Updated in 2020 to recommend new products and add better pictures now that I own yet another B7…for what it’s worth I have now done this exact mod on an A4, S4, and RS4 with the same results, highly recommended!
If you’re looking to upgrade your interior lighting in your B6 or B7 (8E chassis) Audi A4, S4, or RS4, look no further.
While many companies sell special kits for your car that they then markup for 2-3X the cost, you can buy the bulbs individually at a much lower cost to get the same outcome.
Best of all, this is a super easy mod that only cost about $40 and takes under an hour at a leisurely pace.
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Time Estimate: 1 hour max
- Tools Needed: Flat head screw driver, common sense
B6/B7 LED Interior Kits – Where & What to Buy:
You can buy all of the bulbs seperately as I did in the past, but these days LEDs have gotten super cheap and easy to find so many companies offer “kits” with all of the bulbs you need at a fraction of the price of buying the bulbs seperately.
This kit is only $25 and appears to come with everything you’ll need; however, they don’t give you details on what bulbs are included and there are some complaints about light output – therefore I prefer to buy bulbs individually using the links below, but I’m including this if you’d prefer to go the easier route:
If you want to buy the bulbs separately, or want to piece this together using bulbs you already have as many of these are common sizes, here is what you’ll need…note the cost works out to about the same as above, but you get some extra bulbs and a little more control over what you get.
- 11x 194 LED Wedge bulbs (4 Footwell, 4 puddle lights, 1 glove box, 2 trunk) – $10 for a pack of 12 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2R33MK1
- 4x BA9 LED Bayonet bulbs (front and rear reading lights): $9 for a 4 pack: https://amzn.to/32YaKWc
- 2x 42mm Festoon bulbs (front dome lights): $4.19 for two – https://amzn.to/32YaMgM
- 2x 36mm Festoon bulbs (vanity mirrors, which I chose not to do): https://amzn.to/2ZcX097
No matter where you get your LEDs from, make sure that the light output faces downward so that it illuminates in the correct direction (you do not need 365 degree output!).
Likewise, CANBUS is not necessary for interior LEDs – none of these bulbs throw a code or are monitored by the computer, so “normal” LED bulbs are fine. CANBUS bulbs will still work if you have them on hand; however, they cost more so if you’re ordering bulbs for this project you can save the money.
How to Install Interior LEDs
Really, there isn’t much to this on a basic level – pull the old bulb out, put the new one in…if it doesn’t light up, then take the bulb out and flip it, as LEDs are polarity sensitive.
Start with the overhead dome lights as they are easiest to do. Pry the entire assembly off using a flat head screwdriver as pictured below.
The 42mm festoons go in the larger “dome light” opening as pictured above, then the BA9s go in the reading lights on the left/ride side accordingly which you can expose by popping off the black (or silver) cover.
Simply snap the covers back on then reinstall the overhead light and that’s a wrap for the front…the rear is the same only easier since there are only two BA9s needed.
The footwell lights as well as the puddle lights in the door also come off using a flathead screwdriver, but are harder to get to since you have to crawl on the ground…
Pry the plastic holders out using a flathead screwdriver – one side releases easier than the other, so if you feel like you need to use too much force try prying from the other angle. Once it pops out you can replace the bulb then snap it back into place. The same process is true for the footwell lighting under the dashboard and underneath the front seats.
Other than that, it’s a pretty simple process going one bulb/housing at a time.
Be sure to take your time and be sure to check the polarity before reinstalling the housing to save yourself headache in case it doesn’t light up when you’re done!
LED Interior Pictures
The finished product of about $25 in parts and an hour of work is well worth it!
While pretty much all new cars now come with LEDs due to both superior light output and longer life, in older cars like these it really spruces up the interior.
I also loved how these LEDs illuminate my new Platinum Silver Recaro seats in my past A4 and S4 cars.
And a final shot, just because I love how it came out so much:
This is a mod I’ve done on every vehicle I’ve owned, and plan to keep doing until I buy cars that start to have them pre-installed. I can think of very few if any mods that have a better bang for the buck in terms of both form and function, so it’s no wonder why nearly every OEM on the planet has switched to LED bulbs in their new model line-up.
Thanks for the write up. I just ordered my 11 bulbs from superbrightleds.com per your suggestion. Looking forward to the install!
