DRL advice and options for 2016 Skoda Superb

[Hank98]

Hi Everyone,

The passenger side front DRL on my 2016 Skoda Superb has recently lost its brightness and is only partially visible (only at night). They are the L shape DRL's (see photo) and its the longer strip at the bottom that is not working properly.  Had the car scanned by the dealer ($255) and have been informed that the entire headlight needs replacing at a cost of $1650AUD + labor. My car does not have the option to turn them off in the infotainment screen and the dealer informed me that they cannot be turned off under Australian law. I don't have any VCDS software but have played around with it on a previous car.

Any suggestions would be appreciated 🙂

 

[ApertureS]

Yes drl is a legal requirement 

No, the drl unit can’t be replaced separately from the headlight.

 

sadly don’t have many other options if they’re diagnosis is correct, possibly look at a second hand unit? If you can find one of course

[Hank98]

No worries and thanks for the reply...Will see if I can source a 2nd hand one 👍 

[JR RS]

i'm assuming the indicator is also affected by this too.

 

look at local wreckers for a secondhand one.

if ur sourcing from overseas - make sure u get the right version, i.e. 3V2941015B.

u can buy them from overseas for a 3rd of wat the dealer is asking!!!

$1650 is robbery!!

[Hank98]

Funny enough the indicator is working fine...

Cheers on the part number...I'll do some searching.

👍

[JR RS]

5 hours ago, Hank98 said:

Funny enough the indicator is working fine...

Cheers on the part number...I'll do some searching.

👍

 

Hmmm.....in that case try changing the Light Control Module (LED Driver) first - its plugged into the bottom of the headlight.

Part No. is 8U0 941 329

Tis the black module in the 2nd pic below.

 

 

Edited 17 November, 2022 by JR RS

[Hank98]

Thanks JR RS 🙂

I'll track one down online.

Is it a easy job to remove the headlight to switch over the LED driver?

[JR RS]

8 hours ago, Hank98 said:

Thanks JR RS 🙂

I'll track one down online.

Is it a easy job to remove the headlight to switch over the LED driver?

 

Sadly not an easy job.

To remove the headlight, u need to remove front wheels, wheel arch liner, and front bumper.

 

I've attached a how-to-guide I made.

 

 

Removing Front Bumper.pdf

[Hank98]

That's amazing 🙂

Think it may be a bit beyond my skill-set, but my brother in law will love it!

Cheers

[Philtaxi]

Just out of interest did that unit cure your problem. Having the same issue now with my2016.

[MarkyTDI]

Similar situation for me too but it is the lashes in one headlight that are losing their whiteness and yellowing compared to the other side. 

[SomethingSuperbly]

Yikes I remember thinking about this issue when looking between the trim levels on the car.

 

The DRL looks great from a design point of view, they're sharp and stand out in the dark and are really clear when you have the indicators going on. However, they're integrated into the headlight unit and, unlike the SE trim, you cannot just change the bulb.

 

It would be interesting to see a teardown of the headlight unit and see exactly what part failed.

Edited 1 January, 2023 by SomethingSuperbly

[Danoid]

Have a check at your laws in Australia regarding DRL. As your car is 2016 you should be able to turn them off and it’ll pass.

 

In UK only cars from 2018 have to have working DRL. I’d imagine Australia is similar 

[Hank98]

Unfortunately Skoda dealer checked the DRL control module and advised its the light unit itself. Replacement of whole light unit required. Not a massive fan of shelling out 2k ish just to fix a drl stripe. Ordered an OBD11 Pro and going to disable the DRL's and wait for a kangaroo to crack into the front of my car on a country road. Then will fix it under insurance 😅  

[ApertureS]

14 minutes ago, Hank98 said:

Unfortunately Skoda dealer checked the DRL control module and advised its the light unit itself. Replacement of whole light unit required. Not a massive fan of shelling out 2k ish just to fix a drl stripe. Ordered an OBD11 Pro and going to disable the DRL's and wait for a kangaroo to crack into the front of my car on a country road. Then will fix it under insurance 😅  

I mean, if youre smart about it you could change the indicator to work as the DRL at a very low brightness and completely turn off the white light

[JR RS]

1 hour ago, Hank98 said:

Unfortunately Skoda dealer checked the DRL control module and advised its the light unit itself. Replacement of whole light unit required. Not a massive fan of shelling out 2k ish just to fix a drl stripe. Ordered an OBD11 Pro and going to disable the DRL's and wait for a kangaroo to crack into the front of my car on a country road. Then will fix it under insurance 😅  

 

Damn....$2k-ish for a new unit!!

 

I would buy a 2nd hand unit, locally or from overseas.

I sourced mine from overseas.

 

I sold my originals for dirt cheap a few years ago.

[SomethingSuperbly]

10 hours ago, Hank98 said:

Unfortunately Skoda dealer checked the DRL control module and advised its the light unit itself. Replacement of whole light unit required. Not a massive fan of shelling out 2k ish just to fix a drl stripe. Ordered an OBD11 Pro and going to disable the DRL's and wait for a kangaroo to crack into the front of my car on a country road. Then will fix it under insurance 😅  

 

Sorry to hear that. It does sound like a typical dealer response. Have you considered looking for a DRL LED repair specialist - someone who would take apart and repair the failed part inside the light unit? 

 

I'm curious about the internal design of the Superb's headlight unit. I imagine there must be something like a DRL tube/strip that's powered by an LED module  that's gone wrong - like this in the Audi A3 where the DRL was turning yellow.