Rear Flashers ought to be yellow

Funguy

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Believe it or not I thought the Passat would have yellow turn signals/hazard lights. I believe that the yellow lights are FAR more effective when changing lanes and when stopped or slowing on fast roads where I like to flash the yellows to warn traffic behind me. I also use my flashers when driving in the fog. Everyone knows yellow penetrates fog better than red. To my surprise the rear hazards are red and the clear lenses on the rear of the car are apparently dummies. The reverse lights are only the inner two lenses.

Has anyone considered installing construction/emergency type yellow flashers in those dummy clear fixtures? I have been thinking about this for rear hazards at least if not turn signals.
 

Dcwhybrew

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Oklahoma
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2013 Passat TDI SE
If you want yellow flashers, go buy the Chinese LED tail lights on eBay. You'll also get rear fogs too.
 

Jetta_Pilot

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Just curious, what would a yellow bulb do behind a red lens?

I know for example with LED bulbs that theoretically you should have a red bulb behind a red lens.
 

rwolff

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You'd still get red light, but dimmer than with a clear bulb. The yellow on the glass, and the red on the housing, are not perfect filters - they stop most (but not all) of the light of other colours, so what you're getting is basically the light that's close enough to the "passband" to get through both filters.

You'll have more light loss if you use an LED bulb than a yellow incandescent, since the yellow LED is pure yellow (due to the way LEDs work) rather than a band of wavelengths centered on yellow, so a smaller percentage of the light is in the passband of the red lens on the housing.
 

Funguy

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rwolff is correct but on my car there are clear lenses (the outer set) that appear to have nothing behind them. I thought they were yellow turn signals but they are simply dummies. Only the inner clear lenses (on the trunk lid) are active and they are reverse lights
 

Funguy

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If you want yellow flashers, go buy the Chinese LED tail lights on eBay. You'll also get rear fogs too.
I don't think I want to go with a whole new tail light assembly. They may be less bright, less water tight and less enduring. But on the other hand they would probably be plug and play and with a rear fog light as you say.

Just wondering if i am the only nerd who thinks about things like yellow turn and hazard flashers being superior and would consider xenon flashers? :eek:
 

tdiatlast

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There is no legal requirement in the US for amber turns/flashers. Auto manufacturers have modified rear lights for years, from model year to model year, whenever they "refresh" a 1 or 2 year old model. (2001 Honda Odyssey: solid red...2003 Odyssey, exact same shape, switched to red/amber. I bought the newer tails, as the solid red were virtually invisible as turn/flasher)
I completely agree with you, but this design philosophy is consistent across all brands.
 

jrm

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Oregon
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2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
I almost rear ended a NMS few months back, only then did I notice that both the brake and turn's are very dim. a single 1156 lighting up a couple of << >> symbols is very sub par. I'm still not 100% sure how VW is getting a 1156 to do the job of a 1157 dual filament :confused: unless the control module is only sending 6 volts as tail and 12 as brake/turn?
 
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gforce1108

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I'm still not 100% sure how VW is getting a 1156 to do the job of a 1157 dual filament :confused: unless the control module is only sending 6 volts as tail and 12 as brake/turn?
Not exactly sending 6v, but close... It's called PWM (pulsed width modulation). It's basically pulsing the full voltage, mimicking a lower voltage. It's the reason trailer wiring gets expensive and why you can't put an amber bulb for the signal (it's also the parking and brake light).
 

VeeDubFamily

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Temescal Valley, CA
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2013 NMS Passat TDI SEL
I did the swap to the Chinese OEM led tail lights with the rear fog and amber turns. Not sure about the eBay options but mine are true OEM. However they are not plug and play at all. There's wiring changes that need to take place at the BCM. One would also need to add additional wiring and get the correct euro switch to get the rear fog functional. I have not seen or noticed any portion of the light being any less bright.

Here's a shot of my tails with the rear fog on:


This is one of my Passat parked next to another that is the same color but has the factory installed OEM non led tails:


Here are close ups of each so you can see the difference:
LED:


Non- LED:


Lastly the amber turn signal:


This mod was not extremely difficult but it does require a good amount of time making adaptors, running the new wires and coding changes in byte 18 with VCDS. But the finished look/functionality is totally worth it IMO.


Josh
 

Funguy

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+1. Those look REAL nice!! I don't even have vcds. I plan to retire this fall. That would give me time to "stupid" my way through the job.
 
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cevans

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Honestly, with the frustration you'll experience trying to get them to behave correct, you'll probably want to un-retire and go back to work...
 

Funguy

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I am leaving a job I love because of endless micro-management . NOTHING will make me un-retire but I get your drift lol. Those lights really look good though and answer all my concerns. We'll see I guess.
 

