# Those with the LED interior light package



## piloTT (Jan 19, 2004)

Just a quick question for those with the above pack.... Are your red LED's in the overhead light panel very dim? I thought these were meant to illuminate the gearstick area with a faint red glow but mine only just manage a faint glow on your finger if you put them right up against the hole in the light panel. If you cover them completly the make no difference to the amount of lighting in the gearstick area.

Anyone know a way of increasing the brightness of these?... it is certainly not tied in with the adjustment of the footwell area lighting though the DIS, and I cant find anything in VAGCOM to adjust these.


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

I have the led light package and can comment.
Firstly led light package. I would say cool, looks very good, and if considering it on an order, get it!
But I think as all TTs the interior light gives a glow to let you see what you are doing rather than a 1000w wat bulb lighting lighting the place up.
I too noticed the red leds. Unsure what they do. I dont think its to actually light the inside of the car. Could be wrong though...


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

the minty1 said:


> I have the led light package and can comment.
> Firstly led light package. I would say cool, looks very good, and if considering it on an order, get it!
> But I think as all TTs the interior light gives a glow to let you see what you are doing rather than a 1000w wat bulb lighting lighting the place up.
> I too noticed the red leds. Unsure what they do. I dont think its to actually light the inside of the car. Could be wrong though...


I think perhaps you'r e confusing the standard LED arrangement with the LED light package with is something different altogether? The latter adds footwell and door handle illumination and is an option.

The standard arrangement has three LEDs up above the rear view mirror, I think the two outside ones just signify if the courtesy light is enabled when you open a door on that particular side. The centre LED is usually referred to as a submarine light and is supposed to give just enough of a glow to pick out the gear knob in the dark I think, and that one could definitely be a bit brighter I reckon.


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

igotone said:


> the minty1 said:
> 
> 
> > I have the led light package and can comment.
> ...


Aaah igotone,
From what you are saying the TT in standard form has led as the interior lights at the rear view mirror. Didn't know that. Still the led light pack which I have I think is a worthwhile addition to the car. 
The submarine light you refer to . Where is that then? I thought when you open the door you get the footwell lights and the 2 white leds at the rear view mirror. Where is the third? I seem to have missed it.


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

the minty1 said:


> igotone said:
> 
> 
> > the minty1 said:
> ...


The submarine light is the centre one of the three up above the mirror and I don't think you can switch that one off as you can with the other two with don't illuminate if the interior courtesy light is disabled on door opening - I think anyway.

I've certainly seen better implementations of the submarine light in other cars - my son's (shock horror } RCZ throws a nice glow around the gearstick area without being distracting.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

piloTT said:


> Anyone know a way of increasing the brightness of these?... it is certainly not tied in with the adjustment of the footwell area lighting though the DIS, and I cant find anything in VAGCOM to adjust these.


Long shot: are they adjustable through the instrument illumination button by any chance?

Otherwise we'll have to go into changing the actual resistor that determines the current through the LEDs or drilling the holes through which the light shines a bit larger.

I wish I had those red lights... still need to mod my car there.


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

I have the interior light pack and agree with piloTT.

The red LEDs are useless as far as providing a "red glow" around the gear stick is concerned.

The LED map reading lights are equally useless - it's nigh on impossible to read a map by them. 
My previous TT with ordinary bulbs in the map reading lights was fine. :?


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

brittan said:


> The LED map reading lights are equally useless - it's nigh on impossible to read a map by them.
> My previous TT with ordinary bulbs in the map reading lights was fine. :?


Remarkable. I replaced the w5w tungsten bulbs by 1Watt LED w5w lights and I've put some aluminium foil on the plastic 'reflector'. Result: the amount of light is quite stunning.


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

TT-driver said:


> brittan said:
> 
> 
> > The LED map reading lights are equally useless - it's nigh on impossible to read a map by them.
> ...


Interesting. Maybe there is a way to alter the LED output via VCDS.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Or just swap the lights for better ones?


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## piloTT (Jan 19, 2004)

TT-driver said:


> Or just swap the lights for better ones?


Seems the red LED's are integrated into the circuit board so no chance of changing those for sure. Sill looking through VCDS to see in the brightness can be changed there. :?


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

TT-driver said:


> piloTT said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone know a way of increasing the brightness of these?... it is certainly not tied in with the adjustment of the footwell area lighting though the DIS, and I cant find anything in VAGCOM to adjust these.
> ...


