Ambient lighting in doors - simple install/retrofit possible?

[Frostybear]

I’ve bought a half alcantara half leather interior from a cupra leon.
I’ve yet to fit it.

It come’s with the ambient light tubes and the 2 LEDs in each door.
My own car does not have this ambient lighting. So I don’t have a compatible headunit (went aftermarket), or BCM, or door controller, or probably wiring loom!

I think the interior is from a facelift cupra, so the LEDs are probably RGB.

Is there any simple way for me get these working? I’d be happy if I had them just stuck on red permanently to match the other buttons.

For reference, the LEDs have 3 wires.

This looks like purple/blue LIN (12V?), red/white control voltage?, brown 0V ? Or is this all CANBUS controlled?

 

[cairus]

LIN(purple/blue)is one Wire Bus. This one say which colour is aktiv

 

[Frostybear]

LIN(purple/blue)is one Wire Bus. This one say which colour is aktiv

Right OK, just discovered LINBUS. I definitely can't just put 12V on LIN then and maybe get red.

I wonder without the LINBUS message, if I just put 12V on red/white and 0V on brown will I get white light from the ambient?

I've not taken my own door card off yet to see what the wiring harness will even be like...will the main connector even be compatible.

 

[Frostybear]

If it proves to be too difficult, I think I will just put in some 12V red LED diodes.

 

[LeylandVCDS]

I will be surprised if you have wiring already there. I had to make up harnesses when I retrofitted power fold mirrors - also, do your door controllers support ambient light?

 

[Frostybear]

I will be surprised if you have wiring already there. I had to make up harnesses when I retrofitted power fold mirrors - also, do your door controllers support ambient light?

A wiring harness was included with each door card. However, I'm not sure yet are all the connectors the same on my own door card, haven't taken them off yet.

I didn't have ambient from the factory, so I don't know will current door controller support it.

 

[LeylandVCDS]

A wiring harness was included with each door card. However, I'm not sure yet are all the connectors the same on my own door card, haven't taken them off yet.

I didn't have ambient from the factory, so I don't know will current door controller support it.

The harness from the LED strip to the female multiplug will be included on the door card, the bit of the harness I doubt will be there is the factory wiring from the door controller to the male bit of the multiplug where the LED strip plugs in.
The wiring from my folding mirrors was complete to the point of the multiplugs, but I had to make up the harnesses from the door controllers to plug the extra wiring into, and add these to the relevant pins on the controllers
Do you have a VCDS scan of the car? If so, what are the part numbers of the left and right door controller modules (modules 42 and 52)? the letter at the end will tell you what controller it is, and RossTech's website will tell you if the ones you've got are compatible - I had to change the door controllers for my mirror retrofit as only basic controllers were factory fitted.

 

[Frostybear]

The harness from the LED strip to the female multiplug will be included on the door card, the bit of the harness I doubt will be there is the factory wiring from the door controller to the male bit of the multiplug where the LED strip plugs in.
The wiring from my folding mirrors was complete to the point of the multiplugs, but I had to make up the harnesses from the door controllers to plug the extra wiring into, and add these to the relevant pins on the controllers
Do you have a VCDS scan of the car? If so, what are the part numbers of the left and right door controller modules (modules 42 and 52)? the letter at the end will tell you what controller it is, and RossTech's website will tell you if the ones you've got are compatible - I had to change the door controllers for my mirror retrofit as only basic controllers were factory fitted.

Yeah that's what I was thinking that no wiring present from door controller to multiplug for the LED.

I have OBDeleven scan on my phone, Driver door is 5Q4959393F. Passenger door 5Q4959392F

 

[LeylandVCDS]

@Frostybear
Have a look at this thread, it certainly appears that wiring is NOT included from factory if ambient lighting is not installed

 

[LeylandVCDS]

Yeah that's what I was thinking that no wiring present from door controller to multiplug for the LED.

I have OBDeleven scan on my phone, Driver door is 5Q4959393F. Passenger door 5Q4959392F

Pretty sure those won't be compatible - my originals were revision F and were pretty basic in what they would control. I had to change them for revision K for my folding mirrors - I managed to get the controllers for £20 a piece, and simply coded them in exactly the same way as the originals, then added stuff like the folding, reverse tilt and memory functions

Easiest way of wiring them would be to simply tap them into the door switch illumination - you wouldn't have a menu on any controllability from the infotainment screen, but they would dim with the panel lights setting as do the LEDs in the switches

 

[Frostybear]

You've given me some things to think about alright! I see that all the bulbs in the door are on a grey wire, might be an easy option.

 

[LeylandVCDS]

That will work - on a previous Octavia I installed interior door handle lights by that method, they worked well

 

[grabania]

Right OK, just discovered LINBUS. I definitely can't just put 12V on LIN then and maybe get red.

I wonder without the LINBUS message, if I just put 12V on red/white and 0V on brown will I get white light from the ambient?

I've not taken my own door card off yet to see what the wiring harness will even be like...will the main connector even be compatible.

Just to answer you question - LIN is not oldschool high/low current, it is protocol that sends digital signal. It is send by BCM and (for ambient lights) it is used to transmit data about brightness and colour of light.

Retrofit is not easy as you have to pull 12V, ground and LIN signal from BCM to each door. Also BCM might need to be changed. However if you are stubborn enough you could do with it some nice things