LED rear lights help!

[Russell Miah]

So I have my 2006 a3 sportback and just fitted facelift led rear lights so the outer lights work but then the inner ones don’t work, I’ve coded it and wired it correctly to the number plate light but still nothing. The thing is there’s power going to some white block think it’s called capacitor then after the capacitor there’s no power I dno if that’s the issue help!

 

[Russell Miah]

This is the white block

 

[maxpayne]

Where did you get the looms from? Was the capacitor (or a resistor more likely) already fitted?

 

[Russell Miah]

It came with the lights which I bought from gumtree and yes it was already there, I just took the tape off which was covering it.

 

[ch1z64]

You might want to have a look @Ash187 and follow his retrofits as there is a lot off useful tips from him

 

[maxpayne]

In this case it looks like a loom that has a built in resistor to prevent the dreaded bulb check flash on startup. I think the Kufatec looms came with that setup.

 

[Russell Miah]

So what shall I do?

 

[maxpayne]

Options from risk and cost considerations:

1. Short (bypass) the resistor and see if that works. May require butchering the existing cables
2. Get a new loom
3. Get it to someone qualified as @Ash187 and let him do the magic.

 

[Russell Miah]

I’m going to butcher it tonight and see what I can do

 

[ch1z64]

I’m going to butcher it tonight and see what I can do

Well if you do something wrong there is always @Ash187 to fall back on thats at least thats a bonus

 

[Russell Miah]

Haha who needs Ash when all you gotta do is swap the looms around. Looks evil now. Cheers people for the help. Onto the next mod!

 

[maxpayne]

I just fitted mine and witnessed the same thing. The clue was the looms came with left and right driver side marking - given that the looms came from made sense to reverse them.

Anyway, the problem I have now is the extension wires for the inner lights that are meant to hook up to the live wire of the number plate lights are too short! Seriously annoyed as the looms cost £40 and that's the last thing you want to find out having taken out the boot lid, a PITA no matter which way you look!