# Phaeton LED DRL addition (Photos)



## dwasill (Oct 15, 2012)

It's hard to envision improved styling on the Phaeton but for the longest time I've been wanting to figure out how to squeeze in a LED Daytime Running Light to give the car more modern styling. Prompted initially by Hella's LEDayFlex system I began to research options that were more cost effective and less intrusive to install. The result was to use (16) individual 3W Eagle Eye LEDs mounted individually in the unmodified fog light grilles with wiring tapped into the Low Beam DRL signals on the back of the headlight assembly.


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## snapdragon (Aug 8, 2006)

They should turn off at night.


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## dwasill (Oct 15, 2012)

snapdragon said:


> They should turn off at night.


I know I've read that but I've also noticed that it's very common to see Audi's and late model LED cars with them always on.


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## IwasHuman (Jun 30, 2012)

So is there separate wire for just the DRL signal to the low beams? What I've always wondered is if it would be possible to use the city lights (small bulb in the high beam cavity) as the DRL's instead of the low beam HID's. This would increase the life expectancy of the low beams considerably, and still give the safety benefits of the DRL. 

Greetings from a fellow Seattle-ite btw :wave:. I don't see many of us lurking, here or on the streets.

Aaron


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## dwasill (Oct 15, 2012)

So there is another Phaeton in Seattle?! I've seen a few at dealerships but nothing on the road... There's one sitting up at Pignataro's in Everett with 58K on it that I was initially eyeballing but they're way too proud of it... It's had a funny history of bouncing around the local VW dealerships but used to be Matt Hassleback's brother's car.

Anyway, I first connected them to the 'side light' signal (the small wedge bulb in the high beam cavity) but found that they turn off during the day !#$&!()*#&$. I figured they'd be on in the DRL mode. Part of the reason I added the LEDs was because I coded the HID DRLs off as I had to replace a ballast to the tune of a few hundred bucks and I wasn't thrilled about running the lights 24/7. 

I'm not sure if there's any DRL signals that can be utilized that don't involve having to run the low beams, if anybody knows of any, that'd be ideal...


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## CFOOSE1 (Oct 21, 2012)

*Phaeton drl's*

So after I lost both ballast on my 04 v8 I decided to run my drl's through the fog lights, with ballasts and 8k hids.now when the car is running, headlights are off,so far so good,and of course when the sun sets, my headlights come on, quite abit of light from four hids
Jeremy


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## IwasHuman (Jun 30, 2012)

dwasill said:


> So there is another Phaeton in Seattle?! I've seen a few at dealerships but nothing on the road... There's one sitting up at Pignataro's in Everett with 58K on it that I was initially eyeballing but they're way too proud of it... It's had a funny history of bouncing around the local VW dealerships but used to be Matt Hassleback's brother's car.


I saw that one when I had my car at the dealer last week. I actually bought mine there. It was previously owned by Tony Pignataro. I've only seen two others. One is Joe Pignataros, and then a burgundy colored one that supposedly resides in Marysville somewhere. 

Nice to know I'm not alone on this forum!

Aaron


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## dwasill (Oct 15, 2012)

The Grey/Black one actually sat on Chaplin's (Eastgate) lot for ~a year. They wholesaled it off to Tony for his wife. She put a few thousand miles on it before I noticed it back on their lot for sale.


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## Francis007 (Aug 20, 2006)

snapdragon said:


> They should turn off at night.


No they should not.

I have a 2010 GP2 with daylight LED's and they stay on full time.

All cars in Europe with daylight LED's do the same

Frank


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## snapdragon (Aug 8, 2006)

Francis007 said:


> No they should not.
> 
> I have a 2010 GP2 with daylight LED's and they stay on full time.
> 
> ...


They go to 20% brightness when the headlights are switched on and one of them 'winks' when the same side's turn signal is on and the distance from the turn signal is small (doesn't apply for OP). Retrofits should turn off with a normally closed relay.


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## Francis007 (Aug 20, 2006)

snapdragon said:


> They go to 20% brightness when the headlights are switched on and one of them 'winks' when the same side's turn signal is on and the distance from the turn signal is small (doesn't apply for OP). Retrofits should turn off with a normally closed relay.


So they should not " turn off at night " as your first post stated.

Also, my car has the Factory fitted dual Xenon headlights with daytime LED running lights. This was an option , amongst others, that I specified on my GP2 when I collected it from the Factory in 2010. ( it is now a standard fitment on all European spec GP3's )

....and one of my LED's does not " wink " when " the same side turn signal is on and the distance from the turn signal is small " 

By the way, I think the LED conversion looks great.

Frank


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## Utazz (Jan 2, 2013)

Here's my Phaeton with DRL: 










And with headlamps (plus DRL):


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## steveskinr (Oct 31, 2007)

dwasill

Do you have a picture very close up with the lights turned off?


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## dwasill (Oct 15, 2012)




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## dwasill (Oct 15, 2012)

Utazz said:


> Here's my Phaeton with DRL:


How did you get the lights in the blinker housing? Are they the bi-color LEDs that switch to Amber for blinker operation?


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## W12Canada (Nov 4, 2012)

There was a facelift in '07 where they added LED DRL lights as well as smoked the tail lights. Correct me if I'm wrong.


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## phaetonenvy (Jun 2, 2006)

looks great! And definitely more cost effective than the Audi DRL retrofit. Did you consider the 5 LED kit?


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## Utazz (Jan 2, 2013)

W12Canada said:


> There was a facelift in '07 where they added LED DRL lights as well as smoked the tail lights. Correct me if I'm wrong.


 It's correct, I think only the GP0s lack the DRL.


