Cutting wire to parking lights?

Dalon

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2015
Location
Ohio
TDI
2006 MKV Jetta TDI 1.9L - 237k 2013 Passat TDI - 31k
Hello all, I am doing some retrofitting of the front headlights and had a question. I have an LED switchback strip that works properly during the day (white all the time, goes to yellow for signaling, then switches back) however at night the functionality doesn't work properly due to the parking lights making the strip think the signals are on. I was wondering if I could disable the parking lights by just slicing the wires coming out of the BCM for the parking lights? It seems like there is 2, one for each headlight. The one is on T52A pin 27 and the other wire is on T52C pin 3 of the BCM. Would I have any issues if I just cut these wires? I already scoured through VCDS and there's no way to disable the parking lights through that method unfortunately.
 

jjblbi

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2000
Location
lbi, nj
TDI
2014 Passat SEL TDI
Sorry I can't provide a definitive answer to your question and can say I get a note and bulb out indicator on my dash (2014 SEL) when that bulb is out. Good luck, John
 

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
If I am understanding your setup, then I think your course of action will not help. The turn signal bulb wouldn't have a second line for the parking lights going to it. Instead it uses a single element bulb that the BCM sends a modulated signal to for both functions. If the bulb is needed to be bright for the turn signal the voltage goes high, maybe no modulation at all, and switches back to virtually 0 then on again to flash. When it needs to be run as the running/parking light, the intensity is lower and the BCM sends a pulse modulated signal to "lower" the burn time of the bulb, similar effect as lowering the voltage.

When the parking lights come on, do they switch to a solid amber or do they try to flash as well?

I'm not anywhere near my Passat, so cannot provide any tips on how to proceed with VCDS. If a MkV Jetta there were different settings because in other parts of the world there is to be no amber bulbs running lights on the front, so you could change the behavior of the turn signals as strictly signals or also running lights.
 
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