I put it near the pedals. Because I got the 12v from the fuses. OP?
7
RGB Ambient Lighting for Mk7 and Mk7.5
- Thread starter IWMTom
- Start date
Ok, after sitting on my thumbs for so long I will be getting this installed and done by a shop in Sydney I found out about through someone posting their car. It's the full setup of ambient lights in the doors, handles, footwell lights etc, and I'll get them to install my door puddle lights at the same time.
I will bring what I already have along but he says his kit is different. It doesn't seem to be the wireless one as the lights come on when the doors open etc, just like what happens now with the two front door strips.
I have to be in Sydney next month so I am co-ordinating the install for then.
I will bring what I already have along but he says his kit is different. It doesn't seem to be the wireless one as the lights come on when the doors open etc, just like what happens now with the two front door strips.
I have to be in Sydney next month so I am co-ordinating the install for then.
Cuzoe
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Los Angeles
What is the BCM part number. My understanding is facelift BCM (no long coding) can have software upgraded to go from 10 color slider to 30 color slider.
But there was no way to get the slider on my pre-facelift BCM (high). Contrary to what is always said, it did actually support RGB lighting (with a drop down) but overall RGB ambient functionality is limited compared to a facelift BCM... see my now (somewhat abondoned) thread here... https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...ighting-hopes-dreams-pre-facelift-mk7.392316/
In the end I opted to retrofit the facelift BCM.
5Q0937084AB
Forgot to mention that It does not have the pins for ambient lights, Although I've managed to almost get the ambient light menu to work but I think some sort of update needs to be done to get the full menu.
Asked the seller that sells the ambient light kit on aliexpress and he said that you just need parameters.
Cuzoe
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Los Angeles
So you don't have pin 29 on plug C, is that correct? If you have VCDS post and adaptation map of your BCM. I'll be able to see if you can enable the slider.
Also the BCM has no parameters. It's just long coding and adaptations for a pre-facelift. And it's all adaptations on a facelift BCM, the long coding will be all zeros.
Also the BCM has no parameters. It's just long coding and adaptations for a pre-facelift. And it's all adaptations on a facelift BCM, the long coding will be all zeros.
No pin 29 unfortunately, I Attached an old admap of my 09 module, made a lot of changes since but it was on my pc so it was easier to just upload it.
Then I Will ask the seller again about that.
Cuzoe
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Los Angeles
I assume this is from OBDEleven... their "ad-map" format is formatted so poorly that's practically useless (not saying that's your fault, it's their fault, haha). Is this a highline BCM?
Anyway, quite a few things that suggest no RGB ability with your current BCM
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...acelift-mk7-in-progress-please-help-😬.397618/
Anyway, quite a few things that suggest no RGB ability with your current BCM
- No LIN slave module channels, which makes sense if you don't have Plug C pin 29, because there would be no place to connect the LIN modules (LED's) anyway.
- There is no RGB/LIN-RGB color lists which means no slider (like my pre-facelift BCM).
- No verbauionformation_HMI or ambienteumfang_mehrfarbig_HMI which means there is no way for you to set different zones to show lighting.
- Best explained here... https://www.drive2.ru/l/600455120752220083/
- You also don't have parameter-p_farbauswahl_HMI which let me enable a color drop down on my pre-facelift BCM
- That BCM could not do the slider but could do the dropdown... but I also had Plug C pin 29 and the above mentioned channels
- This is the coding for the drop-down channel... https://golfmk7.com/forums/index.ph...s-dreams-pre-facelift-mk7.392316/post-7775656
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...acelift-mk7-in-progress-please-help-😬.397618/
I see, But with the decoder they sell on aliexpress, why would you retrofit a facelift BCM, If i'm not mistaken I read that your Pre facelift one has the slider and areas, just use the decoder and skip all the hassle.I assume this is from OBDEleven... their "ad-map" format is formatted so poorly that's practically useless (not saying that's your fault, it's their fault, haha). Is this a highline BCM?
Anyway, quite a few things that suggest no RGB ability with your current BCM
Looks like you'll be retrofitting a facelift BCM, welcome to the club
- No LIN slave module channels, which makes sense if you don't have Plug C pin 29, because there would be no place to connect the LIN modules (LED's) anyway.
- There is no RGB/LIN-RGB color lists which means no slider (like my pre-facelift BCM).
- No verbauionformation_HMI or ambienteumfang_mehrfarbig_HMI which means there is no way for you to set different zones to show lighting.
