Success!

 

Finally got the footwell lighting retrofit fitted, coded and working fully. They come on 100% with the interior lights when unlocking the car – the same when the doors are opened and are as ambient lights when the side or dipped beams are on at night and driving – defaulting to the % set in the infotainment system.

 

Recap:

 

The lights were purchased from Boldsport – I know some people have had issues with deliveries but I can only speak as I find; ordered and delivered within 6 days (from Hong Kong!) all OEM kit with a full wiring loom (around £28 delivered).

 

The fitting:

 

Used OEM cloth tape to wrap the red and brown wiring loom for a better look once installed. Got the lights laid out on my living room floor to ensure I had them in the best possible layout for the fitting. Numbered them 1-4, again to help with the layout when in the car

 

1. Passenger footwell
2. Passenger rear footwell (under front seat)
3. Drivers footwell
4. Driver’s side rear footwell (under drivers seat)

 

Note: my car (’63 plate built Nov/Dec 2013) already had the cut outs for the lights and routing for the wiring – not sure all UK cars are similar.

 

Wiring part I

 

Two cables – red for connecting to Plug C and brown for earthing. The red cable is already supplied with the correct VW pin for inserting into the control module.

 

Trim removal:

 

(most of the main part is on the passenger’s side to access the Plug control module). Remove the bonnet release handle – I found this pops off with a small amount of force to get it off its ratchet. Under the handle is a small plastic screw fixing that needs gentle removal using pliers/plastic prying tool (I manage the snap the head off this) and remove the fixing. Then remove the side panel to the left of the dashboard, the panel where the bonnet release was (connected to the door sill trim) can all be unclipped (gently!) and moved aside. Finally remove the glove box and now you have ‘better access to the electrics. I also removed the side kick panel on the passenger’s side (one torx fixing) and the longer trim that runs alongside the lower center console. I did the same on the driver’s side (along with the foot rest) to enable easy routing for the driver’s side lights. The side trim is similar removal to the passenger’s side but without the bonnet release.

 

Wiring part II

 

Remove Plug C from the BCM – this up to the left of the fuse box as you look straight ahead. There are three plugs – Plug C is the closest to you (Plug A being furthest away). There is a white clip holding the plug in place, you simply press just under this and gently pull the clip downwards – the plug will disconnect and you can remove it downwards. Where the cables go into the plug is a small cable tie that will need to be cut off (carefully) – once off the inner part can be removed by moving the holding lugs on either side out slightly and puling the inner part out. It will be in two sections – the section needed is the right hand part, insert the red cable into the connector numbered ‘72’ until clicks into place. Once done reconnect all this (I used some cloth tape to make the red wire look OEM and neater – my OCD would allow nothing less!).  This can all be put back into place and reconnected. The earth lead just needs connecting to a body point – a couple are near by.

 

Route the passenger wiring up to the pre-cut lamp holder hole and attach the light fitting with the caballing. The rear cable needs to be routed along the existing cable runs that sit under the door sill trim – I found I could get this back to where the seat runner bolts are and just lift the carpet slightly to get the cable to an area where there is a cut-out for the seat wiring (I have electric and heated seats, so plenty of cable entry points). The wiring easily reached the lamp holder cut out under the seat and fitted neatly.

 

Run the driver’s side through the area where the kick panels where removed and run the front similar to the passenger side and exactly the same procedure for the rear as before.

 

Whew – that’s all done now just reverse all the procedure to re-fit the trim.

 

Coding:

 

First part:

Controller 09 - Central Electronics

16 - Security Access - enter 31347

10 - Adaptations

 

Go to

(8)-Interior light; light configuration-Fussraumbeleuchtung

Change value from ‘not installed’ to ‘installed’

(This puts the footwell light % setting in the infotainment system (under lights))

 

 

 

Still in Adaptations

Go to

(4)-Leuchte30FR LC72-Lichtfunktion A 30

Change this value from ‘not active’ to ‘Footwell light’ from the dropdown menu

 

Next

Go to

(1)-Leuchte30FR LC72-Lasttyp 30

Change this value from ‘not active’ to ‘18 – 2* 5W’

 

Next

Go to

(6)-Leuchte30FR LC72-Dimmwert AB 30

Change this value from ‘0’ to ‘89’ or whatever value you want up to 100 I guess (this is where we set the highest brightness level)

 

If you just go back and make the changes here without exiting i.e. staying in Adaptations, you can do all in one go otherwise you have to go back in.

 

That’s it for adaptions – now go into;

 

Coding – Long coding (I used the latest vcds Beta 14.5.3 as this shows the labels for the Bytes – the 12.12 version just show tick boxes).

 

Go to Byte 5 and ensure Bit 7 is ticked – Footwell lights installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to Byte 17 and ensure Bit 3 is ticked – Ambient footwell lights(s) installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hit Exit, allow the coding to be changed and that should be that.

 

Check all the wiring, and test by opening the doors – they should come on at the highest level, and go off with the interior lights. Then switch on the dipped beams and the should light up at the level set in the infotainment unit 0% off, up to 100% full.

 

Now sit back and be happy you have managed to fit an item that is peanuts to our European cousins (11 euros apparently as an option!) and standard for the new L&K model.

 

Tip of the hat and thanks to andyvee for help and advice on all matters relating to vcds and adaptations.

 

Thanks also to nokiauk for the screen shots of the Bytes in long coding above and for help with sending me his adaptations maps for me to compare his (footwell light-equipped) Seat Leon SE to my own car to finally dig out the codings.

Well done on working it out!

 

I'll copy across to the O3 VCDS thread BUT I can't see your screenshots for some reason???