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## Silky6053 (Dec 3, 2012)

Hi - I have a UK 2010 MY GP2 3.0 TDI and it doesn't have DRLs! I'd like them. 

I have had a loan GP3 with DRLs, and they were switchable in the HID. No such option on mine, and unable to activate via VCDS. Unless anyone has any ideas. 

Glynn


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## Francis007 (Aug 20, 2006)

Silky6053 said:


> Hi - I have a UK 2010 MY GP2 3.0 TDI and it doesn't have DRLs! I'd like them.
> 
> Glynn


 Hi Glynn 

I too have a 2010 GP2. The DRL's came only as an option with bi-xenon lights. Without trying to find my invoice, the cost was around £1000 I think ! 

It was only on the GP3 that DRL's and bi-xenons became a standard fitment on all European spec cars. 

DRL's were a EU requirement by then I believe. 

Frank


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## Realist42 (May 14, 2006)

Silky6053 said:


> Hi - I have a UK 2010 MY GP2 3.0 TDI and it doesn't have DRLs! I'd like them.
> 
> I have had a loan GP3 with DRLs, and they were switchable in the HID. No such option on mine, and unable to activate via VCDS. Unless anyone has any ideas.
> 
> Glynn


 They were a rare option, as it was much cheaper to go for the GP0 light units what were carried over , however, if you can fit a set of light units with DLR for a GP2, it is a straight swap. 


Regards, 

Johan


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## Silky6053 (Dec 3, 2012)

Thanks guys 

I might try that if I can find bi-xenons at the right price. 

In the meantime I have installed white LED side / city bulbs and HIDs in my fog lights as DRLs. The only problem is the side lightsare not ignition controlled and have to be switched on, along with the fog lights. It looks quite effective but not the best resolution. 

Johan says the bi-xenon units are a straight swap. Does anyone know if that means there is DRL wiring to my single xenon unit which I could pick up? Or is there another ignition controlled positive in the engine bay which I could use for the HIDs in the fogs? 

Thanks. Glynn


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## Realist42 (May 14, 2006)

Silky6053 said:


> Thanks guys
> 
> I might try that if I can find bi-xenons at the right price.
> 
> ...


 As far as I know, it is most the controllers that do the work around the DLRs, no classical wiring as such. Not sure how you code the controllers to tell it you have the units with the DLRs, that will be a little trial and error I suspect. 

DLR function is controlled from the settings menu in the instrument cluster. 

Regards, 

Johan


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## Silky6053 (Dec 3, 2012)

Thanks for that Johan. 

I was thinking there would be a feed to the DRL as there are feeds to city light / hi-low beams at the rear of the headlamp unit. 

On my car there is no menu within the MFD to switch on DRL. In vcds there is an option to check a box for DRL, but when I try to use it I get an error "coding error 37. Coding out of range". I have emailed Ross Tech support and they are unable to help further, other than to suggest making changes in the instrument controller relating to other country setup. I'll keep digging. Many thanks. Glynn


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## Realist42 (May 14, 2006)

Silky6053 said:


> Thanks for that Johan.
> 
> I was thinking there would be a feed to the DRL as there are feeds to city light / hi-low beams at the rear of the headlamp unit.
> 
> On my car there is no menu within the MFD to switch on DRL. In vcds there is an option to check a box for DRL, but when I try to use it I get an error "coding error 37. Coding out of range". I have emailed Ross Tech support and they are unable to help further, other than to suggest making changes in the instrument controller relating to other country setup. I'll keep digging. Many thanks. Glynn


 Hi Glynn, 

That makes complete sense, as the units don't know what to do with that coding, as they are missing the bits to make it work. Just bear in mind that in the DRL light clusters, the indicator light moves from the strip to the inside of the bi-xenon. 

Not too different to the below pictures of a GP3: 

















Regards, 

Johan


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## Realist42 (May 14, 2006)

...and on a GP1/GP2


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## Francis007 (Aug 20, 2006)

Realist42 said:


> They were a rare option


 Not so in Deutschland. We visit the Factory at least once a year and most late model German registered GP2's ( 2009/2010 ) had the bi-xenon/DRL's option. .....and it was an option in Germany at that time, as it was in the U.K. 

I specified the bi-xenons on my car for 2 reasons, I thought they looked good  and for the undoubted safety factor of the DRL's. Especially so on the unrestricted parts of the Autobahn network ! .....and if memory serves me correctly Johann....you posted your complete spec of your new GP2 online and the bi-xenon/DRL's were on the list. 

Good luck in the re-fit Glynn ! 

Frank


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## Jorgsphaeton (Sep 8, 2009)

Check this: http://www.motorbasar.de/umbau-auf-led-facelift-bixenon-scheinwerfer-phaeton-t3353350.html 

Thanks jorg


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## howzit-eksee (Mar 24, 2005)

Jorgsphaeton said:


> Check this: http://www.motorbasar.de/umbau-auf-led-facelift-bixenon-scheinwerfer-phaeton-t3353350.html
> 
> Thanks jorg


Anyone know how to get a hold of these guys? Would really love to do this.


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## phaetonsound (Aug 23, 2014)

Polish version of DRL & Marker light + Sequential "Matrix" turn






and both headlamp together






Mirror leds will connected too , in progress.


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## Smite (Nov 11, 2015)

Phaetonsound, nicely done!


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## JuniorPL (Dec 31, 2014)

wow. This is my car  Thank you my friend Phaeton Sound for placing the presentation of lights DRL. Wonderfully made light processing, improved synchronization emergency lights and smooth transitions between the switching of lights - although this film does not do justice. Nice dog in the background, nice lights 
Thank Sound


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