Kopacek LED interior light upgrades - how to fit??

[varaderoguy]

Folks,

 

Need some direction - from somebody who has fitted the Kopacek LED interior lights.

 

I recently purchased a set of these: http://www.superskoda.com/Skoda/OCTAVIA-III/Octavia-III-front-MEGA-POWER-led-dome-lights-KI-R-V2-Round

Has anybody here fitted a set - and what did they need to do to install them?  Usual lack of instructions from Superskoda.

 

I managed to get into the lights easily enough - and brought down the surround.  However, there are two light guides for the incandescent bulbs and it means that you canny just 'install' the lights.  There is nowhere to put the LED flat panel - and to make it even more confusing, the sticky pads on the back of the LED lamp unit does not seem to correspond to any space in the lighting panel.

 

I could see one potential option, but this is to remove the lighting guides; then it makes more sense.  However, removing the lighting guides is a destructive process.  There are three plastic clips which require glasses removal screwdrivers, but they don't seem to budge and I don't want to put force onto removing them.

 

Time to ask for assistance.

 

They are being fitted into my 2018 Octavia VRS FL230.

 

Thanks

 

 

Max

Edited 26 December, 2020 by varaderoguy

[roaddetective]

Sorry I can't help with your install, but I do have some very bright LED bulbs in the roof of my car. as well as the boot. All I fitted were some quality LED bulbs that fitted straight into where the old bulbs came out of. I think mine are as bright as you would need them. I have the same car as you as well. 

[varaderoguy]

13 minutes ago, roaddetective said:

Sorry I can't help with your install, but I do have some very bright LED bulbs in the roof of my car. as well as the boot. All I fitted were some quality LED bulbs that fitted straight into where the old bulbs came out of. I think mine are as bright as you would need them. I have the same car as you as well. 

Its kinda where my thinking is going next - to find a CANBUS approved LED w5w e2 bulb instead.  Found a whole load on ebay and amazon, but b4 I pressed go on that option, wanted to find out if anybody had actually successfully fitted the Kopacek variants.

[PetrolDave]

3 hours ago, varaderoguy said:

Its kinda where my thinking is going next - to find a CANBUS approved LED w5w e2 bulb instead.  Found a whole load on ebay and amazon, but b4 I pressed go on that option, wanted to find out if anybody had actually successfully fitted the Kopacek variants.

The interior bulbs aren't monitored so getting CANBUS ones isn't necessary.

[ExSEAT]

The misty lenses on the part of the light surround that you take off just pop out. The round bit of the light goes between the lens and the silver reflector. Someone on the mk3 VRS Facebook page had the same problem a while back

[varaderoguy]

@ExSEAT
Thanks for your suggestion. Slightly harder than you describe though. In the image below, I have highlighted the three plastic clips that you have to undo. That is the theory because I could *not* separate out the lense from the surrounding light reflector guide. It would not budge. Two sets of xmas mini cracker screw drivers.....you can see it trying, but you cannot put too much pressure onto the surround. The light guide is also held on with three one-way plastic clips - that cannot be taken off without breaking them from the surrounding.

 

I have admitted defeat and gone to PlanB. Ive ordered some e2 led interior bulbs instead and will be sending a snotty email to Superskoda with a 'its impossible to separate the two halves without breaking the surround' type email and see what they come back with. Chalk it up as experience.

[ExSEAT]

@varaderoguy I suggested to a guy in the Facebook page for ovrsmk3ovrs to do what you've tried to do there a while ago and someone else came along and sorted the problem by suggesting removing the little lenses. I'm sorry it didn't work for you

[Blairyc]

I realise it's not probably very helpful for you but i just installed some LED lights (bulbs) from SuperNovaLighting (in Oz) good quality and made a world of difference, especially in my boot (i have a wagon).. why they don't come with LED's i don't know! I'd looked at the superskoda option you went with but couldn't figure out how they fitted.. sorry it was as complicated as it seemed..

 

Did you get something sorted out in the end though?

[varaderoguy]

Absolutely..Gave the Kopchec parts a miss. Went for some OSRAM buibs at 8.99UKP from ebay for a pack of two. The interior lighting is now awesome.

FYI - you need three packs of the above if you do thw whole car (6 bulbs)

[jaymd]

I have replaced all the interior lights with these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B079GPKQDB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 no error codes for the interior. I have also used them on the number plate lights but they needed coding.

Fitted superskoda wing mirror puddle lights and boot lights as they are super bright.

[FrankNicklin]

3 hours ago, jaymd said:

I have replaced all the interior lights with these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B079GPKQDB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 no error codes for the interior. I have also used them on the number plate lights but they needed coding.

Fitted superskoda wing mirror puddle lights and boot lights as they are super bright.

Just seen your post and interested in doing the same, but a few reviews mention flickering after a short time. Let us know how you get on with these. When did you install them.

[jaymd]

7 minutes ago, FrankNicklin said:

Just seen your post and interested in doing the same, but a few reviews mention flickering after a short time. Let us know how you get on with these. When did you install them.

Been installed in the interior for around 2 months and no problems so far. Only just fitted them into the number plate lights and coded them,so will see how they go.

[FrankNicklin]

Ok I have a 67 plate SEL with LEDs all round as standard apart from the interior lighting so will give these a go. 

[ExSEAT]

15 hours ago, varaderoguy said:

Absolutely..Gave the Kopchec parts a miss. Went for some OSRAM buibs at 8.99UKP from ebay for a pack of two. The interior lighting is now awesome.

FYI - you need three packs of the above if you do thw whole car (6 bulbs)

Another vote for these, I have them in every interior light including footwell and glove box. Most of them I transferred over from my old VRS so they are around 5 years old now. No problems at all, no boot open issues or anything. 

[ChoonDoode]

these osrams maybe something to bear in mind, as the LEDs which I'm using are just cheap as chips ones off fleabay and they do flicker every so often. It's not too much of a pain, I just find it a little annoying.

 

I did intend on buying osram bulbs for the fog lights, but they were £75 a side!!!

[FrankNicklin]

Do the Osram and the cheaper LEDs fade correctly on the cabin lights. I understand the boot lights just go off, but need to fade for the others.

[varaderoguy]

They fade correctly but suffer from ghosting when turned off which I think is the CANBUS network monitoring current.

[FrankNicklin]

16 minutes ago, varaderoguy said:

They fade correctly but suffer from ghosting when turned off which I think is the CANBUS network monitoring current.

Didn’t think the interior lights were monitored hence the ability to replace without tweaking the settings.

[varaderoguy]

You are right...they aren't monitored but the CANBUS network still runs through the car at all levels electrically so the dim glow is still the monitoring voltage and current being sent by the car ECU.

 

There is a whole thread here:

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/392812/auto-led-dimly-lit-when-off

 

Basically not a big deal. LED electronics are much more sensitive and the electrical current use so much lower.  

[FrankNicklin]

Thanks for the details guys.