[barnstee]

Forgive my ignorance, jimb, as I'm in Europe and not familiar with the internals of the US light cluster.
So what I'd like to understand is which signal is used in the US light cluster (i.e. the circuit board the light bulbs are housed in) for normal running lights, i.e. when the light switched is tuned on. Maybe someone can disassemble the US light cluster and take a picture? Is the brake light signal also used for normal running lights, just at a lower voltage, so the "red circle" gets brighter when the brakes are applied? I ask because I'd like to find out if there is a way to get the LED lights working in a US legal way WITHOUT getting the fault code for "bulb out" on the MFD and WITHOUT having to run the extra two wires. Maybe a resistor could be wired in parallel to reduce the resistence (the cause for the "bulb out" light coming on?).

 

[barnstee]

That's my guess, also: It's just a resistence thing as the wiring in the US has multiple signals on the same bulbs (if I understand correctly, the outer semi-circle carries the brake, normal running lights and the turning signal). Once you start putting the normal LEDs on it, the resistence is bound to be different, as the LEDs are wired for seperate signals for lights, brakes and blinkers. BTW, I have an R32 in Europe and recently changred from the smoked R32 rear lights to the OEM LED rear lights and I didn't have to change any wireing or recording, so the R32 signals and the LED signals are identical.

 

[barnstee]

Re: (Buran)

Quote, originally posted by Buran »

barnstee, do you know if there is an RHD version of the Hellas w/o left fog? If there is, I could ask Hella if I could get just that part. Doubtful, but worth a query.

No, sorry, I already asked the folks at Vortex GmbH the same question. Since I'm in Ireland, I had to chnage the wiring to the fog and reverse light because of this (basically swapping the wires).
BTW, as far as I know, it's not Hella who make the LED lights (but I can' remember the name I read on the inside of the lights).

 

[barnstee]

Re: (jimb)

Quote, originally posted by jimb »

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to answer the question your asking, but here goes. The US spec. outer taillamp assembly only has two bulbs, where as the European spec. assembly has three bulbs. The clear center circle in the US assembly is just there for show and there is no bulb holder behind it even if you wanted to make it active. The remaining two bulbs each light up half of the large red outer circle. The outer half is used as a parking light, turn signal and brake light. The inner half is a parking light and brake light. The computer sends a low voltage signal to both bulbs as parking lights and higher voltage signals when the bulbs are used as brake lights or turn signal lights. If you are in Dublin, Ireland; your car should already have the proper wiring. You still need to disable the cold diagnostics with a VAG-Com, but otherwise the lights should be plug and play on a European spec GTI. If you are in Ireland, the red fog lamp will be on the left side instead of the right side. If you are in Dublin, Ohio; then yes you will need to run a new wire to each LED. I've spent hours trying, but was not able to come up with a VAG-Com change that fixes the problem. I do know that the bulb-out warning is not caused by the cold diagnostics. You get the error as soon as you turn on your headlights. The computer expects the rear parking lights to come on, but since they are not connected to the CEM the computer generates an error.

Thanks very much jimb for your explanation! I understand it now. I've just never seen the US spec real light from the inside.

I'm actually in Dublin, Ireland.

 

[barnstee]

Re: OEM LED Installation (gti luver)

Quote, originally posted by gti luver »

I had the whole thing going without the additional wire you're talking about, and I have no "bulb out" message. but again I have the middle lights as the parking lights and the outer as turn signals in amber, what do you have as parking lights?

That seems to be a reasonable compromise? Can you share your wiring with us and take a pic of what it looks like lit up, please?

 

[barnstee]

Re: (jimb)

Quote, originally posted by jimb »

Just out of curiosity, what are you trying to make your taillights do?

Nothing.

Since I have a European R32, I didn't have to change a thing when I added the LEDs. I just wanted to help you guys and I was curious about the US spec lights. I agree that the US stock wiring is dangerous as it is duffucult to see the difference between brake and turn signal. But then again maybe it's just because I'm not used to it. The European stock wireing is not great either, IMO, as the inner amber circle is too small and therefore the turn signal hard to see, especially when the brake light is also lit up and it is a sunny day. That's why I think the safest option are the LEDs and they look cool in the dark, too!

 

[barnstee]

Re: OEM LED Installation (jimb)

Quote, originally posted by jimb »

This is what I started with, but since I wanted both rings to light up as parking and brake lights I added a wire. Even when I had my car wired like yours, I still had a bulb-out error. I am curious as to what your long coding for bytes 9 throuh 13 is. Thanks.

I'd be interested in this as well: jimb, you should, in theory, not get the bulb out warning if you have byte 19, bit 3 set to 0. I'm taking this from http://dpham00.info/gti/vagcom...v.pdf.