VeeDubFamily

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2013 NMS Passat TDI SEL
Thanks guys! I could not be more pleased with them!

I had no frustration or difficulty getting them to behave/function correctly. Simply followed a DIY PDF thats out there on installing these. If anyone's interested pm me an email address and I'll send you the PDF along with answer any questions about the installation.

I will say though that if you don't have a good understanding of the BCM, re-pinning, wiring, soldering and dismantling a good portion of the drivers side interior & trunk trim it may not be a project you want to take on.


Josh
 

Jetta_Pilot

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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
This is something I'd love to do, but in view of the fact I have 5 more years of warranty on my car, I'll just be envious of your nice looking tails.

I'll go so far as to replace a number of bulbs with CANBUS LED bulbs, but that should be fine since they are not covered anyway.
 

jjblbi

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lbi, nj
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2014 Passat SEL TDI
Josh,

May I inquire approximately how much the Chinese OEM led tail lights cost?
 

VeeDubFamily

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2013 NMS Passat TDI SEL
I got mine from "bold-sport.com" and paid $399, unfortunately they no longer have them listed on their site.

Winpower used to sell them too but again no longer have them listed.

The only sources that I know of are the ones on eBay. These may or may not be OEM. However the ones that I've seen appear to be the same as mine.


Josh
 

Funguy

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Front Range of Colorado
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2015 Golf Sportwagen dsg and 2015 Passat 6 M/T
So now (three years later) I finally did something about this. I went the easy way and replaced the two outside tail lights with LED strobe flashing bulbs. They are much brighter (even when not braking) and they flash three time when the brake is pressed. Also installed resistors to prevent the dash warning lights.

I feel good that they are brighter even when the brake is not pressed which will be nice in foul weather. A little worried about bored cops bothering me but so far no problems.

They do NOT flash when the taillights are on steady because the triple flash has already been activated by turning the lights on. This may be good because I think it would be very annoying to cars behind me in traffic. The turn signal (and hazards) double flash continuously (again only day time) which I like. Alla Lighting 2800lm BA15S 1156 Red Strobe Flashing LED Bulbs Super Bright BA15S 7506. $20 pair on Amazon and these 4Pcs Aaron 50W 6ohm Load Resistors $9. You only need one resistor per bulb though

I would have liked the Chinese LEDs like VeeDub did but "a man has got to know his limitiations" and I think I would have had trouble with that mod.
 

VernK

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Kelowna
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2012 Passat 2.5L Gas
There is no legal requirement in the US for amber turns/flashers. Auto manufacturers have modified rear lights for years, from model year to model year, whenever they "refresh" a 1 or 2 year old model. (2001 Honda Odyssey: solid red...2003 Odyssey, exact same shape, switched to red/amber. I bought the newer tails, as the solid red were virtually invisible as turn/flasher)
I completely agree with you, but this design philosophy is consistent across all brands.
For a time in the late 60's, amber turn signals were against the rules in the USA, both forwards & back. Forward had to be white, back red. Interestingly, this was also true in Italy. That rule might reach back into the 50's, but I'm only sure from 1965 on (when the Rover P6s I collect entered North America).

It had changed by 1969 though.

Yours
Vern
 
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Fixmy59bug

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Las Vegas, NV
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2015 Passat TDI SE
For a time in the late 60's, amber turn signals were against the rules in the USA, both forwards & back. Forward had to be white, back red. Interestingly, this was also true in Italy. That rule might reach back into the 50's, but I'm only sure from 1965 on (when the Rover P6s I collect entered North America).

It had changed by 1969 though.

Yours
Vern
Are you implying that amber turn signals (front and rear) were illegal in the late 1960's?

Because if so, I ask how so many cars got certified for sale in that time frame with amber turn signals?
 

Funguy

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2015 Golf Sportwagen dsg and 2015 Passat 6 M/T
For a time in the late 60's, amber turn signals were against the rules in the USA, both forwards & back. Forward had to be white, back red. Interestingly, this was also true in Italy. That rule might reach back into the 50's, but I'm only sure from 1965 on (when the Rover P6s I collect entered North America).

It had changed by 1969 though.