Glad to help Nevin – be sure to let me know how it goes!
I followed the Audizine LED interior lights DIY mod, and things were going well until I installed the rear passenger side footwell light. As I was snapping the lens back in place, the light started flickering and eventually went out. I replaced the bulb but confirmed that it was an electrical/wiring issue as all the other footwell lights (which were working before) are no longer working. All other lights and electronics are working in the car.
Any advice on how to troubleshoot this or ways to determine if it’s a fuse issue?
Sounds like a fuse issue… If you haven’t already, pull out the fuse and look at it – the metal loop will be burned and not connected if it went out, otherwise it will be a continuous metal loop (like an upside down U)
Fuses: #2 – Footwell illumination – Front and Rear Footwell Lights
#22 – Front Doors – Front Door Puddle Lights
#23 – Rear Doors – Rear Door Puddle Lights
#24 – Central Convenience Electrical System – Map, Glovebox, Vanity, Trunk and Overhead Lights
So pull out number 2, maybe even swap one in thats the same Amps and see if that fixes it – you can get fuses from places like Autozone or Pep Boys for like $2. That would be my best guess to start with!
It was the fuse, alright. A simple swap and now I’m good to go!
Great!
nice posting! is the interior lights the same for the Audi A3?
I’d think it would be a little different, but the same basic premise – easy to install, just order the correct bulb sizes and snap em in!
Have U taken all light bulbs in cool white, or can it be u ve taken the bayonet bulbs in just white since can’t find them..?
Hi Jofrey – you are right, the bayonet bulbs are just regular white although they match the others pretty closely, if not exactly.
Hey Nick,
I bought the 120VAC LED B49s bulb-4 LED 32 degrees, but they weren’t bright at all. Do you know what the problem is? and I also bought the Vanity bulbs too but they were too short. Did i get the wrong size? and final question.. did you ever have any problems with blown out fuses?
Kindest regards
Hi Robert, thanks for reading my blog! For the BA9s in the reading lights you could try the 180 degree or wide angle bulbs and that should make it brighter, the problem is the light all comes out of one end the LED which isn’t facing down toward the floor, it’s point horizontally into the headliner…you can also try to bend down the aluminum part in there to help reflect the light downward more. I agree its not as bright as it should be.
I’m not sure on the vanity bulbs, I didn’t do those…
No problems with fuses here but others have, maybe its luck of the draw. Fuses should be pretty cheap and you can get them at an auto supply store.
Thanks Nick. I appreciate it.
You’re quite welcome!
4 Bayonet bulbs (front and rear reading lights): link – for these, get the 4 LED ones that are the brightest – since they’re not angled properly they need to be extra bright – I originally got single LED bulbs and they weren’t bright enough.
What angle degree 90 or 32?
@Adam, the reading lights are definitely the dimmest since they’re not angled properly. Either go with the 90 degree 4 LEDs or the 180 degree single LEDs – you want something with the widest viewing angle possible. I have the 90 degree 4 LEDs and they work pretty well but could be better…
So the new reading lights (red) i purchased dont work when i put them in, but when i put in the original bulbs they do work. do you know whats the problem here? sometimes when i move the led bayonets around, the light will stay on for a little and then go off. its very irritating and i dont know how to fix it. any suggestions?
Hi Jake,
It’s possible you either have a bad bulb or it’s not making contact. Try cleaning both ends of the bulb with a pencil eraser to remove any debris, then try bending the metal of the light fixture itself to ensure that the bulbs will be making contact properly. You may have to get creative to make sure the metal of the bulb is hitting the metal of the light fixture properly…all it needs is solid contact.
what voltage bayonet bulbs do i buy? i bought 12v.
12 volt is correct.
I’d try these maybe: BA9s-x-x-12V Wide Angle bulb in the 120 degree wide angle – if you can’t get your last bulbs to work it might be worth a shot…
do you have a diy write up to changing the license plate lights?
No, I could make one though. Those are really easy, just unscrew the lens cover with a (very) small screw driver, pop the old ones out, pop the new ones in and hope you don’t have a bulb out error (it’s hit or miss, happens to some people and not others, almost at random). I bought mine from 42 Draft Designs that have a built in resistor which is supposed to reduce the chances of a bulb out error…
is that also the same for a b6 a4?
