Valeo LED Mk5 Tail Lights Modification....

[RedRobin]

.
A bit of history first so that anyone unfamiliar can better understand the modification we're trying to do:

Like the better known automotive lighting company Hella, Valeo manufacture oem light units for Volkswagen. The units are VW marked and approved and carry the oem part numbers. A while ago some of us discovered that we could buy Valeo LED tail lights for our Mk5 Golfs. Their style, not casing shape, is the same as VW have used as standard for the Passat, Golf Plus, and Polo, and is also the same in that the inner 2 units on the bootlid are moulded and surfaced to receive LED bulbs but none are installed! I don't know exactly why this is but think that VW possibly commissioned their design but later decided to save costs. Or it could be just to achieve a more cohesive style across all 4 units. The production line Mk5 Golfs don't even have LED outer tail lights. The Mk6, or should I say Mk5.5, does but it's a different shape and design, so not usable.



^ VW Golf Plus casings with Valeo LED outer units and 'dummy' inners.



^ VW Passat casings with Valeo LED outer units and 'dummy' inners.



^ VW Mk5 Golf casings with Valeo LED outer units and 'dummy' inners.





^ Valeo and standard oem inner unit comparison on Mk5 GTI.



^ Oem inner units (bootlid) with Valeo fully functional LED outer units.
You can just plug 'n play the mix while your inner units are away being modified.

It has been quite a long journey so far sourcing what is needed so that everything will pass MOT and is practical and viable to produce. Currently, my friend Chris has sourced a control unit which is wired for all combinations and Neo aka cmdrfire is liaising with him to design and source PCB boards. We are using Osram LEDs the same as Volkswagen use and signal strengths will also match.

Resulting functionality can be as follows:

1) - The 2 outer units will remain exactly as they are.

2) - The 2 inner units will have Osram LEDs so that they can have:

- Legal red tail lights resulting in quad display.

- Legal brake lights resulting in quad display.

- Legal strength rear foglights resulting in twin display (optional).

- The central lenses of both inner units can display legal white reversing lights (optional).

We have decided it's far too tedious and potentially expensive to attempt matching 'amber yellow' indicator lights to result in quad display. Our thinking is to be able to offer a service to modify other people's Valeo tail lights in small batches. Until my 'prototype' is complete we won't know cost or viability but it's now looking good thanks to Neo's input.

Valeo LED tails can be sourced from Kunzmann, Germany but if anyone knows additional sources, please let me know:

http://www.kunzmann.de/shop/en/tuning-styling-vw-golf-5-v-led-rear-lights-set-candy-red-for-vw-golf-5-v.htm

Here is the updated list for folks registering a serious interest so that we have some idea of how many PCB's to have manufactured etc. Adding your name to this list is not a commitment at this stage - You'll need to know the cost.

1 - RedRobin
2 - cmdrfire
3 - Weston
4 - DanishmkVgti
5 - GTsport
6 - richardgti
7 - Bodger
8 - PND
9 - markymark
10 - apollo13
11- JamboV6
12- Big Al
13- GTIain
14- Edd666999
15- heavyd
16- Gti Mad

[cmdrfire]

Er, correction on the functionality.

The new inner LED PCBs will be capable of "normal" (i.e, sidelight and dipped-on) functionality, and a higher intensity brakelight functionality which will augment the existing brake lights. It is not anticipated that fog-lamp capability will be retained on the PCBs as that would require a third level of intensity, a greater current requirement and IIRC you can't have a single tail/brake/fog light. Fog-lamp functionality will be retained in the existing manner, i.e., through the use of the fog-lamp bulb.

[apollo13]

Er, correction on the functionality.

The new inner LED PCBs will be capable of "normal" (i.e, sidelight and dipped-on) functionality, and a higher intensity brakelight functionality which will augment the existing brake lights. It is not anticipated that fog-lamp capability will be retained on the PCBs as that would require a third level of intensity, a greater current requirement and IIRC you can't have a single tail/brake/fog light. Fog-lamp functionality will be retained in the existing manner, i.e., through the use of the fog-lamp bulb.

