LED interior light upgrades

[wht90TSI]

One of my biggest complaints about most cars is the old style halogen interior lights that barely light the holder they're in, they're so dim and don't match the high level of interior quality in the rest of the car. I had it in my BMW and it is easily resolved with purchasing an interior LED kit.

VW Global offer a kit. For some reason the dealer wouldn't sell me this kit from ECS Tuning, part number 5K0052122, for US$80. Even though I gave my local dealer the part number it's not in Aus Stock options. Frustrating. I tried to reason that the next model up comes with LED lights so why can't I buy the same for my car? Anyway, moot argument because they weren't interested in discussing.

So, another order to ECS, arrives within 5 days as usual, and the interior LED lights arrive. Kit includes ALL interior T10 lights (4 - 2 front, 2 rear), the glove box (T10), the vanity mirrors (2x38mm festoon), boot (1x43mm festoon). Installation is simple, although I did struggle with the rear lights and getting them out - operator error.

The kit has very clear instructions and I was very impressed with the level of effort. It's a multi use kit (pretty much all the current Golf equiv cars). It probably took 30 mins? to install, the glove box required a bit of time to get the metal cover off the holder. The rest was easy.

Was it worth it? yes. The car is much brighter when lights are on. It looks more professional. You can actually see what's in the car and you don't have to squint.

Draw back? easy, the LEDs are constantly lit just a fraction which at first is disappointing because I didn't know that would happen. But then you drive at night time and the teeny amount of residual light provides a bit more interior light. When it's dark outside it makes it slightly nicer environment to be in because it's not pitch black in the car... Reminds me a lot of the small amber lights in my bimmer that provide interior ambience.

Would I do it again? In a heart beat. Well worth the amount of money for putting in the lights that should have been standard in the car.

[inthatribe]

First time post and all that as everything I need is found in a post somewhere, but here I am having trawled the internet for something on this but so far have had no luck... so here I am.

I have a base model MK16 Golf 7 and the factory interior lighting is pitiful. I have already up graded all interior lights to led's with a package similar to this -
https://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen...ior/ES2972903/
The white lighting looks way better and there is loads of light, but the look i want and am hoping to achieve is what can be seen in the Golf 7 Highline, GTI and R models as seen in this pic...



Has anyone been able to upgrade their interior lights to this? How do the lights project like that? Can i get a, say, 30 deg light beam interior LED's or something? does that exist? (coz i cant find it if it does), or is it more of a, led light shot down a tube maybe? As the base golf (and i believe comfortline too) have the metallic housing for the bulb.
I really want this look but as I dont have a highline and live bush where no one else does either, i cant see how they achieve this look.

Any help is appreciated!

[Mattlock]

Has anyone been able to upgrade their interior lights to this? How do the lights project like that? Can i get a, say, 30 deg light beam interior LED's or something? does that exist? (coz i cant find it if it does), or is it more of a, led light shot down a tube maybe? As the base golf (and i believe comfortline too) have the metallic housing for the bulb.
I really want this look but as I dont have a highline and live bush where no one else does either, i cant see how they achieve this look.

I have an R, so I took this pic this evening of the light housing. The bulbs are offset at an angle to project the beam and everything they do is within the bulb unit as the surround is matt black plastic.

Let me know if you want any other pics to help you work it all out.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kaiserky]

Leds certainly look the part

Ky

[sillygogo]

Leds certainly look the part

Ky

Maybe the next version will allow us to play with the light colour and intensity. hmm. maybe that is too ricey

[DV52]

Maybe the next version will allow us to play with the light colour and intensity. hmm. maybe that is too ricey

sillygogo: I had thought that this was already possible with (some?) MY16 models. I have a copy of an control module map from a forum colleague who owns a 110TSI Highline MY16 which has the following adaptation channels :