Yours
Vern
Hey Vern: I can't recall any amber rear turn signals from that time frame. I kind of remember noticing them when they first started coming out i think. I'm not sure about the fronts though? I remember seeing a lot of amber front turn signals. Guy
 

VernK

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Are you implying that amber turn signals (front and rear) were illegal in the late 1960's?
Because if so, I ask how so many cars got certified for sale in that time frame with amber turn signals?
British carmakers seemed to think so. And looking into it a bit, it seems more complicated that just legal or illegal. From wiki, with what may be the important bits bolded:

Until the early 1960s, most front turn signals worldwide emitted white light and most rear turn signals emitted red. The auto industry in the USA voluntarily adopted amber front-turn signals for most vehicles beginning in the 1963 model year,[58][59] though the advent of amber signals was accompanied by legal stumbles in some states[60] and front turn signals were still legally permitted to emit white light until FMVSS 108 took effect for the 1968 model year, whereupon amber became the only permissible front turn signal colour. Presently, most countries outside of the United States and Canada require that all front, side and rear turn signals produce amber light. Exceptions include New Zealand.[61]

In Canada, and the US the rear signals may be amber or red. Additionally, red turn signals can also be found in countries with trade agreements with the US such as in Mexico or South Korea. American regulators and other proponents of red rear turn signals have historically asserted there is no proven safety benefit to amber signals, though it has been recognized since the 1960s that amber turn signals are more quickly spotted than red ones.[62][63][64] International proponents of amber rear signals say they are more easily discernible as turn signals,[65] and US studies in the early 1990s demonstrated improvements in the speed and accuracy of following drivers' reactions to stop lamps when the turn signals were amber rather than red.[65][66][67][68][69]

To sum up, prior to 1963 it seems white was the forward signal lamp colour of choice. In 1963, US companies started to introduce amber lamps, with some trouble with states that had white light rules but it wasn't until 1968 that they were mandated by federal rules.

The current US rules are that forward signal lamps must be amber, rear signal lamps can be red or amber. The forward parking lights can be white or amber.

Yours
Vern
 
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Funguy

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2015 Golf Sportwagen dsg and 2015 Passat 6 M/T
Also, amber penetrates foul weather much better than red. This you can see with traffic lights in the fog. The yellow most visible, then green, followed by red being the one hardest to see.
 

Imi

New member
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May 28, 2021
Location
Iowa
TDI
TDI 2.0 SEL
I did the swap to the Chinese OEM led tail lights with the rear fog and amber turns. Not sure about the eBay options but mine are true OEM. However they are not plug and play at all. There's wiring changes that need to take place at the BCM. One would also need to add additional wiring and get the correct euro switch to get the rear fog functional. I have not seen or noticed any portion of the light being any less bright.

Here's a shot of my tails with the rear fog on:


This is one of my Passat parked next to another that is the same color but has the factory installed OEM non led tails:


Here are close ups of each so you can see the difference:
LED:


Non- LED:


Lastly the amber turn signal:


This mod was not extremely difficult but it does require a good amount of time making adaptors, running the new wires and coding changes in byte 18 with VCDS. But the finished look/functionality is totally worth it IMO.


Josh
I did the swap to the Chinese OEM led tail lights with the rear fog and amber turns. Not sure about the eBay options but mine are true OEM. However they are not plug and play at all. There's wiring changes that need to take place at the BCM. One would also need to add additional wiring and get the correct euro switch to get the rear fog functional. I have not seen or noticed any portion of the light being any less bright.

Here's a shot of my tails with the rear fog on:


This is one of my Passat parked next to another that is the same color but has the factory installed OEM non led tails:


Here are close ups of each so you can see the difference:
LED:


Non- LED:


Lastly the amber turn signal:


This mod was not extremely difficult but it does require a good amount of time making adaptors, running the new wires and coding changes in byte 18 with VCDS. But the finished look/functionality is totally worth it IMO.


Josh
Hi, Can you please tell where did you buy these! I’m about to sent my passat 2013 TDI SEL in Europe but first need to change the tail lights! I’m looking for these for about 2 months now but no luck! Thank you
 

740GLE

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Aug 19, 2009
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NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
So why are euro rear fog lights red?

On the mk7 GSW, VW added an red lenses behind the clear shell of the housing, you can pluck the red lens out of the housing and toss in amber LED bulbs and do some wizbang coding to get amber turn signals for the price of the LED bulbs.

I wonder if similar can be had with the NMS.
 

Funguy

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Joined
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Front Range of Colorado
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2015 Golf Sportwagen dsg and 2015 Passat 6 M/T
So why are euro rear fog lights red?
Perhaps because they are on steady and not flashing? Also a steady red light from the car in front of you won't blind you like a yellow light would.
It is pretty obvious though that yellow cuts through fog, snow and rain better.
 

740GLE

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So you want to blind people, or do you want to be seen?

Some how I think you're the guy who tossed the flashers on when it's a heavy mist.
 

Funguy

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Front Range of Colorado
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2015 Golf Sportwagen dsg and 2015 Passat 6 M/T
I don't think you read what I wrote. In answer to your question why euro fog lights are red, I said a steady red light will NOT blind [the driver following] you like yellow would. Not sure why you are assuming that I am trying to blind anyone.
 

740GLE

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NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Sounds like you want to run yellow flashers when it's damp out, which from your own words will blind people.
 
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