Ashtray delete and ambient lighting

[maxpayne]

Hi Everyone,

I recently acquired a replacement tray to replace the ashtray in our 2005 A3 S-Line with single DIN stereo.

While at at I thought it would be good to install ambient lighting to the cubbyhole.

I've checked the underneath of the HVAC/climate control unit and looks like its smooth as butter and doesn't have any cutout for installing a LED strip. Makes sense as the car didn't come with the interior lighting pack. I had to install the door and footwell lights myself.

From what I gather, I need need the following parts to start with:

1. 8P0 864 138 D 4 PK - this is the trim for single DIN climate control units with the LED cutout
2. 8P0 858 433 - this is the cover for the LED cutout

What I'm not sure is if I need the following part:

8P0 857 355 - this is the LED strip/light that fits into the trim.

Since I'm removing the existing ashtray and that comes with its own LED light, is it possible to fit that to the trim?

Many thanks.

 

[samuelh_888]

Hi @maxpayne

Looking at ekta it looks like 8P0 858 433 A is a similar piece to 8P0 857 355. For my MY61 I needed the latter - it’s the light bar diffuser

My car didn’t come with the light pack either. To fix this piece you need to pop out your climate control and this piece fits in down the back. Really hard to explain without pictures but it doesn’t go from the ashtray/new pocket side, it goes from the climate side.

The light from your current ashtray, the cable is just long enough to fish up under the climate control and it plugs into the end of the light bar.

This piece,

8P0 864 138 A4 PK

...clips in above the new pocket (after ashtray is takenout). This should be more easy to get a pic of, I’ll take a photo and upload.

Conscious you’ve checked and you don’t seen any cutouts but I’ll add anyway, just in case. As mines a 61 reg there is likely to be nuisances between them.

 

[ch1z64]

Sam can you take a pic off the connwction that goes into the LED strip as i have taken console out and habe found a cable with a 2pin connection but can't fathom out where it goes . Since reading your answer to Max's post it could be for that
Cheers beers

 

[audibhoy11]

Don’t know if it helps, but I cut the top off the ashtray connection and wired it to an led strip with some extra wire , routed the wire back up underneath the ashtray delete and out just under the climate control ( there’s a small removable panel, then stuck the led strip to the outside of the panel and replaced it

 

[samuelh_888]

@ch1z64 - if the plug is near the front of the ash tray (gear stick end), then I suspect it’s for the ashtray light. There is just enough length to feed it back and up to the behind the CC.

I’ll try to get a pic if I can pop my Q3 CC out - it’s a really snug fit.

 

[maxpayne]

Thanks Sam.
You're right, 8P0 858 433 is the LED strip[1] and I need this since the LED strip from the ashtray is non transferable.
I couldn't wait and did the ashtray delete already, what a PITA!

I'll check on Monday what the trim, light cover and strip will cost. If too much, I might just fit a 99P LED strip from eBay!

[1] http://www.oemepc.com/audi/part_sin...hg_ug/863/subcategory/863050/part_id/0/lang/e

Hi @maxpayne

Looking at ekta it looks like 8P0 858 433 A is a similar piece to 8P0 857 355. For my MY61 I needed the latter - it’s the light bar diffuser

My car didn’t come with the light pack either. To fix this piece you need to pop out your climate control and this piece fits in down the back. Really hard to explain without pictures but it doesn’t go from the ashtray/new pocket side, it goes from the climate side.

The light from your current ashtray, the cable is just long enough to fish up under the climate control and it plugs into the end of the light bar.

This piece,



...clips in above the new pocket (after ashtray is takenout). This should be more easy to get a pic of, I’ll take a photo and upload.

Conscious you’ve checked and you don’t seen any cutouts but I’ll add anyway, just in case. As mines a 61 reg there is likely to be nuisances between them.

 

[maxpayne]

Update: snapped up a CC trim with LED cutout for £8 from eBay just now. All I need now is the light strip.

 

[samuelh_888]

@maxpayne - did you make any progress with the delete?

 

[maxpayne]

@maxpayne - did you make any progress with the delete?

Still waiting for the LED strip that I ordered from Mike to arrive. Will update when I'm done.

Currently on lookout for a black interior roof light unit with ambient LED fitted (I know I can drill holes in the existing one, but not sure about the quality of finish) at a reasonable price to complete the look

 

[samuelh_888]

Haha, I fitted mine today! I’ve uploaded a pic to my thread (at the bottom) http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/s3-kwe-my-build-thread-it-will-be-slow-progress.320369/page-2

 

[maxpayne]

Haha, I fitted mine today! I’ve uploaded a pic to my thread (at the bottom) http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/s3-kwe-my-build-thread-it-will-be-slow-progress.320369/page-2

Nice. Did you get the unit brand new? Even second hand ones in good condition are like £50+ on eBay.

 

[samuelh_888]

Nice. Did you get the unit brand new? Even second hand ones in good condition are like £50+ on eBay.

I purchased 2nd hand from eBay, it’s in perfect condition - £69 inc delivery. The piece (8E0947135D6PS) is still available new through mjr901 for £104.

 

[maxpayne]

The parts have arrived!

