and bulb) can be re-used in the ROW spec dual xenon assemblies. A high beam controller costs about 300 Euro, and a xenon bulb costs about 100 Euro. The xenon bulbs are identical for all four positions, but there is a difference between the low beam and high beam controllers – they are not interchangeable.
A very small (and quite simple) modification to the wiring harness is needed, due to the provision of a third connector on the dual xenon headlamp assembly to power the city light (parking light). The parts cost for this modification is minimal, about $20 total. The lights will work without the wiring modification, but the city light won’t work, and you will get a ‘burned out light’ warning on the display in the instrument cluster.
Before considering this modification, you should check to see if the European beam pattern is accepted in the state you live in. Canada accepts the European beam pattern, and some manufacturers ship vehicles to Canada with European spec headlights in them. Not all American states will accept the European beam pattern, and this could cause problems down the road when it comes to safety checks or selling the vehicle.
Having said all that, here’s the instructions for doing the retrofit.
You will need a left and right hand side dual xenon headlight assembly. The current part number for this assembly is 3D1 941 017 (for the left side of the car) and 3D1 941 018 for the right side of the car. This presumes cars that are driven on the right side of the road, as in North America. If you want to retrofit dual xenon headlamps to a Phaeton that will be driven on the left side of the road, for example, in the UK or Singapore, the headlight assembly part numbers are different. There are other part numbers for the same assembly, such as 3D1 941 015 / 016. I’m not really sure what the difference is between the 15/16 assemblies and the 17/18 assemblies.
You will also need an additional xenon bulb for the high beam position and a high beam controller for each assembly, as well as a cable for the high beam controller. As mentioned earlier, the bulb is the same for both low and high beam. The high beam controller is part number 3D0 909 391, and the cable (which is NOT included with the controller) is 3D0 971 671. The low beam controller and cable is the same on both the NAR and ROW assemblies, so just salvage the low beam controller (PN 3D0 909 157) and cable from your NAR assembly. More detailed information about the different parts involved can be found on page 941-21 of the Phaeton parts catalog.
Headlamp assemblies are normally sold without controllers
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit1.jpg
Details of controllers
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit2.jpg
The headlight assemblies themselves are quite large, and the special purpose box that they ship in is about three feet long, one foot high, and one foot wide. So, you can anticipate some fairly hefty charges for ‘cubic weight’ if you are shipping these things from Europe to North America by air.
Before you start the installation process, purchase two small connectors PN 1J0 973 702 and two VW repair wires to fit those connectors, along with four heat shrink crimp connectors. These parts are very common (note the Golf part number) – my local VW dealer actually had them in stock and did not need to special order them. You will use these connectors to hook up the city light (parking light) on the dual xenon headlamp assemblies. You will also need a special crimping tool, and a heat gun.
Connector for City Lights
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit3.jpg
To remove the existing headlights and install the new ones, you have to remove the front bumper cover and do a fair amount of fooling around at the front of the Phaeton. So, it’s best to find some kind of platform that you can put your Phaeton on that allows you to lift it up to a comfortable working height. Personally, I prefer using a Hunter VAG 1944B alignment platform for this purpose. You can find one of these at your local VW dealer.
Drive the car onto the alignment platform, put a chock on either side of one of the rear wheels, then raise the Phaeton to a comfortable working height. Make sure you put the two front wheels on the rotating turntables, because you will need to turn the wheels later on to get access to screws and bolts in the front fender.
Phaeton on Alignment Platform
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit4.jpg
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit4b.jpg
The next task is to remove the front bumper cover. This process is fairly well described in the VW Phaeton repair manual in section 63. If you are going to undertake a project such as this, you really should get a VW Phaeton repair manual – see this post for more information: How to Purchase a Phaeton Service Manual. But, if you don’t happen to have a repair manual handy, you can usually find one within walking distance of the VAG 1944B alignment platform.
Although I said that the process of removing the bumper cover is “fairly well described” in the repair manual, there are a few hints and tips worth mentioning if you have never done this before. Here they are.
1) You need a Torx 25 with a one foot extension on it.
This is the “special tool T 10113” that the repair manual refers to. Don’t even think of starting work unless you have this tool. The photo below shows you what you have to accomplish with it.
Where you have to be able to reach with the special tool
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit5.jpg
Once you have the above tool (and the electrical parts needed to fabricate and install the city light connector), you can begin disassembly work. The first step is easy enough...
Put the washer jet covers in the Headlight service position using the ZAB central display.
Pull the washer jet covers fully open – they will lock in place, fully open.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit5b.jpg
2) Print out the bumper cover removal instructions.
There are about 25 different fasteners used to hold the bumper cover on. Not all of them are obvious – in fact, some are hidden pretty well. You really need to have a printed copy of the disassembly instructions to refer to, and you have to read the instructions very carefully to make sure you have not missed anything.
3) Identify the fasteners as you remove them.
You can easily identify the fasteners by just attaching them to a piece of masking tape, and marking the masking tape with the number that the disassembly instructions assign to that particular fastener. Be aware that there are four or five different types of fasteners used – they all look quite similar but they are NOT interchangeable.
Start by removing the foglight covers. You can find a detailed explanation about how to remove the foglight covers at this post: There's fog in my foglight... , but note that you only have to remove the plastic cover from the foglight. The foglight itself remains untouched, installed on the bumper cover - don't take it off.
Single screw holding the cover for the foglight
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit6.jpg
Then remove the large, obvious bolts under the grille…
http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit7.jpg
http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit8.jpg
…and all sorts of other bolts and screws
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit9.jpg
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit10.jpg
There are three ‘friction-fit’ plugs that just pull out. These are not screws.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit11.jpg
Remove these four screws from each side. It helps to turn the wheel go get easier access.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit12.jpg
This will allow this little flap to open up
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit13.jpg
Now, remove the ‘hidden screw’ that everyone always misses
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit14.jpg
Finally, undo the last fastener on each side, using the super-long screwdriver.
This fastener normally will not ‘come out’ with the screwdriver – it is caged.
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit15.jpg
Where you are aiming for with the long screwdriver
https://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Xenonretrofit16.jpg
continued in next post...