- Best explained here... https://www.drive2.ru/l/600455120752220083/
- You also don't have parameter-p_farbauswahl_HMI which let me enable a color drop down on my pre-facelift BCM
- That BCM could not do the slider but could do the dropdown... but I also had Plug C pin 29 and the above mentioned channels
- This is the coding for the drop-down channel... https://golfmk7.com/forums/index.ph...s-dreams-pre-facelift-mk7.392316/post-7775656
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/retrofit-of-facelift-bcm-into-pre-facelift-mk7-in-progress-please-help-.397618/
Last edited:
Cuzoe
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Los Angeles
My pre-facelift BCM did not have the slider... See my post about this one and the links to my thread about it. The AliExpress units (with decoder) work with both pre-facelift and facelift, generally as follows...
Pre-facelift - Decoder ties into one of the can buses to "intercept" signals from either steering wheel controls or side view mirror controls to control the lights. You will not use the ambient light screen of the infotainment (because pre-facelift doesn't support that screen). See @IWMTom's great posts/thread about this method here...
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/rgb-ambient-lighting-for-mk7-and-mk7-5.381507/
Facelift - Decoder still ties into one of the can buses but then you set BCM adaptations as if you were installing RGB lights the OEM way. Decoder then "intercepts" the OEM signals to control the lights. In this case you will use the ambient light screen of the infotainment.
Pre-facelift - Decoder ties into one of the can buses to "intercept" signals from either steering wheel controls or side view mirror controls to control the lights. You will not use the ambient light screen of the infotainment (because pre-facelift doesn't support that screen). See @IWMTom's great posts/thread about this method here...
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/rgb-ambient-lighting-for-mk7-and-mk7-5.381507/
Facelift - Decoder still ties into one of the can buses but then you set BCM adaptations as if you were installing RGB lights the OEM way. Decoder then "intercepts" the OEM signals to control the lights. In this case you will use the ambient light screen of the infotainment.
Cuzoe
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Los Angeles
As to why retrofit a facelift BCM...
- I suppose there's some hassle there, although it's made much easier if you have a bench setup and can do all the adaptations sitting at a desk/table instead of in the car.
- Beyond the adaptations, BCM only has component protection to consider. No parameters or FEC/SWAP codes.
- I like doing things as OEM-ish as my ability allows (one thing we didn't mention is that the screen with lighting/colors has to be supported in your in mib firmware as well)
- For this retrofit the door card modifications were/are the biggest hassle, to me, and is a requirement no matter which way you go.
- if you decide to waste some of your time looking at my build thread, you'll see that "hassle" hasn't stopped me from doing anything yet
- I suppose there's some hassle there, although it's made much easier if you have a bench setup and can do all the adaptations sitting at a desk/table instead of in the car.
- Beyond the adaptations, BCM only has component protection to consider. No parameters or FEC/SWAP codes.
- I like doing things as OEM-ish as my ability allows (one thing we didn't mention is that the screen with lighting/colors has to be supported in your in mib firmware as well)
- For this retrofit the door card modifications were/are the biggest hassle, to me, and is a requirement no matter which way you go.
- if you decide to waste some of your time looking at my build thread, you'll see that "hassle" hasn't stopped me from doing anything yet
Are you sure about the pre facelift BCM not being able to be used with a decoder in the OEM style?(Through the MIB screen)As to why retrofit a facelift BCM...
- I suppose there's some hassle there, although it's made much easier if you have a bench setup and can do all the adaptations sitting at a desk/table instead of in the car.
- Beyond the adaptations, BCM only has component protection to consider. No parameters or FEC/SWAP codes.
- I like doing things as OEM-ish as my ability allows (one thing we didn't mention is that the screen with lighting/colors has to be supported in your in mib firmware as well)
- For this retrofit the door card modifications were/are the biggest hassle, to me, and is a requirement no matter which way you go.
- if you decide to waste some of your time looking at my build thread, you'll see that "hassle" hasn't stopped me from doing anything yet
Spoke to a guy that lives close to me and he retrofitted the RGB Kit on his Pre facelift MK7, He was able to upload new parameters using ODIS E which "unlocks" more adaptations including the RGB adaptations, then he was able to use the decoder and It works.
That's why I Kinda believe the seller who told me that you just upload new parameters(and yes, I checked, you can upload parameters to a BCM, you might call it Dataset).
Your Thread is great, very informative!
thought you needed to match the keys again too when retrofitting a BCM.
Cuzoe
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Los Angeles
I'm on my 4th BCM. The BCM has no dataset or parameters. It does of course have a firmware. And later firmware will have different options. All firmware is of course not compatible with all BCMs. And firmware that depends on certain hardware being present in the BCM is not going to be compatible with a BCM that doesn't have that hardware.
For example, the BCM that came in my car did not have the pins for heated seats or fog lights. And so it also did not have those adaptations. Firmware with those adaptations was not applicable.