 

[samuelh_888]

The parts have arrived!

Excellent - let us know how you get on? I think the only images missing from this forum (re this retrofit) is where and how the led optic fits in under the CC unit.

 

[maxpayne]

Excellent - let us know how you get on? I think the only images missing from this forum (re this retrofit) is where and how the led optic fits in under the CC unit.

I'm crossing geographic boundaries for this

https://translate.googleusercontent....aspx&usg=ALkJrhgcP_ndQqX31lCvE4w_cvCrw_FUrg#

 

[samuelh_888]

Haha, you don’t need to take the car apart like this - we’ll my MY61, the led optic slipped in from the top (under cc) and the cover/trim clipped in from the bottom.

 

[maxpayne]

Haha, you don’t need to take the car apart like this - we’ll my MY61, the led optic slipped in from the top (under cc) and the cover/trim clipped in from the bottom.

I assume you have DD setup? Mine is single D (excuse the pun) and resembles the instructions posted above. Will try without pulling everything out to start with...

 

[samuelh_888]

Yep DD for me (no double-entendre there..) - I’m sure you’ll get it sorted.

 

[ch1z64]

The parts have arrived!

@max how much did it cost you if you don't mind me asking , as i have the connector but looks like the rest has gone

 

[maxpayne]

@max how much did it cost you if you don't mind me asking , as i have the connector but looks like the rest has gone

I had to buy the under CC cover with the LED cover. It was £8 from eBay. Mind you that I have a single DIN cage so that cover will be different if you have a double DIN setup. Also worth checking if you already have it fitted.

The LED itself, I got from Mike and it was £11 something with postage.

The ashtray replacement was £12 from a member on the forum.

If you look at this post: https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/support-tickets/parts-request.1156/#message-4401 from a year or so ago you can see the prices from Mike and I don't think they have changed that much since.

 

[ch1z64]

I had to buy the under CC cover with the LED cover. It was £8 from eBay. Mind you that I have a single DIN cage so that cover will be different if you have a double DIN setup. Also worth checking if you already have it fitted.

The LED itself, I got from Mike and it was £11 something with postage.

The ashtray replacement was £12 from a member on the forum.

If you look at this post: https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/support-tickets/parts-request.1156/#message-4401 from a year or so ago you can see the prices from Mike and I don't think they have changed that much since.

Cheers

 

[pato89]

So no need to buy some kind of wire and adapter for lighting, cable from ashtray light is long enough and just plugs into new light bar???


Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[maxpayne]

Finally fitted the lights!

Have to say the effort/cost vs reward is a little underwhelming. The light shines through okay, but could have been a bit brighter IMO.

In order to use the existing ashtray wire, had to take the CC off as I needed to stick a hand in to pull it up from behind. The wire *just* about reaches and is a very tight fit indeed.

Here's a photo of the lighting in action, needless to say it's hard to make anything up from the photo given the brightness...

 

[samuelh_888]

Where the light bar fits in under the CC - what is immediately apparent where it slotted in or did it take a bit of working out?

It took me a while but once I’d worked it out I coildn’t believe how simple it was.

The wire *just* about reaches and is a very tight fit indeed.

Just fits ah!

 

[maxpayne]

Where the light bar fits in under the CC - what is immediately apparent where it slotted in or did it take a bit of working out?

It was the easiest part. Just slotted in with a reassuring click. Having said that if I didn't have the fantastic write up from the Japanese website, it would have been challenging as it's not easy to spot just via visual inspection!

 

[downtothebone]

The light bar is clear on both sides? Would some silver foil or similar on the top side reflect more light down? Just a thought.

 

[maxpayne]

Can't believe that I spent more than an hour, in the cold, again investigating the light brightness. If this is not a 1st world problem then I don't know what is!

So a couple of things:

1. Because I just used the ashtray LED wire, which is fairly short, I inserted the LED strip the wrong way. The LED strip has a smooth side and a ridged side. When the strip is inserted with the power socket towards the driver side, the smooth side will face downwards. This is the correct position. However I couldn't extend the ashtray power cable, so ended up with the ridged side facing downwards. As a result the light emitted is slightly less. I took the suggestion from @downtothebone and used a foil to increase light reflectivity a bit.

2. On my single DIN setup, the cover that goes below the CC (see my post above for the picture) comes with its own LED cutout and diffuser. This means that no matter what side you insert the LED strip, some light will be lost because of the additional diffuser. Interestingly, the diffuser in the cover has special ridges on the right (driver side) to even take into account the correct LED positioning which is another clue on what the correct LED strip insertion order is!

Here's a photo with the cover fitted, but without the diffuser:

Compare that to with diffuser:

A marked difference indeed.

But ultimately, I decided to keep the diffuser in place for now.

 

[samuelh_888]

I’m going to have to check mine now!

 

[ch1z64]

@maxpayne did you happen to have a little strip between your headunit and CC. Just that i have a double din and have a strip under coin holder and a piece off cable connected and @samuelh_888 tells me that would probably be the led

 

[FredrikA3]

Got part numbers and full PDF guide here: http://www.lightnings.dk/ashtray_en.html