A while ago I decided to swap out my interior lights for 42DD's LED's since my xenon bulbs were taking a crap on me.

I ordered all the bulbs only to realize the ones for the map lights were not the correct polarity and wouldn't light.

So today I took it upon myself to make them work. This is what I came up with:

These are soldered but reinforced with zipties due to poor adhesion.
<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/lmaoxfilip/leds/leds1.jpg">
<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/lmaoxfilip/leds/leds2.jpg">

The finished product:
<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/lmaoxfilip/leds/leds4.jpg">
<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/lmaoxfilip/leds/leds5.jpg">

Looks great.
<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/lmaoxfilip/leds/leds6.jpg">


Unfortunately, they only light with the door open. Whenever I shut the door, I can hear some relay click in the rear driver's side area after all the lights turn off. If I hit the buttons to light the map lights or dome light or pull the sun visors down and slide the mirror open, they barely light up and shimmer. They don't even put out enough light to reflect on anything.

The whole system seems to revolve around what's in the passenger map light hole. It seems to affect the operation of the entire light system. Putting an incandescent bulb in there seems to make everything work properly.

I'm not sure what to make of it, perhaps the different resistance the diodes cause is throwing off the system. If anyone has any wiring diagrams or something to help me, that'd be appreciated.

I remember someone also found halogen map lights that seemed to match (wish I'd known about them). If anyone knows what those are, that'd be cool to know so I can grab a set.

 

i got the ones from TTStuff.....work fine...

 

A 42DD LED. Only to realize, the TT stuff ones were way more yellow.

<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/lmaoxfilip/0307081732a.jpg">
<img src="http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/lmaoxfilip/0307081732.jpg">

 

You need to pull more current for the map lights to work, adding the resistor should add the needed amount.

RatShack should have them for a few cents.

You can see more on the LEDs I made for my car, and my schematic, at the link...<ul><li><a href="http://public.fotki.com/mcphill/audi_stuff/lighting_systems/led_cabin_lights_-/cabin_led_schematic.html">http://public.fotki.com/mcphill/audi_stuff/lighting_systems/led_cabin_lights_-/cabin_led_schematic.html</a</li></ul>

 

thanks a lot! I'll mess with it tomorrow and post up.

 

That shot of the first light looks pretty white to me...especially compared to the blue one in the second pic.

 

Those are cell pics. The phone doesn't show the color accurately at all...it's really an intense white with perhaps a HINT of blue. It's exactly like the stock xenons.

 

Any luck??? I want to do the same thing for weeks now! Have you found a solution? TIA