Audi A3 Headlights: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

Bulb type, unit part numbers, and the faults that actually cause that flickering or dim light you've noticed.

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — aftermarket LH Valeo 046814 / RH Hella 1EJ 010 740-081

Accuracy note: Covers the Audi A3 (8V 2012-2020) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Headlights are sold by side (passenger / nearside = LH, driver's / offside = RH on a UK car) and by lamp type — halogen, xenon (D1S / D3S) and LED or full-LED units are not interchangeable, and DRL, cornering and levelling options change the part number again. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand; genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Check the lamp type and traffic side (UK right-hand-traffic units, not LHD) against your VIN, and expect xenon / LED and adaptive units to need levelling adjustment or coding after fitting.

Passenger side (LH / nearside) headlight — aftermarket	Hella 1EJ 010 740-071 (halogen H7/H15, DRL, motor, bulbs included); Hella 1EL 010 740-311 (bi-xenon D3S with LED DRL, motor, no bulb); Hella 1LL 010 740-331 (bi-xenon D3S, LED, motor); Valeo 046814 (LED, motor); Valeo 046826 (levelling motor, type not stated); Hella 1EL 010 740-571 (xenon D3S, LED DRL, motor)
Driver's side (RH / offside) headlight — aftermarket	Hella 1EJ 010 740-081 (halogen H7/H15, DRL, motor, bulbs included); TYC 20-14569-05-2 (halogen H7/H15, DRL, electric levelling); Van Wezel 0335962 (halogen H15/H7, DRL, motor); Hella 1ZS 010 740-661 (bi-xenon D3S, LED DRL, motor, bulb included); TYC 20-14571-06-2 (xenon D3S, LED DRL, electric levelling); Hella 1LL 010 740-601 (LED/bi-xenon, motor)
Bulb types	halogen dipped H7, main/DRL H15, indicator PSY24W; xenon D3S (some D5S); bi-xenon PSY24W indicator
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order genuine units against your VIN
Fitment notes	Halogen H7/H15 base cars, D3S xenon and bi-xenon with LED DRL on higher trims, and Valeo full LED units; levelling is by motor on almost every unit.

A Genuinely Important UK Rule Worth Knowing Before You Buy — Audi A3 Headlights

If your A3 has factory-fitted halogen headlamp housings, converting them to fit LED bulbs is treated as a definite MOT failure under the current inspection manual — this isn't a grey area or a minor advisory, since a housing designed for halogen doesn't distribute an LED bulb's light output correctly, which can genuinely dazzle oncoming drivers. If you want a genuine LED upgrade, the correct route is a complete headlight unit designed for LED from the factory, not a bulb swap into an existing halogen housing.

Before you buy: matrix LED, adaptive, and cornering headlight systems often require electronic coding to the car after a unit swap, even for a genuine like-for-like replacement — a headlight that isn't recognised by the car's electronics can trigger warning lights or fail to auto-level correctly. Check whether your specific trim has one of these systems before assuming a straightforward bulb-in, bulb-out job.

Audi A3 Headlights: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: Audi A3 Headlight bulb change (How to) 2012-2020 8V

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Audi A3 Headlights: What It Does

On the Audi A3, main and dipped beam bulbs — or LED/matrix modules on higher-spec cars — live inside the headlight unit, angled carefully to illuminate the road without blinding oncoming traffic. The daytime running light and front indicator often share that same housing too, adding complexity to both fitment and repair.

Audi A3 Headlights: Generations, Derivatives & Headlight Type

8V pre-facelift (2012–2016), standard trims	Halogen or Xenon depending on trim and options
8V/8V.5 (2012–2020), Full LED option	Bi-LED projectors with a steady white DRL strip — a genuinely different DRL shape from the later 8Y generation
8Y (2020–present), standard trims	Standard Full LED — base-level LED lights with standard high/low beam functions but no camera-based adaptive functionality
8Y, S3/RS3 and higher trims	Matrix LED — genuinely different hardware using a front-facing camera and multiple individually controlled LEDs to shape the beam, keeping main beam on while creating dark spots around other vehicles; confirmed as not interchangeable with Standard LED units even within the same generation
Market note	Matrix LED headlights on North American-market cars are software-limited to basic high-beam functionality; full adaptive matrix behaviour is only enabled by default on European-spec cars, despite the hardware being identical

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Audi A3 Headlights: Common Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Headlights Guide for the four bulb technologies and how they differ, UK law on aim and modifications, common faults to check for, how difficult this job is to DIY, and confirming fitment against your VIN.

More Audi Headlights

The same part, covered across other Audi models.