 

And get your profile changed to VCDS expert LOL

Ha! Thanks Andy.

 

Yes not sure what happened to the screenshots - what's the easiest way to upload them - I've not done it before.

I paste the screenshots in to a word doc as I am working through a coding.

 

I then save them as piccies (png files I think), by right clicking on them.

 

Then you can add them as attachments to a post, use the 'More Reply Options' button in the bottom right corner of the quick reply text box to see this.

 

Once they are attachments you can insert them in line, but be careful as the cursor position keeps resetting after each one!

Screens shot of the Long Coding sections that didn't insert on previous post.

 

 

All in the VCDS O3 sticky now

Steve - have you got a link to the BoldSport Footwell light kit?

 

Is it the same kit as the MkVI Golf kit?

Hi Andy

 

This is the link to the set I got - front and rears

 

http://www.bold-sport.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=131

So this lights up when doors open, then dims to a preset value when you close them (i.e. sort of like "mood" lighting?)

Yes, they fade up to the same level as the roof interior lights (100%) working even in daylight, the same as the interiors do, going off after a short period.

 

When driving (and the the lights are on) they run at whatever has been set in the infotainment unit as a % as ambient lighting.

Any pictures of this running? What colours are people going with? I assume white (to match dash) or blue or car colour or something like that.

British 'Summer' at the moment, so not too many opportunities to see them in action (no worries though - we get plenty of nice long winter nights!). I'll try and get some.

 

At the moment I just fitted the original bulbs (5w) - am looking at LEDs all round.

 

I do know from reading the Golf7 forums, they have fitted white, blue and red LEDs 

golf 7 uses LED lights from the factory, bought some Light units for around £10 each

Yeah, GTI and GTD are LED standard, not sure about lower spec versions as I don't the lower specs would have LED throughout?

 

With our cars you would want one or t'other otherwise would look odd.

Has anyone else managed to fit these, only I'm struggling. I can't get the bonnet release handle off, and can't really see an obvious place to route the cables through the carpet.

A few pics to help installation, carrying on from the hard work done by STEVEB 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

British 'Summer' at the moment, so not too many opportunities to see them in action (no worries though - we get plenty of nice long winter nights!). I'll try and get some.

 

At the moment I just fitted the original bulbs (5w) - am looking at LEDs all round.

 

I do know from reading the Golf7 forums, they have fitted white, blue and red LEDs 

Fitted LED's, the ones from Bold Sport (white) they do function as the originals......NO extra coding required

Fitted LED's, the ones from Bold Sport (white) they do function as the originals......NO extra coding required

Excellent work! Great photos.

 

Did you go for a full LED interior-light upgrade?

Fitted LED's, the ones from Bold Sport (white) they do function as the originals......NO extra coding required

Thanks for the pictures, but how did you get the bonnet release lever off. I've tried pulling it, all be it not very hard, for fear of damaging it, but I can't get it to budge!

Where about's are you.....don't suppose you'd fancy helping me fit mine?

Edited 9 July, 201411 yr by Alex1980

Thanks for the pictures, but how did you get the bonnet release lever off. I've tried pulling it, all be it not very hard, for fear of damaging it, but I can't get it to budge!

Where about's are you.....don't suppose you'd fancy helping me fit mine?

If you pull it slightly forward (grip the top of the handle and pull towards the centre console), you can see a small plastic collar that basically holds it onto the shaft. You can just wriggle that up a little way using a small flat-bladed screw driver and then the handle just pops off with a bit of force.

Excellent work! Great photos.

 

Did you go for a full LED interior-light upgrade?

Yes all LED's now.

 

Just a little observation re the footwell lights, especially the rear ones......... have noticed that the normal bulbs generate a fair bit of heat in this enclosed part of the front seats. I have left these with the LED's in but for the front footwells have used the normal filament bulbs as these give a more pleasant ambient light when  used in this role...... Thoughts please !!! 

Yes all LED's now.

 

Just a little observation re the footwell lights, especially the rear ones......... have noticed that the normal bulbs generate a fair bit of heat in this enclosed part of the front seats. I have left these with the LED's in but for the front footwells have used the normal filament bulbs as these give a more pleasant ambient light when  used in this role...... Thoughts please !!! 

 

Yes, they do get warm - the shielding from the Bold Sport kit should be fine if leaving as filament bulbs though, as they appear to be OEM. My only comment on your current set up would be whether I could live with the two differing lights' whiteness and brightness (not sure my OCD could cope!) I am fairly certain I would have to change all the lights to the same type - including the door mirror lights and number plates.......if I was to be able to sleep at night!

Yes all LED's now.

 

Just a little observation re the footwell lights, especially the rear ones......... have noticed that the normal bulbs generate a fair bit of heat in this enclosed part of the front seats. I have left these with the LED's in but for the front footwells have used the normal filament bulbs as these give a more pleasant ambient light when  used in this role...... Thoughts please !!! 

I'll have a look at the brightness setting tomorrow - I have a funny feeling I set it to 100 instead of 89 

I fitted footwell lights to my vrs a few weeks ago was fairly painless and straight forward quite impressed for less thank £30.

If you pull it slightly forward (grip the top of the handle and pull towards the centre console), you can see a small plastic collar that basically holds it onto the shaft. You can just wriggle that up a little way using a small flat-bladed screw driver and then the handle just pops off with a bit of force.

Has anyone managed to do this on a late 14 reg, only as much as I try the bonnet lever will not budge and I'm worried about damaging something. I've now tried that much, there appears to be a small amount of play in the operation of the lever, but there is still not movement backwards or forwards, as though it's coming off the attachment. Think I might have to live without footwell lights!

Edited 15 August, 201411 yr by Alex1980