Zephyr007

When adding the matrix LED headlights on the German Audi site it forces an additional change...""This selection requires further customization of your configuration Audi Matrix LED headlights including dynamic front and rear light + 810,00 EUR

The following adjustments are made:
Added interior mirror, automatically dimming + 130,00 EUR

The presumption was that this is the mirror in question. What role if any it actually plays in the whole matrix LED headlight functionality is undetermined. I would agree that it makes much more sense for the front camera/sensor to be integrated into the Matrix LED system, but the fact still remains that the system does indeed force a rear view mirror change. Furthermore the Matrix LED headlight selection is available without adding the "Assistance Package" or the "Adaptive Cruise Control". Even the rendered image in the configurator shows no lower grill camera with the Matrix LED selection. It only appears when selecting the Assistance Package.

While this is all purely speculation the evidence seems to point towards (and against my better judgment) the probability that the Driver Assistance Camera is in fact not used in the Matrix LED system at least on the German A3/S3/RS3.

mattvandyk

i guess the question is then, is that mirror change forced if you select the assistance package and ACC first and then select Matrix LED headlights. If yes, then that component seems to be a critical piece no matter what. If no, then it might be that that component is just a half-measure that we wouldn't need to worry about here (provided that our cars are equipped with the camera for ACC and such).

GrimTango42

You know, its a reach but I think the mirror in question could be standard equipment on the US spec car. The only thing that makes me think this is there is a camera attached to the US spec'd A3 and S3 I believe as standard. I am not sure if this is not standard in the EU spec, but it could be.

The camera for the US spec'd car is used for emergency brake/automatic wipers. It may very well be the same unit with the same equipment needed for the Matrix LED's. It is very often more expensive for auto makers to make too many variations of a vehicle, which is why the pana roof is standard as making vehicles with too much variation is more expensive.

I would be very curious if this is the case. We would likely need to compare actual part numbers between the EU and US mirrors. For the Matrix LED lights to work, if the parts are in fact the same, it may also take a ECU flash to the EU software to work along with the headlights.

I imagine that the police would never be able to tell the difference or know that the matrix lights were not DOT approved yet . Or, maybe the DOT will approve the lights is the near future allowing us early adopters to purchase upgrade kits.

mattvandyk

It strikes me that there are really 5 components to this:

1. The headlight units
2. The wire harness/wiring between the headlight units and the ECU
3. The ECU software
4. The wire harness/wiring between the ECU and the camera/sensor mirror
5. The camera sensor/mirror

It seems like it's going to be fairly challenging to get all 5 of those lined up to effect a proper retrofit...at least for quite awhile.

Mrclopec

No no no no no....no... Yall are confusing two different cameras. The one in the photo below that is on the frontside of the mount for the rearview mirror is just for vehicles with high beam assistant. This version of high beam assistant applies to vehicles with halogen, xenon etc headlights. If changing your build on Audi's build site (whatever country you're building it in) requires you to add the autodimming mirror, has no bearing on the item being added having something to do with the feature youre looking for. Sometimes items are required for a feature, sometimes they just package things for other reasons. The camera in question for the matrix beam will be incorporated into the windshield mounted camera above the rearview mirror. This one is the same camera used for lane assist, traffic sign recognition, etc. Two separate cameras. Both completely unrelated to one another. One covers high beam assist etc, the other actually processes images for more than one feature on the car.

gamegenie

That's just a High-beam assist camera.


If you get the Technology package that includes the Active Lane Assist package, you don't need the High-beam assist camera because the ALA camera does that + read lane markers + road signs (non-USA), etc.

I equipped ALA on my 2015 A3, had to use OBDeleven to enable High-Beam Assist since AudiUSA left the feature off until 2017 Prestige models.

Mrclopec

+1 So much finesse in how you say the same thing. Thanks for simplifying it. :-)

mattvandyk

Relevant to our interests: A3 and S3 owners check your taillights. Do you have red or amber indicators.