Wow, very nice! Audi – LED everywhere 🙂
Hey Nick! How’s it going man, haven’t talked to you in a while. Just bought all of the lights for the LED install, do you recommend removing anything, electrical wise before doing the install or should everything run smoothly as is?
Everything should be fine as-is, although if you want you can disconnect your battery for extra precaution. The only advisory there is if you disconnect your battery for longer than 30 minutes, you may need to reprogram your key (which is relatively easy to do, but just as a heads up). Nice hearing from you again!
Nick. I followed your excellent writeup and have a problem. Along changing the puddle lights, I decided to replace the red lense door indicator lights just to be consistent. I started with replacing the puddle light on the front door first which worked fine, however, as soon I replaced the red lense light both lights stopped working. I continued to the next door. Changed the red lense light first which worked fine, but as soon as I changed the puddle light, they both stopped working. I put the stock bulbs back in and they aren’t working either. Fuses are all fine and all the rest of the leds in the car are working fine. Whats wrong?
Also, I replaced the license plate bulbs with the bulbs from 42DraftDesigns and when I turned the lights on they both are flickering. Do I need to add another resistor besides the one that is in the bulb itself or do I order replacements?
Thanks for all the info.
I’d double check the fuses if its really not working – that seems odd. Is it possible a connection got loose? Maybe try checking all of those too. It is possible there is too much (or too little) load on the system, but if the problem is still there with the stock bulbs that would be strange.
For the license plate bulbs you will need to add a load balancer or additional resistors – the built-in ones are likely inadequate and causing the flickering.
Sorry you’re having some troubles but hopefully you’ll be able to fix both of em!
I replaced all the leds in just the red door lenses with the stock bulbs and nothing. Drove home which is about 10 miles and when I opened the door both lights function. I suppose there was too much load, but no blown fuse. All is well, just have a couple extra leds.
Awesome – glad to hear that it all worked out for you!
Anyone knows the bulb combinations for an Audi A6 2002 ? Is it the same bulb sizes ?
Thanks
Hi Reza, here are the bulbs you’d need for your car (or any C5 A6/S6 sedan)
2 x 6411 LEDs – front dome lights Buy 6411 LEDs here (2 pack)
2 x 36mm festoon LEDs – rear dome lights – Buy here (2 pack)
3 x 36mm festoon LEDs – driver & rear foot well – Buy here (2 pack)
10 x 194 Wedge LEDs – passenger foot well & puddle/lower door lamps, puddle lights & glove box – Buy here (2 pack)
4 x BA9S LEDs – map / courtesy lights – buy here
2 x 36 mm festoon LEDs – trunk lights – Buy here (2 pack)
So basically just 2x 6411 LEDs, 9x 36mm festoon LEDs (might as well get 10 and have an extra), 10 194 Wedge LEDs and 4 BA9 LEDs.
Heya,
Great Blog, and thanks for putting the links to Amazon, makes life alot easier. I have run into one issue though, and am curious if you or anyone else here has run into this. With the rear reading lights the bulbs are too long to fit properly. The front ones work great. Any ideas?
Thanks!
That is odd. Do you have a picture? The rear ones should be BA9s…are they close to fitting or way too large?
@Nick
Thanks for replying. I will take a pic tomorrow of the fitting. They are big enough that I cannot close the housing. They fit great in the front, but there is alot more space up there. I went ahead and ordered some smaller ones to see how they work out http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JRPW5S
Thanks again
Jim, thanks for the reply. Please let me know how the new ones fit and I’ll update the guide accordingly. My email address is cars@nickroshon.com if you want to contact me directly with any additional details, and I’m sorry again the rear ones didn’t fit. I hope you were able to return them and get your money back.
Hey Nick….
I’m about to install LEDs in the interior of my A4 B7 and was searching the net for some tips…..and found your blog.
I also found this site
http://xenonhid4u.co.uk/led-lighting-accessories-sidelights-interior-kits-number-plate-lights-daytime-running-lights-drl/led-interior-kits/audi-b6-b7-a4-s4-a8-a6-led-xenon-white-interior-bulbs-lights-kit.html
It’s using your shot to advertise the lights it sells.
If that’s done without permission I’d be on to them superquick for some payment.
IF you gave them permission, well done on doing a such a good job that companies want to use your images!!!