I can with mine if I so desired.......... 

[RedRobin]

Er, correction on the functionality.

The new inner LED PCBs will be capable of "normal" (i.e, sidelight and dipped-on) functionality, and a higher intensity brakelight functionality which will augment the existing brake lights. It is not anticipated that fog-lamp capability will be retained on the PCBs as that would require a third level of intensity, a greater current requirement and IIRC you can't have a single tail/brake/fog light. Fog-lamp functionality will be retained in the existing manner, i.e., through the use of the fog-lamp bulb.

....Slight misunderstanding: Chris thought that by using the unit he has found, we could have legal rear foglight strength as a third function, but perhaps he's wrong - We need to check.

Don't forget that the outer functional units remain exactly the same and so any tail/brake/fog/reverse lights on the bootlid are additional to legal requirements. The new additional reversing light would be in place (literally and with clear lens on oem fog) of the single rear foglight.   

Am I mistaken?

[apollo13]

Remember the output/brightness of each function can be altered in VCDS.

Thats how I manged to turn off the outer lights 'tail' function to give me twin 'donuts'.

[bodger00]

^^^^^^^

Twin donuts 

[RedRobin]

Remember the output/brightness of each function can be altered in VCDS.

....And that the rear fogs are physically actioned by the dashboard manual switch. Logically I reckon we can do it.....   Neo?

[RedRobin]

^^^^^^^

Twin donuts 

....Donuts are no good without jam in the middle 

[apollo13]

Yes Robin the 'twin fogs are still controlled by the dash switch as normal.

I 'think' your forgetting about the use of VCDS in all this. If you want the 'inners' to perform brake/tail/fog functions you need to code with VCDS.

If you just want tail/brake its just a matter of 'splicing' into the wiring loom at the rear 'outer' light.

[RedRobin]

^^^^
I'm very unfamiliar with VCDS but know it's probably the 'easy' part which we can look into later(?). The problem has been sourcing a PCB and the controller (tow-bar relay wired box thingy). I think we're getting there - I have to stay on top of Neo and Chris who are both always very busy. I'm the go-between and networker!

[apollo13]

What is this controller? There is definately nothing like that in/with mine.

From what I can see its a flexible circular PCB with a ring of leds with a + and - trailing lead, connected to the + lead is 3 resistors one each for the stop/tail and fog functions.........

[RedRobin]

^^^^
I'm probably using the incorrect term when I refer to it as a "controller". It's more of a relay, I guess. Chris decided it would be a very easy and practical way for wiring - It's basically a modern box used for extending all the rear lighting connections and functions to a trailer when towing. He would know the detail but all that matters to me is that he says it has simplified the job. I don't know if he and Neo have discussed this box yet.

[apollo13]

Robin there is a plug and play solution if they can manage to get the inners to perform 3 functions.

But it requires VCDS changes as the inners will use the feed from the old fog light.

Get Chris to call me and I can explain things much better 

[RedRobin]

Robin there is a plug and play solution if they can manage to get the inners to perform 3 functions.

But it requires VCDS changes as the inners will use the feed from the old fog light.

Get Chris to call me and I can explain things much better 

....Will do. I think I have your number in a PM. Daytime phonecall ok? 

[cmdrfire]

Eeh, we could do inner LED foglamp functionality I suppose. There's no reason we cannot, it's just that the discussion I had with Chris we agreed on the "normal" and "brake" functionality. I'll have a chat with him again on Monday.

^^^^
I'm probably using the incorrect term when I refer to it as a "controller". It's more of a relay, I guess. Chris decided it would be a very easy and practical way for wiring - It's basically a modern box used for extending all the rear lighting connections and functions to a trailer when towing. He would know the detail but all that matters to me is that he says it has simplified the job. I don't know if he and Neo have discussed this box yet.

Chris's controller, from what I can tell, is a proper electronic device capable of decoding analogue voltage levels sent to it by the car's control system. No bleed resistors here :S that doesn't strike me as a particularly nice solution, it's rather crude.