MK7.5 OEM LED Tails

[tommy2]

I just plugged this between the current connector and the taillight connector. Done in like 15 minutes very easy to do. I can't tell you what exactly does that harness as it is hidden in that plastic cover.

Then you have to do the coding, which is a pretty long list of at least 10 values changes. I can't tell you how it does work without the coding, but I'm pretty sure that it just simply blinks without the dynamic signal. This was like 30 minutes job for a guy which knows VCDS very well.

 

[nype]

Are there 4 harnesses total?

Envious...

Will be much more difficult for us folks starting with non-LED tails.

 

[Vincenz]

Are there 4 harnesses total?

Envious...

Will be much more difficult for us folks starting with non-LED tails.

If this ever does work for us in the USA, I'm guessing a new harness would need to be produced similar to the current ones for converting halogens to the dotted LEDs.

I'm guessing then we would need to revert any current coding we've done with either those dotted LEDs or even the halogens (making inner work like outer). Then code it for the new LEDs.

 

[Derushi]

This probably wouldn't just plug and play for people with aftermarket harnesses such as myself...

 

[wildstar87]

I guess it all depends on how the new tails work. I don't think they would have run a bunch of extra signal lines to the leds to address them individually. My best guess is that they have the dynamic built into each unit, and they are triggered on a delay from inner to outer.

In this scenario, if you didn't have the harness, what you would end up with is both the inner and outer being triggered at the same time, so you would end up with two dynamic indicators going at the same time. I think the harness puts a delay on the outer, so it looks like the outer continues where the inner left off.

Complete supposition on my part, I could be totally wrong.

 

[nype]

I guess it all depends on how the new tails work. I don't think they would have run a bunch of extra signal lines to the leds to address them individually. My best guess is that they have the dynamic built into each unit, and they are triggered on a delay from inner to outer.



In this scenario, if you didn't have the harness, what you would end up with is both the inner and outer being triggered at the same time, so you would end up with two dynamic indicators going at the same time. I think the harness puts a delay on the outer, so it looks like the outer continues where the inner left off.



Complete supposition on my part, I could be totally wrong.

YouTube user Zed4me has a sub $10 method for making the orange LED turn signals sequential. No need to buy the expensive sequential harness with this method.

https://youtu.be/0c8jCZzVvGU

In the case of the facelift LEDs, it would seem at this point that the audiamant harnesses are at least required because of the differently configured (blue) plug on the new tails.

 

[bluedoggiant]

This probably wouldn't just plug and play for people with aftermarket harnesses such as myself...

I have BEC harness, and if I'm a guessing man, don't think you'd have to dismantle the hatch again. Maybe have to rewire at the ends, and re code. Shouldn't be difficult

 

[nype]

I have BEC harness, and if I'm a guessing man, don't think you'd have to dismantle the hatch again. Maybe have to rewire at the ends, and re code. Shouldn't be difficult

Out of curiosity, with the pre facelift LED harnesses, why is there a need to run a wire from inner to outer?

 

[Derushi]

I have BEC harness, and if I'm a guessing man, don't think you'd have to dismantle the hatch again. Maybe have to rewire at the ends, and re code. Shouldn't be difficult

I have the same harness. I just have a feeling it wouldn't be that easy as using the facelift adapters, as the OEM harnesses for ROW versions are routed differently.

The OEM harness have wires leading to the front dash, body control module, as opposed to our aftermarket harnesses that are strictly in the hatch.

This is just my guess though... hope I'm wrong and that it's an easy job

 

[bluedoggiant]

Out of curiosity, with the pre facelift LED harnesses, why is there a need to run a wire from inner to outer?

Study this diagram: http://s70.photobucket.com/user/edinvan/media/BMC Wire Harness Diagram_zpso2ctislg.jpg.html

If you manually handwire your Tails to get full Euro Spec, the bicolor LEDs turn off when amber signal is on.

Can't speak for DAP.

BEC essentially uses the inner running light channel to power the the amber signals. So technically, the outer amber light is being powered from the inner (the adapter mentioned above just creates a time delay on the outer).

And it appears a secondary red channel from the outer is what makes the inner running light work. (Because the inner running light channel is being coded to power the amber signal, as I just said). Typically that secondary red channel would be used just for the bicolor LEDs.

The rest is coding work.

 

[bluedoggiant]

I have the same harness. I just have a feeling it wouldn't be that easy as using the facelift adapters, as the OEM harnesses for ROW versions are routed differently.



The OEM harness have wires leading to the front dash, body control module, as opposed to our aftermarket harnesses that are strictly in the hatch.



This is just my guess though... hope I'm wrong and that it's an easy job

I know that's why I mentioned I have BEC too, you helped me pick it

Yes OEM powers the bicolor LEDs independently, and are harder to make as a harness but I don't believe you have to send a wire to the front, I remember reading a tutorial on here about how to just manually wire it OEM style on here once.

Could be wrong too lol.

All the harness' are different, i think it just comes down to coding, and maybe messing with the channels at the ends but I doubt you'll need to send an extra wire between the two Tails. Tommy just had an easier time than the rest of us would because the adapter was designed for OEM wiring.

Maybe that adapter could be purchased and we modify to our needs, so to speak.

 

[Derushi]

I know that's why I mentioned I have BEC too, you helped me pick it

Yes OEM powers the bicolor LEDs independently, and are harder to make as a harness but I don't believe you have to send a wire to the front, I remember reading a tutorial on here about how to just manually wire it OEM style on here once.

Could be wrong too lol.

All the harness' are different, i think it just comes down to coding, and maybe messing with the channels at the ends but I doubt you'll need to send an extra wire between the two Tails. Tommy just had an easier time than the rest of us would because the adapter was designed for OEM wiring.

Maybe that adapter could be purchased and we modify to our needs, so to speak.

Yeah true, it's probably going to be a modified adapter designed to work for the aftermarket harnesses that we have.

I'm sure DAP/BEC/ECS and other aftermarket harness makers will come up with a solution soon enough if the demand is there

 

[cldlhd]

I purchased the car for $31k, you're saying to sell it which one may get $20-23k out of and purchase another new one to cover the cost of a set of tail lights that likely wont be offered on the US model? I'm missing the logic


Once we have some time in our pockets they should become more readily available to other distributors and drive pricing down slightly.

I guess I'm just saying IMO, and it's just that, $1200 for taillights is more than I would go for. My logic is also that the price is sure to drop even IF they're not offered here.

 

[wildstar87]

YouTube user Zed4me has a sub $10 method for making the orange LED turn signals sequential. No need to buy the expensive sequential harness with this method.

https://youtu.be/0c8jCZzVvGU

In the case of the facelift LEDs, it would seem at this point that the audiamant harnesses are at least required because of the differently configured (blue) plug on the new tails.

Yeah, this is what I was thinking essentially, except with the facelift tails, each light has it's own dynamic lights, so you have to put the delay in, to make it look like it's going all the way from inner to outer.

 

[Crild]

What i've been told from two different sources in Germany that have each done 4-5 sets of the facelift lights is that it shouldn't be much different than going to the current mk7 LED tails. You should just need to install them the same way as the current lights + the audiamant adapters then code to LED spec and change some of the values. At least thats what i'm able to understand from their somewhat broken english emails.

I might actually order the whole setup and see if it can be made to work with the ECS harness as I have the current LED tails sitting in my room waiting to be installed.