SQ5 Auto-Leveling Headlight System Failure Fix Guide

My 2012 S5 had almost identical symptoms last year, the headlight adjustment system was acting up and the lighting system warning kept appearing. With some experience working on Audi electrical systems, I initially thought it was just faulty electrical connectors or a sensor issue. After scanning, the control module showed errors related to the headlight leveling system. Turned out the servomotor that controls the auto-leveling function had failed. The headlight switch and sensors were fine, but the motor itself was toast. The repair involved: Removing the entire headlight assembly, Replacing the defective servomotor, Recalibrating the headlight leveling system, Clearing the stored fault codes Total cost was 1040 Euro including parts and labor. While expensive, it completely resolved the issues with the automatic adjustment and warning lights. To better assist with your specific case: Which headlight assembly do you have (LED, Xenon, Halogen)? Are both headlights affected or just one side? Does manually adjusting the light intensity still work? Have you checked if the electrical connectors are properly seated? These details would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if it might be something different in the control system.

Thanks for the detailed insight. After my last service at 147392 KM, I checked both headlight assemblies thoroughly. The issue affects both Xenon units equally. Manual beam adjustment still works, but the adaptive headlights remain unresponsive. I inspected all electrical connectors and they appear firmly seated with no visible damage. The lighting system warning persists even after reconnecting everything. Based on your experience, it sounds like I might be dealing with similar servomotor failures. I will have the workshop focus on checking those components first rather than replacing the entire headlight units.

Having gone through this exact repair on my S5, it definitely sounds like we had the same servomotor issue. The symptoms match perfectly, especially since both your Xenon units are affected and manual beam adjustment still functions. The fact that the lighting system warning persists after checking connections strongly points to failed servomotors. When these motors fail, the auto-leveling system cant maintain proper beam adjustment, triggering constant warnings. One thing I learned during my repair, the workshop should test the motors resistance values before replacement. In my case, both motors were out of spec, confirming they were the culprits rather than the adaptive headlights control module. Since youre at 147k, its actually a common wear point for these components. The beam adjustment mechanism gets quite a workout over time, especially with the auto-leveling constantly making micro-adjustments. A worthwhile investment would be having them replace both servomotors simultaneously, even if one tests marginally better. The labor cost is largely in the access and realignment, so doing both saves money long-term. The repair restored full adaptive headlight functionality and resolved all warning lights in my case. Just ensure they perform proper headlight calibration after the motor replacement.

Thanks for the informed advice. Your electrical diagnosis path makes sense, and the servomotor theory aligns with everything I'm seeing. My mileage level does suggest normal wear could be the root cause. I will book the repair and request testing of both servomotors resistance values first. Since the labor costs would be similar, replacing both motors simultaneously sounds like the smarter long-term fix for the headlight malfunction issues. The fact that your repair fully restored the auto-leveling function gives me confidence this is the right approach. I was worried I might need complete headlight assemblies or extensive work on the control module. Will update once the workshop confirms the diagnosis and completes the repair.