Would be great if you let me know what happens!!
Thanks
David
Haha, wow, I haven’t seen that before. They used that image without my knowledge or permission – I just sent them an email. Thanks for letting me know!!
hey nick quick question bud. You say up top what bulbs to use but none of them are red. Are those links direct to the exact light that needs to be purchased? Also it goes to amazon but on the audizine link u say u used superbrightleds.com or something. Then the links to those bulbs dont quit seem the same either. if they are then my mistake, but none of those are red either. im confuse!!!
hhHAahaha scratch that im a dumbass the covers r red. but still im as bit confused about exactly which ones to get this post takes u to amazon but the other one takes u to superbrightleds.com or wherever it is. And the links i cant tell they look like the bulbs but are you just giving an example of the kind of bulb or is it the exact bulb times however many to buy of each. thanx dude apprec the help
Hi Dave,
You can buy the LEDs at Amazon, SuperBrightLEDs, or wherever you’d like. I originally purchased mine from SuperBrightLEDs.com, but it’s much easier to link to the exact bulbs you need through Amazon.com, and I also trust Amazon more, so I recommend people buy the LEDs through Amazon for those two reasons – it’s totally up to you though, as long as you follow the specifications of the bulbs above (bulb type and size) I suppose you could source them from just about anywhere.
I hope that helps! Also, you can buy LEDs in multiple colors – so it is possible to get Red LEDs, if that’s what you want. I prefer the white/cool blue look myself though.
Yah i agree i only want to get them in white too. But ok for example, is the list above:
11x 194 LED Wedge bulbs (4 Footwell, 4 puddle lights, 1 glove box, 2 trunk): link (just get 3 packages of 4 and you’ll have one extra just in case)
4x BA9 LED Bayonet bulbs (front and rear reading lights): link
2x 42mm Festoon bulbs (front dome lights): link
2x 36mm Festoon bulbs (vanity mirrors, which I chose not to do): link
Are these the exact bulbs? So at the top the 11 by 194 ledes wedge bulbz right, should i buy 11 of them and just press ur link and the bulb that pops up is that the exact one i should get? Just buy 11 of them? Thats where im confused i guess im trying to say
Also Nick is this list the one i reposted above as well:
11x 194 LED Wedge bulbs (4 Footwell, 4 puddle lights, 1 glove box, 2 trunk): link (just get 3 packages of 4 and you’ll have one extra just in case)
4x BA9 LED Bayonet bulbs (front and rear reading lights): link
2x 42mm Festoon bulbs (front dome lights): link
2x 36mm Festoon bulbs (vanity mirrors, which I chose not to do): link
Is this all i need minus the vanity mirrors? 11 of the first ones? 4 of the second ones? 2 of the third? And none of the 4th one which are only for the vanity mirrors? So 17 total? is that correct? Or 18 actually if i get 3 packs of four?
Dave – I think you might be overthinking this 🙂
If you don’t want vanity mirrors, then you’ll want to get:
194 LED Wedge bulbs – 4 Footwell, 4 puddle lights, 1 glove box, 2 trunk – so you’ll need a total of 11 of these bulbs. The link above sells them in packets of four, so yeah, by three packages and you’ll have 12 bulbs in total. Enter quantity three on Amazon and then add to cart.
BA9 LED Bayonet bulbs (front and rear reading lights): You’ll need four of these. They are sold individually, so enter quantity four and then add to cart.
42mm Festoon bulbs (front dome lights): You’ll need two of these. Again, they’re sold individually, so input quantity 2 and then add to cart.
The links above go directly to the exact bulbs you need, so it’s really just a matter of clicking the link, adjusting the quantity you need, and then adding them to your cart 🙂
hahaha dude i swear im not an idiot!! no i was just confused alittle because there were two different places you posted here and audizine so i wasnt sure which one you used thasts all. Thats where i got confused cus then im looking at two diff places. Thanx alot bro i appreciate the help…………
Gotcha dave, I can see the confusion. The Audizine post was actually written by someone else, I just included it as a reference since I thought they did a really good job…I can’t take credit for it.
Quick question,
I installed some blue LED’s in all the footwells last week. I was wondering if I can rewire it so they are ALWAYS on at night.
