Retrofit 2010 A3 Sportback Rear LED Light problem

[210_MIH]

HI

Just wondering if anyone has experienced this...
When I put my headlights on, the rear LED ring lights up. Itsfine until I press the brake, and then the error warning comes on the dashsayin ‘right rear light’ and the outer off side rear light ring turns off - theone on the boot lid seems fine.
I used these adaptors - (Audi A3 S3 8P or 8PA Sportback Facelift LED rear lights adapter cable set | eBay)
and the lights were coded also...
Im thinking maybe some water is getting in? As it happenedsoon after I washed it over the weekend... anyone had this issue or know aremedy? I read in another thread to usemultispray?
Help appreciated.

 

[ashaudia3]

sent u a reply mate

 

[martinivw]

HI

Just wondering if anyone has experienced this...
When I put my headlights on, the rear LED ring lights up. Itsfine until I press the brake, and then the error warning comes on the dashsayin ‘right rear light’ and the outer off side rear light ring turns off - theone on the boot lid seems fine.
I used these adaptors - (Audi A3 S3 8P or 8PA Sportback Facelift LED rear lights adapter cable set | eBay)
and the lights were coded also...
Im thinking maybe some water is getting in? As it happenedsoon after I washed it over the weekend... anyone had this issue or know aremedy? I read in another thread to usemultispray?
Help appreciated.

Ive had this problem also , adapters are terrible for catching and holding water, which caused it on mine, really need a certain member to hardwire them in when he comes up to bonnie Scotland ,
Remove light and disconnect clean both adapters and try to position adapter in a different position

 

[Sandra]

Martin, we will need to get Nigel up here, maybe if we speak real nice to him he will come for a visit, he will love us all so much, he will just stay. Hope your reading this Nige? x

 

[martinivw]

Martin, we will need to get Nigel up here, maybe if we speak real nice to him he will come for a visit, he will love us all so much, he will just stay. Hope your reading this Nige? x

Absolutely , I'm sure he'll love the West Side, all joking aside I do know what he means about needing enough work to warrant his trip

 

[Sandra]

​Thinking i may need to go a little jaunt to Italy and kidnap him, lmao. x

 

[NHN]

lol, thanks ladies, maybe if me & relations continue as going it maybe a move to the shetlands lmao.

As per stated, never use adapters for various reasons, 1 being the water issue & it adds another link in the chain that can cause problems, plus wiring to the number plate bulbs is not by design, adds more load to a circuit not designed for, regardless what people think, prefer to do as oem as possible to avoid issues, which to date not had 1 come back for anything, without blowing my own trumpet

Check to see if the adapters have the rubber seals to stop water getting in, if not then blame kufatec & they should know better as the original prefacelift connectors will have the seals for sure from factory.

I also wrap them in tape from inside the car upto the connector for this very reason.

 

[210_MIH]

Thanks for all the help. the adapters were soaked in water. have wrapped them in PTFE tape followed by insulation tape. then zip tied them securely. hopefully no re-occurence.

 

[N44EDH]

I got a similar problem I did the retrofit but mines is the led tube comes on for about. 10 sec then turns off the brake and indicator work fine, the adapters seem fine so I tried putting the stock lights on and it still did the same problem? And shows up on dash rear right light gone?

 

[maxpayne]

Holy thread revival Batman!

I also have retrofitted LED facelift rear lights on our 2005 A3 Sportback. Wired up using adapters sold by some German seller on eBay.

Noticed recently that there’s a bulb out warning on the dash for the rear left light. Turns out that the LED in the outer left tail light had stopped working. Had a similar issue a year or so ago and it disappeared after a few days. That really should’ve been a warning... This time around it stayed on...

Anyway, today I decided to open up the lights. I really struggled to open the adapters. Turns out that water had gone in good and proper and the contacts were corroded.

Took out the adapter, cleaned up the contacts and sprayed some contact cleaner and put it back in and to my shock, the whole outer tail light stopped working. Bulb out warning for turn signal, light and break lights. Grr...

Any idea how to proceed?

 

[aqibi2000]

Holy thread revival Batman!

I also have retrofitted LED facelift rear lights on our 2005 A3 Sportback. Wired up using adapters sold by some German seller on eBay.

Noticed recently that there’s a bulb out warning on the dash for the rear left light. Turns out that the LED in the outer left tail light had stopped working. Had a similar issue a year or so ago and it disappeared after a few days. That really should’ve been a warning... This time around it stayed on...

Anyway, today I decided to open up the lights. I really struggled to open the adapters. Turns out that water had gone in good and proper and the contacts were corroded.

Took out the adapter, cleaned up the contacts and sprayed some contact cleaner and put it back in and to my shock, the whole outer tail light stopped working. Bulb out warning for turn signal, light and break lights. Grr...

Any idea how to proceed?

It’s also m common for water to also get into the actual larger light itself. The conformal costing on the pcb inside unfortunately is no match to the salty water over the years. Only the LED is driven by the circuit board th rest is direct 12V to the halogen bulbs.

 

[NHN]

As I said, wow 8 years ago, jees, don't use adapters for a start, I personally think they're rubbish & come across water issues often.

Light edges have a habit of separating around the edge & leaking, usually the led board goes & another light needed, internals corrode.

Either clean up connectors & retest or clean connectors, seal & get another light.

 

[maxpayne]

OK - did some A/B testing just now. When using the adaprter from the driver's side tail light on the passenger side (that's faulty currently) some of the lights turn on - IIRC that's the correct behavior as polarity of the adapters matter. So it's the adapter for sure.

 

[maxpayne]

Also noticed that the boot light isn’t coming on today. Is there a fuse that’s hooked up to the tail/boot light?

 

[maxpayne]

It’s also m common for water to also get into the actual larger light itself. The conformal costing on the pcb inside unfortunately is no match to the salty water over the years. Only the LED is driven by the circuit board th rest is direct 12V to the halogen bulbs.

The unit itself is bone dry. But have a look at the OEM connector. Very rusty. I suspect that’s where the main issue is.

 

[maxpayne]

UPDATE: With help from Alex re-did the working up with new pins. Everything is working, including the inner LED but not the turn signal. Sigh. Maybe I got the wires wrong?

 

[ImSpecialerThanU]

lol, thanks ladies, maybe if me & relations continue as going it maybe a move to the shetlands lmao.

As per stated, never use adapters for various reasons, 1 being the water issue & it adds another link in the chain that can cause problems, plus wiring to the number plate bulbs is not by design, adds more load to a circuit not designed for, regardless what people think, prefer to do as oem as possible to avoid issues, which to date not had 1 come back for anything, without blowing my own trumpet

Check to see if the adapters have the rubber seals to stop water getting in, if not then blame kufatec & they should know better as the original prefacelift connectors will have the seals for sure from factory.

I also wrap them in tape from inside the car upto the connector for this very reason.

Any way you can lend some assistance with wiring diagrams. Been trying to fix my facelift lights. Tried using adapters and they were wired wrong. Tried looking around but almost all write ups use adapters or if they wired they don't take about what goes to what pin.

 

[aqibi2000]

Any way you can lend some assistance with wiring diagrams. Been trying to fix my facelift lights. Tried using adapters and they were wired wrong. Tried looking around but almost all write ups use adapters or if they wired they don't take about what goes to what pin.

3:30 shows the pin out, I used this video for reference too.

LH & RH differ, he is showing UK spec

enjoy