(1)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Rotwert Farbe 4

(2)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Gruenwert Farbe 4

(3)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Blauwert Farbe 4

(4)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Rotwert Farbe 5

(5)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Gruenwert Farbe 5

(6)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Blauwert Farbe 5

(7)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Rotwert Farbe 6

( 8 )-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Gruenwert Farbe 6

(9)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Blauwert Farbe 6

(10)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Rotwert Farbe 7

(11)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Gruenwert Farbe 7

(12)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Blauwert Farbe 7

(13)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Rotwert Farbe 8

(14)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Gruenwert Farbe 8

(15)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Blauwert Farbe 8

(16)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Rotwert Farbe 9

(17)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Gruenwert Farbe 9

(18 )-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Blauwert Farbe 9

(19)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Rotwert Farbe 10

(20)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Gruenwert Farbe 10

(21)-Ambientelicht Farbliste-Blauwert Farbe 10

Translated, these channels mean Ambient lighting colour list - green/red/blue value. With a VCDS cable, it's possible to accentuate, or decrease the intensity of any of the colours - so I think the multi-colour LEDs are already installed on mk7s

Don

[sillygogo]

Don, thank you. cool, maybe i can convince my boss to let me to by a Ross-tech cable...hmm.

So many different types of cables, what should i look for, which one to buy and how much should i spend?

[DV52]

Don, thank you. cool, maybe i can convince my boss to let me to by a Ross-tech cable...hmm.

So many different types of cables, what should i look for, which one to buy and how much should i spend?

sillygogo: Lots of diagnostic cables to choose-from! My advice is to steer away from the cheap clone cables - they are rubbish and it's morally reprehensible for buyers to believe that they are not responsible for the IP theft that is part of the product!

IMO there are 3 x cables to consider (I have all three)

1. My cable-of-choice has to be the genuine VCDS. It's an industry standard, it's extremely stable, it has very good support services and the software is regularly updated without any additional cost. There are three models to choose from (the mk7 uses CAN protocol); Micro CAN, CAN+HEX and HEX NET. I have just started using HEX NET and it's a fantastic bit-of-kit (but it's not cheap)
2. A VAG COM PRO cable is also worth considering - It does stuff a little different to VCDS, plus it has some very useful facilities that VCDS doesn't do (like finding security codes and programming firmware). But it's much more difficult to use and there is no support for the product - including no user manual! There is also an ongoing annual fee for updates. It's also not a cheap cable)
3. At the low cost end of the price spectrum there is OBDeleven. It's a surprisingly versatile cable with good functionality for the price. But OBD11 does require an Android tablet/phone to pair with the Bluetooth dongle and good internet reception at the point of use

Don

[Idle]

Don,

FYI, the OBD11 can be used with a Windows device that has Bluetooth.

I got one in for a relly last year, tried it briefly on the Mk7 TDI and it seemed to work OK.

The app I used was OBD AutoDoctor — comes in free (reads, but not much else,) and several paid versions that have a good rep.

The lot set me back circa $70 (unfortunately, we lost him earlier in the year, so I've nothing to report on how well it works.)

I think there are other Windows apps, both free and commercial.

Chas

[sillygogo]

sillygogo: Lots of diagnostic cables to choose-from! My advice is to steer away from the cheap clone cables - they are rubbish and it's morally reprehensible for buyers to believe that they are not responsible for the IP theft that is part of the product!

IMO there are 3 x cables to consider (I have all three)

1. My cable-of-choice has to be the genuine VCDS. It's an industry standard, it's extremely stable, it has very good support services and the software is regularly updated without any additional cost. There are three models to choose from (the mk7 uses CAN protocol); Micro CAN, CAN+HEX and HEX NET. I have just started using HEX NET and it's a fantastic bit-of-kit (but it's not cheap)
2. A VAG COM PRO cable is also worth considering - It does stuff a little different to VCDS, plus it has some very useful facilities that VCDS doesn't do (like finding security codes and programming firmware). But it's much more difficult to use and there is no support for the product - including no user manual! There is also an ongoing annual fee for updates. It's also not a cheap cable)
3. At the low cost end of the price spectrum there is OBDeleven. It's a surprisingly versatile cable with good functionality for the price. But OBD11 does require an Android tablet/phone to pair with the Bluetooth dongle and good internet reception at the point of use

Don

You are right, they are not cheap:
1. Hex+Can is $349 but not guarantee to work with cars 2015+
2. Hex +Net is $599

would need alot of negation with the boss