Thats a good question. I don’t think that is possible through VAG-COM, but if you can locate the sensor that is used to tell if the door is open or closed, then just relocate the sensor so it thinks the door is always open, that might work…you need to be careful it still turns off when the car is turned off, otherwise you’ll drain your battery though. Let me know if you find a way to do this, that’d be cool…
I thought it would be simple/common (rewire all the footwell lights into whichever fuse gets turned on when you turn on the night time lights)… Guess not! I’ll let you know if I figure something out.
Thanx i ordered all the lights yesterday well see what happens when they get here.. Also, did u say i should dis connect the battery? Or just pull the fuses. Then instal and plug them back in one by one to see if it works?
damn my shits all messed up hahahahaah.. I started the lights i got the ones for the doors, glovebox etc… needless to say these guys can be tricky and i def have a couple gremlins in my car now hahaa. They look great. For the couple mins they were on. I cant get the footwells to stay on i dont get it! At first i just closed the doors for a couple mins and then maybe it reset cus they came on and looked great. Then i started the rear and as soon as i unpugged that one theyall went out!!!!!!!!! It was on for a sec but then it went out and even closing the door for a couple mins didnt work and it never came back on i dont get it. And now all four front and rears are out this sucks. Any suggestions? Maybe bad fuses? I could have swore the footwells in the front were out periodically with the old bulbs so maybe thats it.
yah this strange. they were working but just went out. the door lights work but one of the leds. I checked the fuses and they r not blown thats for sure. I bent and turned and did eveything to make a good connection but nothing none of them r working. The glove box is but thats it i dont get this Hey nick we have the exact same car did u have any problems? Ur saying u just plugged them in and they went on? doesnt make sense that yours would work but mine wont
No error codes?
No error codes, correct!
Hey i changed my b7 s4 interior lights with their kit from ECS and it was definitely very difficult to properly align the wedge type bulbs, they even feel loose once they are in. Not sure if they are going to fall out but anyways. Every time i open my door the light will give a flicker initially for a sec, but stays on after like it supposed to. I noticed that if the key is not in the ignition you cannot turn on the interior lights manually. They go on very very dim, can barely even notice them on. Have you experienced this and do you have a suggestion?
I don’t have the ECS kit, and haven’t had this problem with my bulbs. I like ECS as a vendor, but their LED kits seem to be very overpriced for what you getting (over double the cost of what the bulbs retail for when purchased individually) and the reviews on their kit quality is mixed. I haven’t heard that exact complaint before, but yeah, I haven’t heard many people raving about the kits either. It sounds like maybe the built in resistors they use are too strong? If the car needs to be running for the bulbs to be bright, that must mean they’re drawing a lot of current which is not how the LEDs should work normally (LEDs draw less current, not more, than OEM) so there must be some sort of resistor at play. Either that, or you’ve got a bad connection from the LED to the metal in the car, but I’m sure you’ve checked that already?
Ya I’ve checked all the connections. ECS said that’s normal since their LED’s and they’ll give me a refund but its too much of a hassle switching them all again lol. They still look good and there all the same bright white. Heard some LED’s are not the same shade of white.
Hi Nick,
The BA9 bayonets you have links to are too long to work. They don’t allow you to tuck the rear reading light unit back into the headliner.
Just a heads up!
That’s strange. I remember it being a tight fit but I remember being able to get it to work. I updated the link to a shorter bulb just in case. Thanks for the heads up!
Ya, I wound up squeezing them in but the headliner was definitely giving the ends of the bulbs some business. I was trippin I might break something.
Thanks for the writeup! I felt the most difficult bulbs were getting the ones to stay put in the flood housings. I had to re-do a couple after repeated door slamming.
Hey Nick, I was wondering if additional heat (as opposed to OEM lights) would be an issue with these LEDs. I would not think so since I’m assuming they are the same voltage as the originals. Is my line of thought on the right track?
I’ve had LED interior lights for several years now, no issues. The bulbs themselves don’t run any hotter than the regular bulbs. You’ll be totally fine…
Hey Nick, I have been working on installing all of the lights and they’ve all been great up until I tried to change my rear footwells. I got the new bulb in and tested the light in my driver door to make sure it worked since the rear footwells are such a hassle. The light worked in the driver door but as soon as I tried to put it back in the rear footwell it won’t come on. All of my other footwells work so I’m assuming it isn’t a fuse issue. Any ideas of what it could be? If it is a bad wire connection how would I tell and how could I go about fixing it? It’s such a tight space as it is. Thank you
Garrett – probably either a fuse or a loose connection like you said.