Yes - I've noticed they brighten and dim with the rest of the dash lights as you rotate the dash control thingy. Even on full brightness setting though the 'submarine' light is still too dim.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

piloTT said:


> TT-driver said:
> 
> 
> > Or just swap the lights for better ones?
> ...


Hmmm that's a shame then. No possibilities to improve optically?


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

igotone said:


> Yes - I've noticed they brighten and dim with the rest of the dash lights as you rotate the dash control thingy. Even on full brightness setting though the 'submarine' light is still too dim.


Time to get the soldering iron or drill out then...


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

The RED LEDS are really small and surface mounted, it wouldn't be that hard to change but getting ones that fit in the cover would be a challenge.


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## YoungOldUn (Apr 12, 2011)

Until I read this thread I wasn't aware that I had a couple of red LEDs and have just been in the car in a totally dark garage to see if they illuminated anything and the answer is a definite NO. 
There is far more light being emitted from the RNS-e and ventilation controls than there ever could be from two miniature LEDs.


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

YoungOldUn said:


> Until I read this thread I wasn't aware that I had a couple of red LEDs and have just been in the car in a totally dark garage to see if they illuminated anything and the answer is a definite NO.
> There is far more light being emitted from the RNS-e and ventilation controls than there ever could be from two miniature LEDs.


Snap, yet another thing the Mini does much better.


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## YoungOldUn (Apr 12, 2011)

wallsendmag said:


> YoungOldUn said:
> 
> 
> > Until I read this thread I wasn't aware that I had a couple of red LEDs and have just been in the car in a totally dark garage to see if they illuminated anything and the answer is a definite NO.
> ...


Mind you, to paraphrase - *'Am I bothered'*, again the answer is a definite NO.


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## piloTT (Jan 19, 2004)

YoungOldUn said:


> Until I read this thread I wasn't aware that I had a couple of red LEDs and have just been in the car in a totally dark garage to see if they illuminated anything and the answer is a definite NO.
> There is far more light being emitted from the RNS-e and ventilation controls than there ever could be from two miniature LEDs.


If you have the interior LED light "pack" they will certainly be there. And only on then the side/main lights are on.The holes in the surface of the cover are only a couple of mm in diameter though.



Toshiba said:


> The RED LEDS are really small and surface mounted, it wouldn't be that hard to change but getting ones that fit in the cover would be a challenge.


Just had the circuit board out of the overhead panel and I recon it would be almost impossible to change them as they are integrated onto the surface of the PCB :?


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

piloTT said:


> Just had the circuit board out of the overhead panel and I recon it would be almost impossible to change them as they are integrated onto the surface of the PCB :?


That's a shame. Guess the resistors are small smd mounted devices too then? Otherwise adding a resistor in parallel would increase the amount of light. Question is then just: how far can one go?

By the way, can you share a picture of the PCB?


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## piloTT (Jan 19, 2004)




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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Thanks for the pictures. Looks like a cheaper solution then they may have had in the past. Many Audis have this module as LED ambient light:










That module brings the LEDs closer to the holes.

I can also see that they went for the cheap solution on the normal 'map reading' lights: just one LED per side. I have 6 LEDs per side as I could replace an old fashion bulb...

So, talking solutions: increase the hole size by 1 mm or so. That's the simple solution. Or take the PCB LEDs out and replace them by small normal LEDs, bringing them closer to the holes.

Or go totally berserk and add another two LEDs in the microphone openings:



















( from the German motortalk forum)


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## YoungOldUn (Apr 12, 2011)

TT-driver said:


> So, talking solutions: increase the hole size by 1 mm or so. That's the simple solution. Or take the PCB LEDs out and replace them by small normal LEDs, bringing them closer to the holes.
> 
> Or go totally berserk and add another two LEDs in the microphone openings:
> 
> ...


I have to ask the question WHY?

IMHO the small red LEDS are a waste of time and making them or the holes, larger will not make the quality of light output any better only make for more distraction at night. Whatever light is produced is miniscule in comparison to the output from the heating controls and in my case the RNS-e.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Why? Some like it. Audi takes it up this this level these days:










Regarding the size of the holes: the testing of the pudding is in the eating. Leave the grey cover off and see what the leds can do when it's dark. Increasing the hole size in my Honda proved to be very effective. Must admit that the LED was closer to the hole though, but it was only one blue LED.


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