Updating PY21W to LED DRL

snapdragon · #1 15th January 2012, 01:13 PM

I recently replaced the PY21Y incandescent (brown) DRLs for these LED-based luminaires....
http://s.dealextreme.com/search/100619

The result is superb, the lumens rating of these is better than new PY21W bulbs and they are just the right type of white, not ricey at all.

The only problem is I get a bulb warning on the DIS.

I have spent a long time playing with Central Electronics coding in VCDS to no avail. The options are to :

1) Remove the luminaries and try and squeeze a resistor and capacitor into them to fool the bulb test.

2) Find a coding or something with VCDS that disables the bulb warning,

3) I can code it for factory LED DRLs, if I do this, the sidelights then light up instead of the DRLS, they even dim at night for the LED to act as sidelights, and wink when indicating so that the LEDs don't mask the indicators. I would then somehow have to power the DRLs from the sidelight feed.

3 is my favourite option.
I hope I can swap the pins in a connector somewhere so that DRL and sidelights are swapped over, the sidelights then become redundant and the LEDs perform the function of both.

Has anyone done similar or have thoughts?

sloss · #2 25th March 2012, 08:07 PM

I want to do this as well and I see Autobulbs are saying they have a bulb that is Canbus compatible ie won't show a bulb error.

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/382...-led-bulb.html

They are out of stock of white at the moment.

Anyone know if this will work?

limoncello · #3 25th March 2012, 08:25 PM

there is many a thread on using LEDs and the canbus warning,

for the parking lights - seems it works on 2004 and below A8s, but warnings, flickering or just not working on others

mines 2005 , but i just got a couple of bulbs on ebay which specifically say they are for a 2005+ D3 Audi A8 so will be trying them out.

only thing i can think of to possibly help is to lower the percentage of the drls? take it down to 50 , clear the codes and see what happens

snapdragon · #4 25th March 2012, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by limoncello

only thing i can think of to possibly help is to lower the percentage of the drls? take it down to 50 , clear the codes and see what happens

The later cars with standard LED DRL use the sidelight wire for DRL (as the DRL also functions as the sidelight at reduced power), so coding for that turns off our DRL and leaves the sidelight on all the time, the best bet would be to swap the wires/pins over in the connector and that would cancel the warning too.

I don't know why people sell these bulbs as having anything to do with CANBUS, it has nothing to do with this whatsoever.
If you get no errors with this Sloss, I might try it, but it says only 1W which would give error.

sloss · #5 11th April 2012, 07:47 PM

I did the sidelights, 5 Watt wedge type, using a resistor block specially made up to suit and no error on the DIS. It emulates the same current draw as the incandescent bulb so no power saving but you get the LED out the front which I like.

See Ebay item 300593415079 from Fizzmocouk.

I'm going to experiment with the DRLs soon and then the Front Fogs.....

Stew,

sloss · #6 9th May 2012, 12:29 PM

Here's a pic of the sidelights (parking lights)

Second pic shows Foglights which must go soon!

Last pic is the DLRs - had to fit resistor across the terminals to clear fault.
The resistor do run hot so I'll extend the wiring to bring the resistors outside the housing.

A8Jas · #7 9th May 2012, 04:14 PM

Are the sidelights and DRLs different then on the 2008? From your pics it's hard to see any difference, are they all LED converted? I've never turned my DRLs on but might if I can easily convert them to LEDs. So the advice is to buy the resistor pack and 5 Watt wedge type LED lamps? Are the bulbs easily accessed?

sloss · #8 9th May 2012, 04:50 PM

Yes, sidelights and DRLs are totally different. see pic showing both LEDs.

In my last post the first pic is wedge type sidelights with resistor - they are not central in the housing - look carefully, it's slightly offset.

Second pic is to show yellow Fogs against the Sidelights - fogs are H7 bulbs.

Third pic is the DLRs - they are type 1156 Leds and need a resistor across them - they are central in the housing, look carefully at the pic, it's central.

Access on '08 3.0 TDi:

Offside remove aircleaner box then plenty access.

N/S remove 4 internal hex head screws to allow headlamp to move forward a few millimetres then use grandson with small hands to remove/refit bulbs after I soldered in the resistors.

A8Jas · #9 10th May 2012, 12:34 PM

Thanks Sloss, great info. So I'm thinking to just do the DRLs as the sidelights are rarely used, are there any plug n play 1156 LEDs with the resistors in place?

snapdragon · #10 10th May 2012, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A8Jas

Thanks Sloss, great info. So I'm thinking to just do the DRLs as the sidelights are rarely used, are there any plug n play 1156 LEDs with the resistors in place?

The 1156 with resistors I have seen are not as bright, maybe 120 lumens.
The brightest I have seen without are 450-480 lumens.

If you can be bothered, you can swap the sidelight and DRL pins round in the headlamp connector and recode for LED DRL, then the DRL is used for sidelight at reduced brightness and dims when indicating.