Hey Nick, I have been working on installing all of the lights and they’ve all been great up until I tried to change my rear footwells. I got the new bulb in and tested the light in my driver door to make sure it worked since the rear footwells are such a hassle. The light worked in the driver door but as soon as I tried to put it back in the rear footwell it won’t come on. All of my other footwells work so I’m assuming it isn’t a fuse issue. Any ideas of what it could be? If it is a bad wire connection how would I tell and how could I go about fixing it? It’s such a tight space as it is. Thanks
Okay if it is a loose wiring connection do you have any tips on how to fix it?
I would just twist the bulb around some and make sure it has a good connection, I doubt the wires themselves are loose the bulb just might not hit the metal contact strip well.
Okay thanks I’ll give that a shot. I was thinking I didn’t even pull too hard on the wire so I didn’t think i would have messed up the wiring but I wasn’t too sure. Thanks again!
Nick – I recently went through and did the LED conversion. None of my door lights are working, they worked for a few minutes after installation then went out. Checked the fuses and none seem blown. Its only the door lights that aren’t working. Started my car this morning and its giving me a code for my license plate lights being out, even though they are both working. I had just replaced the license plate lights with LED’s three days prior. Ideas? And thanks in advance.
I’d check your fuses, sounds like you might have blown one while installing…
Thanks for the write up and damn that looks awesome!
Awesome Site Nick. I recently replaced my bulbs with the ziza light kit from ECS. When i went to replace the glove box light, it flickered and then stopped working. Also, the lights do not work above the driver and passenger seats and the rear ceiling lights. The middle lights also work, but they are such a low light you can barely see it. I know all these are on the same fuse but i checked and replaced and none of them work. Any ideas? Thanks
Hi Dan – they’re actually not on the same fuse, so check all of the below. I can’t help you with the brightness of the Ziza lights, you’ll want to contact ECS about that 😉
Fuses: #2 – Footwell illumination – Front and Rear Footwell Lights
#22 – Front Doors – Front Door Puddle Lights
#23 – Rear Doors – Rear Door Puddle Lights
#24 – Central Convenience Electrical System – Map, Glovebox, Vanity, Trunk and Overhead Lights
Hey Nick, let me start by saying “Fantastik Wright Up” ..Now! I also installed the full LED package (front, center, rear, glovebox and boot) all good and cool for about 6 months. And one morning all dead!? No interior light at all (incl. glovebox and boot) ..All fuses are good (unless there is one that I havent found yet!?) mainly #24 and #38 for the Convenience System. The Central locking ect. Is working fine (Central Convenience Electrical System) …cant find anything else on the web!? ..any surgestions?
If it’s not a fuse, which I still think it might be (there are three fuses in total to check, see comments above) it’s possible you just shorted the system. Give it a day or two and it will likely come back on its own…
So i tried this as well, and when my dome light it turned to the on position, or i slide the visors open and it promts those lights to turn on it cuts off my map lights and my back seat lights, my glovebox and trunk and under my drivers seat do not work.
any sugggestions? a4 2005.5 (b7) 2.0T quattro
I’ve never really tried to have every single light on all at once, so it’s possible its drawing too much current, but I really kind of doubt it – and some of these lights are on seperate fuses anyway. Is this continuing to persist or a one-time thing?
So its constant. The dome light and map lights now don’t work as well as the trunk and the glove box and the visors. My drivers side footwell and puddle lamp don’t work. But my puddle lamp doesn’t have a bulb in it, because I replaced my window regulator a week ago and the guy had the cord to the puddle light tight until the point it doesn’t pull out from the door, like the other 3. I don’t know if this would cause it, because without a bulb in the driver’s puddle lamp, the trunk and glove box and map lights worked before. Also the chirp when you double click the link on the key fob stopped working immediately. I checked all fuses in the driver’s side panel and they all work and I even replaced some to check if that would fix it or not. But it didn’t. I’m thinking if there is a fuse box in the trunk/ boot of the car, I haven’t checked that. I just knoenits not under the hood like other cars. Any advice?
