@@miggy_moto2383 That's great that the ambient lighting came out well! I saw your post about the color change switch, did you figure it out? If not, it's a tiny switch toward the end of the strips. Also, would you mind sharing with others where you purchased them from?
Finally a new video! This mod looks great, I really liked how this kit came with the extension connection. Looks really good on your S3 and I love your informative videos. Cheers friend.
I’ve seen your stuff on audizine and I think you seriously have the best videos out there for DIY projects! I’m an Audi A3 owner in WA and am a fan! Quick question: I was reading another comment on here and it looks like I’ll need to have a lock switch in all of my doors for a direction connection, otherwise I’ll have to splice the wires?
Your feedback is very much appreciated Jonathan; makes all the hard work worthwhile. To answer your question, yes, you will need to splice into a lighted power source. What I mean by that is...your door *should* have something which is lighted when you turn on your "dome" lights. Most likely, your power window switch is lighted. If, so, I would tap into that source, but make sure you test it with a voltage meter.
Hi Peter, after your video about the ambient light, I went and bought the trims and installed the lights but my question is only the driver side lights up the rest none at all. Is there anything I left out or do I need to code ? Just want your feedback in the problem I have encountered. My name is samson and my car is Audi A3 8V Sline. Thanks for your video uploads. It has helped me a lot upgrading my car cosmetically.
Hi Need some help I have installed these on all doors & plugged them all in only have the Drivers door LED working ,the passenger and rear doors don’t light up ..I understand the drivers door only has a 12v supply how do I get 12v to the rest of the trims Thanks I have a RHD S3 Australian model
Hello! Good video. The lights only work on driverside. Thats were the brown plug was and it was easy to just plug and play. On the other 3 doors, I can’t seem to find the same brown plug? Where is the plug on the other 3 doors? Help me please
I’d really like to do this as well, but I don’t like the carbon fiber look because the rest of the trim in my A3 is this aluminum. How does it blend in in your car? Do you notice any difference?
The Amateur Retrofitter, you bring up a valid point because there is several aluminum trim pieces throughout the interior. The dash itself has 3 pieces and the rest are rather smaller. What I did, and what I would recommend is... purchase a kit that includes the dash pieces. By doing this, all the CF parts "flow" together much better. There still remains a few smaller aluminum trims pieces, but it's not as noticeable and does not bother me one bit. Another point to consider, the door panels are very dark so the CF pieces somewhat "blend" in and isn't as pronounced as you would think.
Did your kit also come with the dashboard trim, I've found a kit identical that also changes the dashboard trim but curious as to removal and wire routing for that piece, the doors look easy enough.
Hi, this was very helpful video. Do you have any idea if it’s the same installation on the new Audi A3 8y 2020 ? I’m planning to do the same thing on mine.
francksa54, unfortunately, I could not tell you. I have not performed this install on a 2020. I would assume the process isn't too far off my procedures though.
I see them on aliexpress but i don’t think they have the same cable conectors do tou know anything more about this?? I really want to do is myself bit nowhere is a video of how to do it and what kind of parts they use
hello, thank you for this video, I just started the installation from paris France, I have the same concern quoted in the other comments, no led in the rear and passenger front door, I wanted to know where I can recover a wire 12v in the door, as the connection on the window button does not work, thank you for your help
nabilxp, when you connect to the 12v on the window button, what happens? Do you have your dimmer switch turned to full brightness? Some others who have run into this problem, had their dimmer switch turned down. This causes a lower input to the wire, thus, not powering up the lights. If you have your dimmer turned to full brightness, you could also tap into the 12V which lights up the door handles.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic thank you for your help, I just found where the problem comes from, the product wiring is not suitable for connecting the other 3 doors, there are 12v in the switch wires, I redid the cable manually, everything works, even if it takes more time :) did you try to put the leds on the trims of the dashboard ?
@@nabilxp3038, that's fantastic that you figured the wiring out! On my set-up, I must have been lucky as they worked the first time around with no issues. Regarding the dashboard trims, no, I installed CF inlays as removing the OEM unit would require a substantial amount of work.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic I tested the cables that come out after the Chinese adapter, it's those for the window control, even on the announcement it says don't put negative feedback, as there is not enough current behind, but that have nothing to do with that, I think like it comes from the same supplier, thank you for your help, and a good luck with the covid from france
Nice explaining, i just saw that you have another video about the same thing but in the other video you drill the panel, do i also have to drill the door panel? I want to install leds too but it looks a little bit too complicated in the other video but in this one it looks simpler
Tilki, in this video, I used pre-made door trims which connected right into the OEM connector. Aside from removing the door panel, it was easy. Some users have indicated that their trim addition was more difficult due to the power requirements of the LED, however, they still managed to get it to work. (You do not have to drill into your panel) The other video you watched, I retrofitted LED bulbs to add ambient lighting. In this case, you would have to drill. The most critical thing, finding the correct power wire. In my video, I do cover which one to use. Good luck Tilki, this is a project worth the trouble!