On the other hand, firmware updates to early facelift BCMs increased the number of possible colors from 10 to 30... but those early facelift BCMs already had the hardware.
All that being said, trust and believe whoever you want. I don't know what is meant by "unlocked" adaptations using ODIS-E. You can set ODIS to ignore the hardware number of a module when trying to load firmware to it. This will let you load any firmware you choose, which may or may not brick that unit. I can't say I have any interest in that. But I suppose that could let you load firmware that has adaptations for functions your BCM doesn't actually have.
My prefacelift BCM had the latest software available for its hardware. And as I mentioned in my thread, I had most of the adaptations for RGB lighting, although I did not have the ability to use the slider. Just the drop-down with a selection of set colors (from memory, white, warm white, red, blue, green, orange, turquoise). Maybe I could have loaded "incompatible" firmware (incompatible in this case meaning firmware not intended for my BCM ) and got the slider. Maybe it would have worked because my BCM did have the hardware. That's an unsolved mystery.
For example, the BCM that came in my car did not have the pins for heated seats or fog lights. And so it also did not have those adaptations. Firmware with those adaptations was not applicable.
On the other hand, firmware updates to early facelift BCMs increased the number of possible colors from 10 to 30... but those early facelift BCMs already had the hardware.
All that being said, trust and believe whoever you want. I don't know what is meant by "unlocked" adaptations using ODIS-E. You can set ODIS to ignore the hardware number of a module when trying to load firmware to it. This will let you load any firmware you choose, which may or may not brick that unit. I can't say I have any interest in that. But I suppose that could let you load firmware that has adaptations for functions your BCM doesn't actually have.
My prefacelift BCM had the latest software available for its hardware. And as I mentioned in my thread, I had most of the adaptations for RGB lighting, although I did not have the ability to use the slider. Just the drop-down with a selection of set colors (from memory, white, warm white, red, blue, green, orange, turquoise). Maybe I could have loaded "incompatible" firmware (incompatible in this case meaning firmware not intended for my BCM ) and got the slider. Maybe it would have worked because my BCM did have the hardware. That's an unsolved mystery.
Well, I will give It a shot, BCMs are pretty inexpensive on ebay so after the backup arrives I will try what the seller says.
So you could use the decoder, or am I missing something? you just wanted to have access to all colors?
When retrofitting the new BCM, did you have to adapt the keys again? what if I do not have kessy?
Cuzoe
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Los Angeles
I could have used the decoder, yes. But my preference is to go OEM where possible. From what I remember the kits with decoders were around $500. I paid a little less than that for the Audi A4 RGB kit (with harnesses). The decoder kits with trim pieces were another $200-ish and I paid about that for used door trim on eBay (I had to do full replacement, my silver Golf trim doesn't have the strips). I figured somewhere around $7-800 (not including my labor of course). So I figured decoder and non-OEM lights or OEM RGB's and facelift BCM were about the same cost.
Going through the process of "converting" to all adaptations for the new BCM was fun, to me. There are also some things you can do with OEM (BCM controlled) RGB lights like variable brightness for different zones, variable timing for zones so it looks like the car is "powering up" (you can have footwells, then center console, then door, then dash, etc.), different brightness for different conditions (for instance door lighting going full bright when that door is opened). There's also the colors changing with driving profile.
Some of these may be possible with the decoder, if it can "sniff" those commands. But earlier BCM's may not have the settings for these things anyway so there would be nothing for the decoder to "sniff," if that makes sense.
Yes, keys have to be adapted... but that's a 3 minute process/ It can be done separately (if you were to replace a key, for example) but I don't consider key adaptation as a secondary step. Adapting keys is part of the BCM guided replacement function. If you're taking care of component protection you're already connected, what's another 3 minutes, haha. My car does not have KESSY, you still need to adapt keys for immo and so the remote lock/unlock will work.
Going through the process of "converting" to all adaptations for the new BCM was fun, to me. There are also some things you can do with OEM (BCM controlled) RGB lights like variable brightness for different zones, variable timing for zones so it looks like the car is "powering up" (you can have footwells, then center console, then door, then dash, etc.), different brightness for different conditions (for instance door lighting going full bright when that door is opened). There's also the colors changing with driving profile.
Some of these may be possible with the decoder, if it can "sniff" those commands. But earlier BCM's may not have the settings for these things anyway so there would be nothing for the decoder to "sniff," if that makes sense.
Yes, keys have to be adapted... but that's a 3 minute process/ It can be done separately (if you were to replace a key, for example) but I don't consider key adaptation as a secondary step. Adapting keys is part of the BCM guided replacement function. If you're taking care of component protection you're already connected, what's another 3 minutes, haha. My car does not have KESSY, you still need to adapt keys for immo and so the remote lock/unlock will work.