W8 light mod

[djmike]

Hi guys so I’m trying to sort this mod out I have a W8 light i got the harness from travelinlite I’ve run the wire down the A pilar to the light switch. I’ve tapped into the grey/blue wire but when i close the door the red ambient lights go off I want them to be on like all the other buttons in the cab that are red.
Any help appreciated cheers Mike

 

[dubber36]

Have you got other ambient lights to tap into?
In the W8 Passat, the ambient lighting was switched like the radio. On with the ignition, then off when the key was removed.

 

[djmike]

Hi no other ambient lights as of yet but will be adding footwell lights soon

 

[Vedubber]

Black wire coming out of the headlight switch.

 

[djmike]

Black wire coming out of the headlight switch.

Great thanks mate

 

[Vedubber]

Great thanks mate

That will run with the lights being switched on.

 

[djmike]

Great that’s what I’m after I assume the map reading lights will go off when doors are closed

 

[djmike]

So I connected to the black wire but the ambient lights still go off when closing the door. Not sure what else to try any help appreciated

 

[Vedubber]

I’ve not seen the ‘kit’ what do the instructions say?

 

[djmike]

no instructions mate maybe I’ll drop travelinlite a message about it. I just bought the harness from them the W8 light is a aliexpress job

 

[Vedubber]

no instructions mate maybe I’ll drop travelinlite a message about it. I just bought the harness from them the W8 light is a aliexpress job

Ah ok, as it says full instructions included from them.

Is it the yellow wire from the adapter that’s being run to the current black wire? As that’s a constant feed out of the headlight switch when the lights are on.

Makes me think it’s not going to the right pins in the light itself.

Might be worth using a 9v battery to test the pins in the light itself to see what pin powers the ambient LEDs

 

[djmike]

Yes that’s right what you’re saying about the wire.when I got the light from aliexpress it came with a harness without a long wire maybe I should try connecting that up with with a wire to the black wire on the headlight switch as that harness might work

Thanks for the help matey

 

[John A]

Did you get this sorted @djmike?

I have fitted one but my on/off behaviour is not right.
When the switch is in the door position, it doesn’t come on at all. In the off position it is activated by door open.

Travelin-Lite’s instructions say that 2 black wires (out of four) in the connector need to be swapped.
Both the connector and the loom in the van only have 3 wires.
The van is brown, brown with a red stripe and grey with a red stripe.
I’ve tried Travelin-Lite but their comms are hopeless.

 

[djmike]

Hey mate thanks for asking yes got it the wiring loom from travelinlite is wired I think for uk cars I used the loom that came with the light and added my own wire to the light switch and it worked thank god lol

 

[John A]

I bought the modded version
Their instructions show 4 pins in the connector, but theirs has 3 and so does mine…

 

[Greybeard]

I bought the modded version
Their instructions show 4 pins in the connector, but theirs has 3 and so does mine…

Hi @John A

I happened across an old promo email from Travelin-Lite re these and managed to bag the ‘last’ one.

When I saw the instructions re removing trim and connecting to headlight switch I put it all in my ‘What have you bought and not fitted yet box’!

If you manage to sort yours please post how.

Many thanks,
Andy

 

[John A]

It’ll just be pin swap Andy
I just need to work out how to depin that connector.

 

[John A]

Hi @John A

I happened across an old promo email from Travelin-Lite re these and managed to bag the ‘last’ one.

If you manage to sort yours please post how.

Many thanks,
Andy

Andy - you may have got the last one at the time but TL have definitely released some more.
As I’ve read elsewhere, it looks like the light units are Chinese Ali Express clones (with all of the right markings) and they’re either untouched or modded with the hardwired connector if you haven’t got the space above the light unit.
I bought the modded one because I didn’t actually do the reading and just assumed that’s what I needed for the van.

Anyway - when I fitted it, it didn’t work properly.
I thought the connector could be de-pinned by pressing down on one retaining tang, but I needed to buy the terminal tool.
I say needed to buy, because I misplaced the one I bought nearly 15 years ago and they’re £16 now….
Rather than hijack this, I’ll update my own build thread later, but suffice it to say for now that I’ve got it working as expected.