The Automotive Fanatic so I purchased this item finally arrived after 2 months but now I realised this lights take 12v and the door only has 6v so after fitting it I try to turn it on it never worked. Is there anything you could suggest thank you
@@mohammadrassuli2451, I have read and seen other owners having the same issue as you. The first thing you need to check, is the dimmer switch turned all the way up? If so, you may have to hard wire these into your vehicle's wiring. On my video, "door panel ambient lighting" I detail out which wires you can use to gain power. Give it a try!
Thanks for the feedback and support. I have not seen many reputable trims for sale so unfortunately, I cannot make any recommendations. Keep an eye out on AliExpress or eBay though.
I have a 2013 Audi A3 with only the door lock switch on the driver's door, what wires on the window switch do I splice into for the other doors? (I'm from the UK if that makes any difference)
If you do not have plugs for the other doors, you're going to need a voltage meter. Take a look at each door and see if anything lights up when you turn the headlight switch on. If something lights up, use a voltage meter to find out which one is providing a position current when the headlight is on. From there, you can attach the "red" line from your LED and the "black" line to a grounding wire.
Josh, it's the same idea...your E92 *should* have lighted buttons on the door panels so you can tap into that for dimmer control. As far as a trims for the E92, you might be able to use fiber optics strips from eBay.
Hi Peter, I want to install the LED door sills on my 2015 A3 on all 4 doors, but I don't know where to tap in for these, since I don't have the footwell lights nor the wiring installed. I've only retrofitted the puddle lights. Do you have any suggestions? Should I tap in on the same wires I used for the puddle lights? Thanks in advance for your comments.
@Sjuric, this has been a common question and the good news is, you can still get the LED lights to work. What I recommend is, use the power wire that lights up your power window switch. If yours is anything like mine, that switch should power on when you turn your head lights on. When simply find a ground point. If you install it this way, your door LEDs will come on and also be controlled by the dimmer switch.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic Peter, Thanks for your email and suggestion. I'm installing the LED Moving Welcome Door Sill Scuff Plates for the front and rear doors and I only want it to come on when I open the car door. If I do it like you suggested, will this still be the case? Sorry if I didn't understand you correctly.
@@sjuricstatie8710, here is what I recommend...it's tedious, but will work. First off, locate the wire you used to power your puddle lights. Remember that color combination. From there, you will have to remove the panel where the door sills are. Underneath there, you will see a TON of color coded wires. If the wires are not there, they may be located toward the footwell panel (you'll need to remove that too). Once you have identified the wire, double check it with a voltage meter. If it's the correct one, tap it to it and you'll be good to go. Unfortunately, you'll need to do this for all four doors.
Hiya great video really explained how to do it to a T!! Could you possibly put a link of them so i can order some please I've looked on Ebay and few other places searching "Audi S3/A3 Aluminum Trim Replacement with LEDs" but cant really find what im looking for. Thanks in advance :DDD
Thanks for watching and the support Owen. These trim pieces where bought from a buddy of mine in Japan. The only site I've seen them for sale, is on AliExpress. Go to AliExpress and search under: "audi s3 interior led trim" and you'll see many for sale.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic thanks for the quick reply. just had a look on there mines an a3 8p (09) so im not sure if it will fit mine afterall. Thanks for the help none the less !!
Hello, just fited these into my A3 and the drivers door works fine but the others don't, the electric windows didn't seem to work when it was pluged in either. Put a LED on the end of the cables to test for power and its dim, and when you try and wind down the windows the LED goes slightly brighter, but the windows stay up. Your help would be appreciated, thanks.
Hey Sean, sorry you're having some issues. What trims did you end up picking up? Are they a direct plug-in? If not, what power wire did you tap into? Share with me more details and I'll do what I can to help.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic I have attached a copy of the trim I purchased from ebay, it's a plug and play version. The drivers door works well and its connected to the lock/unlock and door handle light plug if that makes sense, the other 3 door lights are connected to the electric windows switch, which is the only connector that fits the type they supplied. On your rear doors what did you connect them too? Thanks mate. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x-Car-Door-LED-Carbon-Fiber-Decor-Atmosphere-Light-Panel-Trim-Lamp-For-A3-8V-UK/113866047890?hash=item1a82f20192:g:QbIAAOSwMnJdYzUz
@ Sean, I reviewed the kit you purchased and it looks to be correct. The connections should be a "Y" type. For the install on all my doors, I connected to the same plug as you, as it's the only one which will fit. With what you're experiencing, I wonder if you received a defective kit. This might also sound elementary, but did you turn your dimmer switch all the way up? In some kits, I have heard that if you have the dimmer switch turned down some, it reduces the voltage and your LED trims will not work correctly. IF...your trim pieces are all working but it's the Y connections which are faulty, then you may have to tap into a power source which is controlled by the dimmer switch. For my ambient lighting in the door pockets, I did this and it works flawlessly.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic yeah the dimmer was all the way up, I will try tapping into the door handle light as I know this works off the dimmer switch like you did and let you know in the next few days, thank you.
