The Audi thread

[J-Groove]

That would be so much fun!

-John

[Jeff V.]

Out with the old...



In with the new



Details to come. This was WAY more of a pain in the ass than it should have been...

[tabasco122]

that looks way better. Meanwhile the list for my car grows longer :-(

[Jeff V.]

Mine is getting shorter. I'm not used to this

I've got all the parts for the front parking distance sensors, but that's not getting installed until spring. I'm back on the fence about getting an exhaust. I may get wheels, but only as a step towards enabling snow tires for next season.

I'm getting more and more convinced I'm going to sell it at the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. I really don't want to own it past the end of the warranty. Besides the exhaust, there's not a whole lot left I can do to it anyway.

[tabasco122]

Its so sexy though

[Monochrome]

Looks good!

[Jeff V.]

I'll get some better pictures when it's clean.

[happygeek]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]I'm getting more and more convinced I'm going to sell it at the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. I really don't want to own it past the end of the warranty. Besides the exhaust, there's not a whole lot left I can do to it anyway.[/quote]

Does stuff on those Audis really break that often?

I've had a 99 VW since 2009 that still runs. Granted it's spent a lot of that time in storage, and is in storage currently. Then again I've seen ATs go out on mid 2000s Audis and VWs. I wouldn't hesitate to buy an early 2000s VW with a manual (my 99 has a manual) when I finally replace mine.

[Jeff V.]

Does stuff on those Audis really break that often?

I've owned my car for a year and CarMax has done roughly $3000 worth of work to it. Most of that was labor when they had to send it back to the Audi dealer both times. Right when I bought it, the touch sensitive entry system went dead, and more recently one of the electro-hydraulic engine mounts failed.

My out of pocket on all this was $250 thanks to my warranty, but being without the car for weeks at a time is no fun. As they pack more and more technology into these cars, it's only going to get worse.

Especially after doing this tail light swap, I've come to believe the Germans make things way more complicated than they need to be.

[Jeff V.]

Now with less dirt

[DCIV]

and this is a mod?


Coop

[Jeff V.]

Yes, it's a mod. This is the best picture I have handy with the old lights.



There was more to installing them then just making a jumper harness to match up the plugs.

[DCIV]

have to say.....seems like a lot of work and I like the old ones.


Coop

[Jeff V.]

Old



New



This was the other option, but I don't like this look on any car.

[DCIV]

I've always like clear turn signals, i know I am in the minority. Don't like the broken up tail lights either as in the last picture.


Coop

[Jeff V.]

That's the thing. They weren't clear turn signals. They were reverse lights. Well, at least until I modded them.

So, here's what my original lights looked like.



The whole white strip across both pieces was a reverse light, and for the turn signal, the entire red area on the body would flash. The red light on the trunk was just a tail light. Not brake or turn.

The European cars on the other hand had it so the reverse light was the white one on the trunk, and then the white strip on the body had a yellow bulb inside. The red part was strictly for tail and brake lighting.

I ordered some yellow bulbs and changed the software config on my car so that it would work like the Euro cars. It looked better, but still not nearly as cool as the Euro LED setup. The US LED lights are all red. I got the Euro lights with the yellow LED turn, like the picture of the white car. I think these lights look great even when they're not lit.

Between tracking down the lights, finding part numbers for connectors and pins, wiring it all up and deciphering the crazy body control module configuration, this was not easy. Most people either buy an all in one kit for $800-1000 and either pay someone else to do their programming, or the kit will include a little automated dongle that programs the car for you. But sometimes those dongles can permanently mess up your body module.

So yeah....I figured out how to do it all myself a lot cheaper AND I understand how it works. I'm going to do a big write up for the Audi guys so that this shit isn't like some kind of state secret any more.

[aaronatstate]

New ones definitely look better!

[Jeff V.]

The A7 got some bad ass lights too.



I'm pretty happy with the headlights.


(Not my car)

The facelift light pipe headlights are really cool, but it requires changing the whole front end. At that point I'd just buy a newer car and get a ton of other upgrades in the process



I also replaced all my interior lights with LEDs. It's crazy bright now.

[alienviking]

Good changes!

[tabasco122]

audi drivers....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_kIlvwKeOA[/ame]