LEDs bulbs for MKIV Jetta

trailhead

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05sPD-BEWagon "Diesel Girl"
Glad to hear it worked out for you.

I'm still on the hunt for a flasher I can rip apart so I can find the speed resister.

If anyone reading this has a flasher they can spare let me know...
 

trailhead

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05sPD-BEWagon "Diesel Girl"
Yes. After disable bulb monitoring, it flashes a lit a bit faster than normal. The frecvency is obtained from a pair of resistor-capacitor. Capacitor is dificult to change, but resistor is more easy, and can obtain any speed. In my hazard switch , originaly the resistor value was 100Kohm (104). I remove it, and I put temporary a 100K fixed resistor+50K variable resistor in series . From variable resistor I ajusted the flasher speed. After that, I measure the value of entire resistor ajusted , and put a fixed resistor with the same value or close to that. The value is 130Kohm
I'm curious how much range of flash speed you got with that 50k variable? Was It too much variance?

I took apart a seat heater switch, It's got a 10k pot. I'm wondering about switching to a 120k + 10k pot to give me a nice, easy to adjust control mounted right beside the flasher in an empty slot.

Thanks much,
TC
 

hremus

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Brasov, Romania
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101 AXR
The resistor is located between pin 4 and 5 of the chip. Depending of the capacitor value, the resistor could have diferent values. Mine is/was 100k. In therory the frecvency F=1/(R X C X 1.5) Hz. <F is frecvency in Hz, R value of resistor in ohm, and C the capacitor>. In reality, the value of frecvency depends of a chip internal resistor connected to pin 7. That`s why , when removing, pin 7, frecvency increases a bit. So the above formala is no longer valid after pin 7 was removed for an exact calculation. The speed must be ajusted empirically, as you feel it.
In my case (EU hazard switch) with 100K resistor , the F is 1.43Hz => the period is 0,7sec. So for each 100K added , the delay will be 0,7 sec. For 50K 0,35sec. With 100K fix+ 50K var, the period is between 0.7sec and 1.05sec.
 

phaser

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Apr 18, 2004
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Oregon
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2004 Jetta PD - 490k
hremus, your pcb is different, and this is what our hazard pcb looks like. The #7 pin is what we cut.

And I might add that the chip is very small, and the other compponents are just plain tiny.

Which one do you think might be the resistor?

 
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hremus

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101 AXR
Pin 4 of chip is in left bottom position.Pin 5 is in bottom right. I think the resistor is the blue part from the lower center of pcb.
 

phaser

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Apr 18, 2004
Location
Oregon
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2004 Jetta PD - 490k
trail, keep us updated.

If you could, document with photos or video of how you do this.

.
 

trailhead

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05sPD-BEWagon "Diesel Girl"
Might be a while as I'm waiting for a fully functional spare to mod.
I was considering making it variable speed but, decided against as It's really not necessary.
I'll document what I come up with...
 

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
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Nov 27, 2004
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cape cod, ma
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82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
awesome! i just did this, i stumbled upon this while trying to figure out what kind of resistor to add to the front LED turns i just put in my new headlights.. i really despised the idea of putting in resistors, but didn't know of any other reasonable way to do it in the mk4 until i found this. LOVE IT! it does blink a bit faster than normal, but like others have mentioned, i think it's acceptable. probably after driving for a week, it would seem normal, and regular blinkers would seem rather slow :)

anyway, just to clarify which is pin #7, it is the 2nd pin in labeled on that picture. i was thinking it was the last pin (closest to the camera), like how most vw terminals are numbered, but forgot circuit-board type connectors are usually labeled differently.

i used a small razor blade. it is a little tricky to get at that pin without damaging #8.
 

phaser

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Apr 18, 2004
Location
Oregon
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2004 Jetta PD - 490k
just to clarify which is pin #7
Referencing the photo in post #65 & #67

Yes, the #7 pin is 2nd from the top, on the right.

Pin 4 of chip is in left bottom position. Pin 5 is in bottom right.
hremus gets the credit for this great LED hyper flash fix, and no resistors required.

Yes, this will stop fast flashing when led bulb are installed. This chip has built in bulb outage function. It monitor on pin 7(of chip) the current absorbed by bulbs. All you need to do is to cut the circuit to pin 7 of chip. After this the hazzard swich will no longer sense low current consuption and will act normally.
.
 
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burpod

teh stallionz!!1
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cape cod, ma
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82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
yes, sorry, i am a bit frazzled... i was talking about trailhead's picture. after re-reading your post, i see the picture you posted was of our hazard switches. i should have looked at that more carefully because i cut #8 on my first try (had an extra switch).
 

trailhead

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Mar 9, 2013
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Don Valley Toronto
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05sPD-BEWagon "Diesel Girl"
Glad to see others getting results. I've been running this for a while now and find the flash speed to be spot on for downtown driving in Toronto. I feel sleepy when I drive a car with slow flashers now:) and wonder if the faster flash rate of mine sends an unconscious message of urgency to other drivers? I've also noticed my flash rate is spot on with the flash rate of emergency vehicles. At this point I have no interest in slowing the rate.
 

burpod

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cape cod, ma
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82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
i have since driven in the car a few times with the new blink rate, and i must say it feels totally normal. definitely not too fast, in fact, i feel now like the stock rate is a tad slow! :) i love using the LEDs without having to hack in resistors :D although one may argue i hacked up the hazard switch.. but oh well!
 