Congratulations for the videos! It are amazing!! I live in Brazil and I couldn't find any where ou any video in portuguese that could explaned me how to install it! Thankyou very much and congratulations again! How ever, I am afraid to buy it and the Double of the others 3 passangers doors don't work beacause of the insufficient 6V. Is it hard to find a 12V power source in the passangers doors? Does it turn on the lights when I open the dor or when I turn on the lights of the car? Thankyou for your attention!
Hello Lucas and thank you for watching and the support. You're smart to be cautious with this install as a few of my subscribers have had issues with the trims they purchased. The best way to find power, is to turn on your lights to see if anything on your door illuminates. Typically, the door lock or window switches will light up with the head lights switch. You can use power from either one of those if you do not want a "direct" connection. Just make sure you test with a voltage meter for power. Hope this helps you Lucas!
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic I was wondering the same thing, euro spec cars don’t come with lock switches on the passenger and rear doors, I’m thinking on buying them on ebay ( the switches) but I’m not sure if they are plug and play or if there is any coding to be done. I have the trims with the leds in my AliExpress’ shopping cart but that’s holding me back. Also, I would like to know if the lights are on all the time or if they dim after a while. Thank you for your video tutorial!
@@luisfmoreno US spec S3's are similar. They come with lock switches on the passenger side, but not for either rear doors. The main concept here, is finding a "power" line which dims with the dimmer switch. Do Euro spec S3s come with power windows? If so, I believe those are also lighted as well, correct? You can tap into power from those switches. and they will only come on, when the interior lights are on.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic thanks for answering. Mine only have on the driver’s door. Yes, they have electric windows, I’ll check tomorrow if that switch lights up. Thanks again !
Hi since the RHD models don't have the lock and unlock switch there is no way to plug the kit to anything. Would you know any other way I could get power to the ambient trim.
@@nw8938 if the window switch illuminates, you should be able to grab power from that. Make sure that the dimmer is turned all the way up. Also make sure you have a solid grounding connection. I would also make sure the lights work too. Briefly connect it to your battery just to test. Red to red, black to black.
I can't seem to find the right set, the ones on eBay don't have the front trim pieces and are also not real carbon fiber but ABS Plastic. any way to purchase another set from your friend in Japan???
@@Koetitoo Have you managed to install them? I'm hesitant to purchase from there based on the reviews claiming they don't work as they require a 12v supply
Yes, they have the same interior. Read some of the comments below though. Some other 8V members have indicated that units they purchased, were not a plug n play like the ones I had. They had to hard wire them in.
Hi! This video made my installation a breeze. I do have something, my toggle is not working, either side I flip it, it keeps going and going. Do you know why?
@ kleanllen, this trims were purchased from a buddy of mine in Japan. They are not genuine Audi parts, but the quality was top notch! Unfortunately, the supplier no longer carries these items.
I have just installed the same trim pieces but only the drivers door is working. Everything is connected how it suppose be and double checked. They should be working because i have tested them outside the car. Does anyone have any idea why they not working when connected to the car? I need help 😅
Hi, nice video mate, i have a question tho, ive got the Audi A3 E-tron im not sure if my car any different power or not, but has anyone tried this on their E-tron? I want to buy, but first i want to be sure that its gonna work. Thx
@ Itsyaboi Me, I cannot confirm if this would work on the E-Tron or not. My guess is, it would work as the electrical setup is similar. If you want to take apart the door panel and compare it against mine, you can just to confirm.
The Automotive Fanatic well i ordered the product and i just tried to install it and it didn’t work tho i tried the back door first! First the connector didn’t match and second i had to connect via the door handle switch, but it didn’t turn on! I read that some people tried direct wring and i wanna which cable is the one the wire to. Im a noob i don’t wanna mess up my car. If anybody has a fix for that please let me know!!
@@VaNoFxO, I have seen many others try with the same issues. Here is what I would recommend and it's not a terribly difficult solution. The wires coming from the new LED inserts should be RED (which is positive) and BLACK (which is negative/ground/earth whatever it's call where you live). You can connect those directly to the correct OEM wiring. Get a voltage meter (it's about $10USD) and test which one gives you power when controlled with the dimmer. Connect the RED (positive) to that one. Then find a negative wire and connect the BLACK (negative) to that one. Finally, make sure your dimmer switch is turned all the way up as this gives power to all the lights controlled by the dimmer. Read what NADBILXP wrote below in the comments. This might help you too.
