HID Kit - Programming needed Hampshire

[BlueBull]

Hello Everyone,

 

I have a FL Octavia VRs 2013 and want to get an HID kit fitted to it  .

I have seen all the posts on the HID kits and the pro/cons with the kits and found them very helpful!!

 

I am wondering if someone in Hampshire can do the programming for the car to get a non canbus HID kit to work on the car?

 

Happy to supply Whiskey or other poison/cash as a thank you.

 

Best Wishes

 

Jannes

[J306TD]

Most people buy the London Colour HID kits off ebay.

Make sure you get the NON canbus version. Even if they tell you different.

The other version will FRY the cars electronic systems!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7

[BlueBull]

Hi James,

 

Thanks for the advice! Will do!

Do I still with that kit require the VCDS programmed with their kit? 

 

Thanks again

[J306TD]

Yes it will still require coding to make it work correctly and get rid of any errors in the car.

Take a look at the VCDS members map. Might be lucky and have an active member near you.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7

[Anddenton]

Beware that some people won't do this vcds work on face lift Octavia's as it is well know to blow the BCM. If you do go ahead I would keep aside the cash to replace the BCM just in case.

[langers2k]

Just to add to what everyone else has said, yes it's easy to code the car not to throw an error once the HID kit is fitted. As your car is a facelift, it'll have a PQ35 BCM which have shown themselves as very sensitive to aftermarket kits. The useful symptom is one front indicator will stay on at all times.

I'd very much suggest you put a couple of hundred to one side to pay for a new BCM if (when?) it goes belly up.

If you do need to replace it with a used BCM, it's very likely to have the wrong lighting configuration stored unless it came from an Octavia vRS. You can't correctly set the lighting configuration for Octavia using VCDS... It's a job for someone with VCP/ODIS-e and an understanding of how the lighting configuration works.

If you still want an HID kit, at the very least I'd suggest finding some OEM ballasts to help protect your BCM.

[softscoop]

One thing I've always wondered is do cars with OEM xenon's have the power for the lights coming from the BCM like halogens, or are they controlled via an extra relay or other solid state device?

[langers2k]

One thing I've always wondered is do cars with OEM xenon's have the power for the lights coming from the BCM like halogens, or are they controlled via an extra relay or other solid state device?

 

Having done a factory style retrofit on my FL, the xenon ballasts are powered using exactly the same BCM pins that would normally be connected to the halogens.

 

From what I understand, the damage is caused by two factors:

- Only some BCM's are designed to power xenons.

- Cheaper ballasts take short cuts in their design to reduce cost, this can cause power to flow the back into the BCM damaging it.

[Paris2801]

Just to tag on to the bottom of this thread.

I am too looking to do an HID kit soon, and am also based in Hampshire. Did you have any luck finding someone to code yours?

 

Also, anyone with HID's fitted to a vRS, how well do they match the LED DRL's?

My main reason for wanting HID's is the yellow of the standard bulbs don't match at all 

[Atkins lad]

I have the non canbus London colour kit fitted to my fl , 8 months no dramas but like said above be aware of the cost of if it goes belly up but the lights them self are great I have 5000k fitted to mine as I think they have the most useable light and are brilliant at night , compared to the drl there not as bright when head lights are on but they do match and don't look out of place

[Paris2801]

Thanks for the info Mike. I have read almost everything on this site regarding HID's on a FL, and I keep changing my mind on whether to fit them or not.

I can see quite a few members who have not had any problems. Are they just the lucky ones? Or is it just the minority that have problems?

[softscoop]

If fitting HIDs to a facelift, I'd simply bypass the BCM issue and fit a relay kit with resistors.

 

That way the car still sees a load across the H7 terminals, but the ballasts are powered directly by the car battery.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Resistor-Relay-Loom-Xenon-HID-kit-Canbus-problem-solving-Jeep-Mercedes-Audi-BMW-/171145471161?hash=item27d910a4b9:g:9LMAAOxy1RZSVD3g

[Paris2801]

Thanks again Mike.

Are there any other options other than an aftermarket HID kit. Is installing OEM doable, or just not worth the hassle?

[langers2k]

Are there any other options other than an aftermarket HID kit. Is installing OEM doable, or just not worth the hassle?

 

I retrofitted the factory xenons without any major issues: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/391916-fl-xenon-retrofit/

 

The vRS won't have headlight washers so it won't be completely legal but you will get self levelling and 'bending xenons'. In the vRS the BCM should support xenons but I can't be sure.

[softscoop]

You won't have any problems with the BCM if fitting a bypass relay kit Mike.

 

The HID kit is then powered directly from the battery with a relay used to tell it to power on.

[Paris2801]

Does anyone have HID's working with the relay kit? Going by your description, there wouldn't be any negative side affects or chance of breaking the BCM with one of those?

If that's the case, why aren't more people using them?

[Metblackrat]

I must be lucky. Had HID's fitted for 4 years to my MY2013 VRS with no issues.

There is a certain amount of scaremongering from some members about fitting HID's. Do your research and make an informed decision.

[Paris2801]

That's what I'm asking myself. I'll wait until there are a few posts on here from folks who have actually used this setup without any issues - until then I'm sticking with the halogens

 

Mike

 

Would the lights still need coding done if using one of those relay kits? I would assume not, as far as the car is concerned it still "see's" the halogens?

[Guest ProfesorDeBuceo]

One member on here has a 62 plate VRS with factory halogens. He fitted a non canbus HID kit and correctly coded it, and within 48 hours the BCM blew. Halogens were replaced, coding was restored to what it was, and the BCM was replaced, fortunately on warranty. He tried again, and within 24 hours the new BCM blew. Fortunately again, it was seen as a faulty part and replaced FOC again. But the experience has made him swear not to try it again and to stick with the halogens.

 

 

...and the halogens are still performing well (upgraded bulbs fitted). HID's... 3rd time lucky? I doubt it.

Defo not for me.

[paddypaws]

My 2013 FL has also done 50k miles in 3 years with a coded in HID kit, lights always on auto with no problems, a big improvement to the car.

[Paris2801]

Hi Guys, Does anyone know if you will need to do any coding if using one of the BCM bypass kits?

[langers2k]

Hi Guys, Does anyone know if you will need to do any coding if using one of the BCM bypass kits?

 

Almost certainly.

 

A relay and a 55w halogen bulb will be very different causing a bulb out warning.

 

You might get away with a big resistor in place of the halogen bulb or you can try coding for HID's.

[softscoop]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Resistor-Relay-Loom-Xenon-HID-kit-Canbus-problem-solving-Jeep-Mercedes-Audi-BMW-/171145471161?hash=item27d910a4b9:g:9LMAAOxy1RZSVD3g

 

These have resistors built in.

 

Whether 8 ohm resistors are enough to fool it into thinking a 55w bulb is fitted I don't know.

At 12v that is only 18W

Edited 6 September, 2016 by softscoop

[langers2k]

Resistors - HID -- BCM  = not a good combination.

 

If the HID kit is connected to a relay kit with a flyback diode to prevent any voltage spikes, there should be very little risk to the BCM. The resistors are to simulate the load of the halogen bulbs and should cause no damage if they are correctly rated and heatsinked.

 

It is a shame to fit a 35W HID kit and then waste 100W just to fool the BCM.

 

I'm sure we will find out soon enough if it does cause a problem

[softscoop]

Halogen bulbs are just resistors Mike.

 

With a relay kit, the HID components are completely electrically isolated from the BCM.

 

All the BCM is doing is powering a resistor.

 

The relay then switches the separate circuit, flowing the current to the ballast straight from the battery.