TDIwes

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Jul 15, 2012
Location
Lake Villa, IL
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2003 Jetta
Hremus, YOU ARE THE MAN!!! Thank you so much for the fix! Finally solved my LED issues. Number 7 pin was a pain to get to, but was able to break the solder with a scribe, very carefully, without damaging the number 8 pin. Now, should I remove the resistors, or keep them installed?
 

burpod

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yes!!! thank you hremus!!! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!

on a side note, i tried buying some cheaper LED 1156 type bulbs off amazon/ebay, hoping they would be as good (or close to it) as the expensive ones from superbrightleds.com. i just find it hard to believe that in this day, you can't find a good quality replacement 1156 led for <$25. they claimed to be ultra-bright SMD type and similar number of LEDs per bulb, but alas, they suck, except for the festoon and 194 type bulbs, which are OK, but so far, in my limited searching i have been unable to find any other LED bulbs that are as good quality as the ones from superbright.... these other ones were far less bright and visually the build quality was noticeably worse.
 

TDIwes

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Jul 15, 2012
Location
Lake Villa, IL
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2003 Jetta
Well, spoke to soon. The dreaded flashing glow plug light came back momentarily. But I put the car in reverse and it went away. Then came back after I put it in drive for about 30 seconds and then went out again. I beginning to think my light is possessed. Think it might be the resistors still installed or that my backup lights might need a resistor?
 

phaser

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Apr 18, 2004
Location
Oregon
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2004 Jetta PD - 490k
Well, spoke to soon. The dreaded flashing glow plug light came back momentarily. Think it might be the resistors still installed...
Interesting. I've had 100% success with this mod.

I wonder if the #7 pin is still making contact, or whether the installed resistors might be the issue.

Or perhaps the flashing glow plug light is related to something else at this point. I wonder what the code might be.

.
 
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TDIwes

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Lake Villa, IL
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2003 Jetta
Well, maybe my ECU is just loopy. Because I think it fixed itself finally. Haven't had the CEL light in at all. haven't changed anything either. I'll take it!
 

trailhead

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Mar 9, 2013
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Don Valley Toronto
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05sPD-BEWagon "Diesel Girl"
Hey! I installed led front marker/signal bulbs today. Of coarse, in usual VW fashion, they didn't work correctly. The bulbs bench tested perfectly.

I'm thinking it's a load issue. I assumed that because I already modded my flasher (the rears work perfect, except for the outer segments of the the center brake light being on low when the car is running), the fronts would be good to go but, no luck.
Has anyone experimented with LED fronts?
Anyone got a simplified schematic for the entire lighting circuit? The Bentley is mind numbingly complex for my ocd brain.

Thanks,
TC
 

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Location
cape cod, ma
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82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
sometimes the LED 1156/1157 bulbs don't quite fit in the sockets correctly. it seems like they fit, but the contacts are actually not touching. you sure that isn't the case? i've put LEDs in every light in my mk4, as well as my "mk1" without any issue except for a a couple sockets had to be slightly modified in the mk1. the front signals in my mk4 aren't in stock headlights however, but they work fine. afaik, there should not be any "load" issue at all up thru mk4, don't know anything about the newer cars as far as that goes...
 

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Location
cape cod, ma
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82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
well the mk4 i'm talking about is my gf's 06 golf, but the headlights are HIDs by freakwithracket. it's been so long since i've had stock headlights, i can't even remember what bulb the stock ones take.. but i thought it was an 1156. i just know this issue has happened once in a while with the LEDs i get
 

tongsli

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Joined
Jan 31, 2000
Location
Baltimore, MD
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 2004, Jetta Wagon TDI PD
Yes. After disable bulb monitoring, it flashes a lit a bit faster than normal. The frecvency is obtained from a pair of resistor-capacitor. Capacitor is dificult to change, but resistor is more easy, and can obtain any speed. In my hazard switch , originaly the resistor value was 100Kohm (104). I remove it, and I put temporary a 100K fixed resistor+50K variable resistor in series . From variable resistor I ajusted the flasher speed. After that, I measure the value of entire resistor ajusted , and put a fixed resistor with the same value or close to that. The value is 130Kohm

Does this affect the use of the comfort module relay?
 

Bocesco

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Location
Toronto, ON Canada
TDI
MK4 Golf TDI
Hi guys,
Hremus thanks for helping everyone out!
Can somebody help me locate pin # 7 on this switch? It looks different than the pictures posted by others. Thank you!
 

Bocesco

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Location
Toronto, ON Canada
TDI
MK4 Golf TDI
thanks Trailhead but....

That's a "euro" flasher switch. The answer is already in one of Hramus's pictures in this thread.
The picture that Hremus posted doesnt look anything like the switch that I have though. I've read the thread over about 6 times now. I thought that maybe the 7th pin is the 2nd from the right on the bottom row in the image i posted, but i'm not sure...


Any info regarding which pin is correct from the photo i attached would be great. I received my LED's in the mail today and would love to install them tonight.
 

Bocesco

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Location
Toronto, ON Canada
TDI
MK4 Golf TDI
Here is another way to ask the same question. I have drawn an arrow to ask more specifically if
This pin is the one I need to remove the contact for.
 

trailhead

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05sPD-BEWagon "Diesel Girl"
Yes, I am talking about that image. I was just just looking at it a few minutes ago. It's not as clear as I recall. Because he cut the trace from p7 it doesn't help us. It's also clearly different. Sorry about that.

In your picture I can't make out the p1 dot or notch. Can you look closely at your chip and try to identify a notch in the side edge? It'll most likely be the bottom left corner. Once you find p1 as indicated by a dot or notch, just count in a counter clock-wise direction to p7.

Good luck!
 
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