Hi, I’m from London. I’ve just fitted the lights and only the drivers side is working. I have contacted the other ones to the window switch. I even turned up the dimmer switch. But it’s still not working. Can u help
@@burhanuddin7750, not a silly question at all. When I say "hard-wire" I mean physically connecting the wires from the trims to the car's wiring. If you need reference, what this video that I made for the ambient lighting: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7jeXjUtiEiQ.html
Thanks for watching my videos and the support! If your A3 is a 2011, the setup I have will unfortunately, not fit your chassis. You have the 8P body style and would need to purchase trims made for your 8P body style.
Cris, when I removed the door units, they were held in by screws. I believe the front ones may need to be removed with the dash completely removed as well. You could though, try to "pry" them out with a prying tool.
Eddie, I purchased these from a friend in China, who then mailed them to me. If you look on eBay, there are several sellers who sell them. As far as their availability for the Cab, I am not sure.
Could you share the eBay link where I could purchase these from? I’m really interested in getting them! Also if you could make a video of how to replace the dashboard trims too it would be very helpful
hi! and thank you for many amzing videos :) i have the same car as you, and i bought the same install set you have. on the driver side in the power window switch there was 6v and it works well, but on the other 3 doors, there is only 0,6v and the LED dont work. any suggestion? best regards, john
John, that's quit a difference in power. 6V to .6V...do you have the dimmer knob turned all the way up? I read from another manufacture, if you dim the lights by the dimmer knob, it might not have enough voltage. If you've done this and it's still not working, there is one more thing I would recommend. Find the wire that powers your doors (in the other three which do not turn on). Run a voltage meter to them and see what kind of voltage they put out. If it's high enough, you might have to "tap" into that wire instead of using the clips. Let me know if this does not make sense.
This particular kit was purchased from a buddy of mine in Japan. There are however, kits available on eBay and AliExpress that look equally as good. Do it because it's well worth the upgrade!
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic Oh yeah, I know how that is, lol. I'm a PNW event coordinator for Corvetteforum, and I like doing DIY's like this myself for the C5, so I can really appreciate the effort put into well documented procedures like this :) Thanks again!
@MiTTXx, others have asked me the same thing and my contact from Japan told me, they don't make them for the 2dr hatches. It's unfortunate though because I do love the 2dr hatches.
@ Awais, if you hook it up the way I did, you can control the brightness with the OEM dimmer switch. The other option, is to run a resistor so that power incoming to the LEDs, will be reduced.
I installed all the plugs correctly. The driver side door works but the three other doors doesn’t even work. Was hoping it would work first time round.
I have buy this package, the big problem is, that the driver door connection cables are perfect, other three doors, you can not install with the cables which are included, you have to cut original cables.
oil, you're the 2nd person who has asked about this. I am starting to believe that the A3's have slightly different electronic schematics when it comes to the "window switches" and the connectors. One of my subs ended up bypassing the connectors and hard wiring it directly into the window switch. Once this was performed, the LED trims worked flawlessly.
really thanks for the reply I tried to bypass/ connect the wires but the light is very little and many times it doesn't work, if i take power from cable 12v the light is work all the time and when i lock te car still go
@@oli8939, what power wire did you connect it to? One of my other videos show which wire you can grab power from. Also...is your dimmer knob turned all the way up? I have read that if your dimmer knob is not turned all the way up, the lights will not work properly.
Dennis, the new trims I received actually connected to the OEM connector. However, some do not have that option. In a prior video in which I installed ambient lighting, I used the BLUE wire from the power window switch for 12+ and BROWN for negative/earth. If all else fails, use a voltage meter.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic I found them but unfortunately i think they are made for the Audi A3 5 door instead of 3 door and wont fit because the trim pieces are different sizes in each car but i will keep looking, thanks
82 dollars..id rather do it myself its really not hard. or just not do it at all and settle for footwell led strips for 12 dollars and an rgb remote with music mode.
Ewan, you can definitely do this cheaper using different products. However, the added benefit with this kit is, it's a full CF replacement. Of course, it's only worth it if you like CF.
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic yeah I m referring to the door lock button for passenger and back passenger as my a3 does not come with it so I doubt I can install Only driver side has that lock switch button 😑
Oh...I understand now. Yes, you are 100% correct and I thank you for the input. You do need to have a lock switch if you want to make a direction connection. However, here is an alternative option which should work. If your A3 has power windows switches that light up at night, you can splice the connection and get power from there. It would take just a little more work, but should work!
@@TheAutomotiveFanatic wow i didn't know it , maybe i should purchase and try as i did enquire before they told me if i do not have an lock switch i cant do it
Dickson, just make sure your power window lights up with the dimmer switch. If so, you can tap into it. Just keep in mind though, you can't use the supplied connection and will have to cut it off.