..mine is still out too! ..thinking maybe a bad convinience box!? even the Relay-clicking sound (when it goes on/off) is gone.. Frustrating in the Cold dark (European) Winter season, with no interior light!
Hi Nick,excellent write up ,and like you I just swapped bulbs over like for like.I bought 19 bulbs and have fitted 18. Where is the extra trunk light bulb for as I can only see 1 bulb at the top of the boot(trunk)
Mark Boren, I have the exact same issue as you and still have not figured it out! I just ordered the Amazon bulbs that nick recommends and i’ll be swapping those out with the ECS bulbs that are in there now. Any more advice Nick?
Mark & Dan, you might want to try to increase the size of the fuse for the lights going out by 5amps, it could be the new bulbs are drawing more power for whatever reason and tripping the circuit.
Hey Nick, I love your blog!
I came across a problem with the BA9 LED bulbs for the reading lights. They barely emit any light at all when only one of the bulbs are on at a time, but if both bulbs are on they both emit a bright light as if they’re working like normal. This is true for both the front and rear pair.
What do you think might be the problem?
Sounds like they don’t draw enough current on their own, so the systems maybe thinks the bulb is out and isn’t sending as much power? What bulbs did you buy? I wonder if something a little bigger/more powerful/brighter might do the trick?
I got these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-x-BA9S-5-LED-5050-SMD-Interior-Dome-Map-Light-Bulb-Globe-T4W-233-12v-WHITE-/322081242941?hash=item4afd89bf3d:g:L4cAAOSwLpdW88OP&vxp=mtr
Yea I’ll just go ahead and order a different pair, thanks for the reply 🙂
Nick, following your thread I am in the process of replacing all my interior bulbs on my B7, I should say that prior to starting the swap process all interior bulbs worked fine including the door and puddle lights. After the swap I have an issue with the front door and puddle lights, and the drivers side rear door and puddle lights, they have no power, no 12v on the lens, the passenger side rear door works fine. All footwell bulbs work as well as the dome, glove and vanity bulbs. Fuses are fine, door open indicators on the DIS all indicate a door is open when I open them, I have tried closing, locking, unlocking with both FOB and with key, still no puddle or door lights on three doors only. I have not plugged in VAGCOM yet to check for any errors but I feel like this may require a CCM reset. Any thoughts?
Other than that, nice write-up, cost me about $24 for all the bulbs and a few spares.
Ok, quick follow-up. I spent about 3 hours trying to troubleshoot these door and puddle light problems including VCDS check for errors, (no error or codes were thrown). I went back and replaced all the red door lights with the stock halogen bulbs still no joy. So I was about ready to give up when I said lets finish replacing the interior and trunk bulbs so I climbed in the back seat and replaced the rear seat reading bulbs then went into the trunk to swap that one out. As soon as I swapped out the trunk bulb and did a lock-unlock sequence I opened the doors and found that all the door and puddle lights are working! So all I can think is that something in the CCM was reading a high or low current pull and shuts down that part of the module, but either way this job is done. I may go back and try replacing the red door lights with LED, but this time I think I will pull the fuses first…
Hi Mark – sorry for the slow response…for whatever reason what you experienced is not uncommon. Check fuses and give it some time, I think your theory is right that the system detects something off and cuts out the lights, but they come back.
Hey Nick, so on Sunday I went out and pulled the fused for the doors and tried swapping out the halogen for the LED again, put the fuses back in, did the normal cycle of shutting the doors, locking, unlocking and found that only the passenger side door red and puddle were working. Driver side front and rear were dead. So I pulled fuses, went back and replaced the LED with the halogen in the red door lens, installed fuses, closed doors, locked and unlocked, all doors work. So I don’t know if the CCM reads how much current is being pulled by the doors or not, but on my B7 I cannot run LED bulbs in the red door lens, everything else is good.
P.S. I’m just up the road in Temecula…
That’s really interesting…glad you were able to figure out which one was causing the issue. i’m not sure if I changed the red bulbs or not, TBH. Enjoy Temecula, I love visiting there!
Have you tried or looked into using the lights and housings from newer A4s? Just ordered a few of 4E0947415a and gonna try it out, looks plug and play but we’ll see, some versions have a different smaller connector with a flat housing, the other has a connector identical to the one already in the b6 with a rounded housing covering the circuitry.