Polo 6R LED Light bar install

[extermin8tor]

Hey Guys and Gals,
So we have a 2016 Beats Polo with a DSG that we've had since last year up in Darwin, recently decided to take it to work with me in remote WA, over 400km of corrugated roads to an Aboriginal community, hence decided to upgrade the lighting.

Last car was a Fiat 500 which I mounted a similar light bracket with the use of double sided tape for the numberplate for clean appearance.

My ethos is that it must look clean and near factory, or else I don't bother.

For this setup, I bought this number plate bracket:

And this light bar from a reliable eBay seller.

Last time I spent nearly $100 on a headlight switched relay wiring loom from a name brand which was a pleasure to work with. This time I couldn't source the same one as I forgot the brand.



So the finished product looks like this:



I basically found some instructions on feeding wires through the firewall from an earlier polo online - the trick is to remove the passenger side wheel + wheel arch and then feed the wires through into the engine bay through the door wiring. On the inside of the cabin you can get your hand up inside and pull it through.

I pulled the wires through to the back of the entertainment unit and installed a switch where the blank covers are:


Now I had to buy a hazard switch from eBay in queensland - however then I realised that the switch was a momentary switch and not On/Off style.

I researched a few methods of using a momentary switch for my needs however it would require a flip flop IC together with some relays and a power amplifier transistor to trip the 12V relay in my case.

I removed the clicky clacky movement from the switch and epoxied in a on off switch I got from Jaycar.
Then I dremeled the inside of the old switch blanks:

And then epoxied on a plastic spacer normally used for drilling drywall and fixing screws.
It took a bit of trial and error due to tolerances and plastic expansion during hot days. Luckily I didn't epoxy anything in until it was finished as I would have been in tears otherwise.

I then made up a little sticker for the front of the switch that doesn't look too bad.
I researched water transfer decals however they basically acheive the same thing - I may do it in the future when I can justify $20 odd for the water decal paper.



The finished result is trim and flush, has a positive on/off action - can be removed to be adjusted easily, and NOTHING in the physical body of the car was cut or modified, everything is reversible and this was my goal in case we sold the car one day.

I won't go over the nuances of the wiring but all I can say is that the headlights unfortunately do not trigger the light bar as this wiring kit is not switched like that, however from my own research I have seen that tapping into headlight wires can throw error codes.



Total cost is about $300 with all the bits and pieces including double sided tape for number plate, etc.

Works very well and provides 100W of LED face melting power.

Comment with thoughts!

[extermin8tor]

[Hillbilly]

Dont know about the Territory but that would be illegal in QLD as per this link https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&u act=8&ved=0ahUKEwjty5W4jffUAhWIbbwKHW6uBOkQFggoMAE &url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmr.qld.gov.au%2F-%2Fmedia%2FSafety%2FVehicle-standards-and-modifications%2FVehicle-standards%2FVehicle-standards-instructions%2FL153.pdf%3Fla%3Den&usg=AFQjCNHfzxct yTLlFa9C50h5DhXlE8CJSw

Sorry I couldnt get the link to work correctly but this does


Basically they may not protrude in front of the bumper

[extermin8tor]

Dont know about the Territory but that would be illegal in QLD as per this link https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&u act=8&ved=0ahUKEwjty5W4jffUAhWIbbwKHW6uBOkQFggoMAE &url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmr.qld.gov.au%2F-%2Fmedia%2FSafety%2FVehicle-standards-and-modifications%2FVehicle-standards%2FVehicle-standards-instructions%2FL153.pdf%3Fla%3Den&usg=AFQjCNHfzxct yTLlFa9C50h5DhXlE8CJSw

Sorry I couldnt get the link to work correctly but this does


Basically they may not protrude in front of the bumper

Haven't had any dramas, last time I had the help of a local police officer to help drill bumper, etc.

90% of the passenger cars in the outback WA and NT have light bars.
Also the companies that sell the number plate brackets are numerous.

Technically the bracket is affixed to the bumper with bolts and glue so it is part of the bumper.
The number plate is in good view.

[Hillbilly]

Haven't had any dramas, last time I had the help of a local police officer to help drill bumper, etc.

90% of the passenger cars in the outback WA and NT have light bars.
Also the companies that sell the number plate brackets are numerous.

Technically the bracket is affixed to the bumper with bolts and glue so it is part of the bumper.
The number plate is in good view.

It is also about putting it in front of the bumper and making it more dangerous if you hit somebody. Friend of mine got hit and a light caused a cut in his leg that took 64 stitches to sew up.

Probably not the same threat in the outback but thems the rules

[Hillbilly]

Any lighting on a motor vehicle needs to meet the Australian Design Rules (ADRs). Volkswagen has complied the vehicle to the ADR’s and any lights that have been fitted must operate the way it was supplied to market. ADR 13 is the relevant ADR for the fitment of lights to a vehicle. Also there is a state rule that states the vehicle must meet the ADR’s and in the vehicle standards Code of Practice states that any light fitted to a vehicle must be operational as per the manufacturers standards. Link attached for your reference Third Edition Australian Design Rules

[pologti18t]

LED Lights bars from what I can determine are not legal for road use. Off road only. And the beam pattern and reach from them is far worse than a cheap set of driving lights



A halogen compact driving light



A compact LED driving light

[willsy01]

LED Lights bars from what I can determine are not legal for road use. Off road only.

Incorrect.

[Hillbilly]

LED Lights bars from what I can determine are not legal for road use. Off road only. And the beam pattern and reach from them is far worse than a cheap set of driving lights



A halogen compact driving light



A compact LED driving light

Read the document in the link above that I provided which will PROVE you are wrong at least in Queensland anyway

Dont know about Mexican states south of the border LOL

[Mcjords]

Regardless of the legal aspect... I think the integration of the switch into the dash is clever, and looks very neat.