Retrofit facelift LED rear lights - real LEDs?

[turtlebreath]

I've read some people getting disappointed that the retrofit facelift tail lights don't have real LEDs, but bulbs. Is this true with every kit, or just the OEM?

 

[NHN]

The sportback has an led ring on inner & outer lenses, rest are standard bulbs but coded & wires correctly they look great.

 

[Nessy]

As NHN has already said, the part of the lamp cluster that illuminates when it is dark is indeed an LED ring, though to my untrained eye I’ve always regarded it more as a lighting ring, all the other bulbs (brake, reverse, fog and indicator ) are just normal bulbs.
I’ve never come across anyone less than delighted though with the results of fitting them to an earlier Sportback, it takes years off the car and I’d say is the first thing you need to do if you have a pre-facelift A3.
I was delighted with the results of doing mine, and still am 3 years later.

 

[tcardio]

agree with all above and will add change all the bulbs to LED. My brakes give a suntan to the driver behind me

 

[turtlebreath]

Thanks a lot for the replies! I'm getting a pair next paycheck. Are there any harnesses that don't require soldering?

 

[JayTeeA38P]

I've also fitted the newer lights on to my pre-facelift Sportback (so, there are four light units that need swapping). I'd describe the LED part as a tube that is formed into a square ring shape. Looks a lot better, as everyone says.
I think I used a Kufatec loom, which was plug-and-play, although one wire from each side needed to be spliced into the licence plate light wire. I think I didn't actually solder it, but sort of intertwined and twisted them together, and covered it with shrinkwrap tubing. Maybe not ideal, but certainly good enough.

 

[Matt268uk]

Have a look through the sticky threads at the top of page. The user Tim Willis who made the DSG oil change also made many other videos, one of which is the rear lights you're thinking of changing.

 

[Matt268uk]

@turtlebreath should of added this link,

 

[aqibi2000]

Kufatec Tail light adapters do not require soldering.

 

[turtlebreath]

Thanks a lot for your replies!

 

[Nessy]

Kufatec Tail light adapters do not require soldering.

Agreed, I used a similar adapter and didn’t need to butcher any of the electrics.
That video is useful watching material but I’m not a fan of the way he made those connections.
The inboard light clusters do need a live feed from the licence plate bulb supply (to illuminate them when the sidelights are on) and I spliced into mine and made a proper soldered connection, wrapped it in black Tesa loom tape and you’d never know it wasn’t all factory .
If you have access to VCDS (which you’ll need to code the lights in of course) you can also code it so that the inboard light unit bulb (which is the fog lamp) comes on as an additional brake light.
This gives you illumination from 2 bulbs in each outer unit and the 1 bulb in the inner unit on each side whenever you brake (as well as the tailgate high-level lamp of course) .
It makes a noticeable difference .

 

[fab_giglio]

Hi all,

I got myself some LED rear lights for my audi A3 2007.
I fit them and connected the Kufatec adaptors.
I noticed on the inner lights there is 1 wire on each side that needs to be soldered to the license plate feed.
The issue I have is I cannot find any pictures showing which wire that is.
Can someone be so kind and post a picture showing which wire it is exactly before I butcher everything?

Thank you

 

[Matt268uk]

Check this out, it shows the full retrofit of rear lights by a forum member.
Hope it helps.

 

[fab_giglio]

I seen it like 5x and still cannot figure out where he connected those extra wires to.
I know its on the reg plate feed but which one it is?

 

[aqibi2000]

I seen it like 5x and still cannot figure out where he connected those extra wires to.
I know its on the reg plate feed but which one it is?

do you have a multimeter or a test light?

 

[fab_giglio]

No, not really. But by reading loads of forums i think the wire i need to slice is the gray wire connected to a little box in the middle of the boot lid. Is that correct?