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I have headlight problems with a LHD unit 6R1 941 007E which uses H7 for both main and dipped beam. The alloy fitting at the rear of the reflector is disintegrating into a fine brown dust. At some time a bulb has exploded as there is glass embedded in the reflector and a scorch mark on it. There is also melted black plastic on the alloy fitting but the plastic plug for the bulb is undamaged and looks original.
Does anyone know:-
what the E at the end of the part number means, there are different suffixes to the same part number
what causes the disintegration of the alloy and can it be stopped
where the melted plastic has come from
whether it is possible to remove the clear lens cover
whether it is a simple substitution to fit a LED version of an H7

Thanks

As for retro fitting a LED bulb thats a no no when it comes to mot time , any lamp which is not designed to have a LED from new will fail a mot test due to beam patterns

section 4.1.4 c Existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp for light source and lamp not compatible.

Replacing both headlights would be the most advisable option, it is the correct and most effective option. Cheap and easy.

Is there a photo of such deterioration?

Thanks for the info. The car is registered in Greece where the equivalent of the MOT is lax. I have a photo of the deterioration but don't know how to add it from my smartphone. Looking at the light again the black melted plastic must have come from the an H7 bulb which was poor quality. There is a Greek improvisation/bodge as the plug is missing the clip on the bulb plug so there will be less heat dissipation in addition to the poor thermal contact with the socket on the back of the reflector.

https://imgur.com/upload

...and paste/share the link here.

I hope the photo is attached. The KTEO in Greece, equivalent of the UK MOT, no doubt has similar regulations but when I got the car it had an odd size tyre on the rear, 195 55 instead of 185 60 and the DRL bulbs had failed but the car had been passed.

When removing and replacing the headlight I didn't push the loom plug in far enough and there was no connection to the indicator. This produced a bulb failure warning. However removing a headlight bulb did NOT produce a bulb failure warning nor did the failed DRL bulbs. Is this normal?

Have realised that the melted black plastic was from the failed H7

Perhaps proper cleaning and installing new bulbs on both sides at the same time would be enough.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgWoaMVJO_0&t=220s

Regarding the circumstances surrounding all vehicles, anything is possible... no matter where they come from, what is more important is who carried out the maintenance/care of the vehicle.
In mandatory inspections - MOT - things are also overlooked even due to minor oversights by inspectors/engineers.

The faults detected by the vehicle diagnostics occur under certain conditions (IGN ON/OFF, etc.), depending largely on the software/control modules/coding installed in the vehicle.