2002 Passat Vent Bulb to LED modification

First and foremost I want to thank Passatworld.com for the wealth of knowledge there. Unfortunately all of the images in the various articles are missing. Fortunately the text is still there. I thought this video might help others so I am sharing the process in removing these pain in the ass vents and how to convert the $20 bulbs from the dealers to LED so you never have to play with them again.

[@konquer247]

Thank you for your post. Just to add a little detail: The led diode light you guys look for should have the following spec for better results - 5 mm / although 10 mm works fine. - 2,8-3,6 V intake volts - 20mA - 13,000 mcd And for the 12v power source a 470 Ohm resistor The OEM lights are pretty fragile due to its build (filament) if you ever work on the dashboard or vents, (like I did) then you must consider changing the bulb. Just removing the connecting wires will damage the bulbs (I hate to say this).

[@stresstested]

thanks man. Since I cut this video I joined the forum and I believe this was made a sticky there already

[@johncade100]

Excellent.......nice and simple......best spot to get LEDs

[@DrackulAss]

its gone to my favourite ,il never know when il need this video xD cheers and thx

[@shianti333]

Great guide. Thanks a lot for taking the time to show other Passat owners like me the right way. There are some other vids out there where people have hacked these vents to bits trying to put leds in. Your way is neat. Couple of questions, there are loads of different types of 3mm white leds. Which type should I look for? eg Do they have to be 12V? Also, what effect would a higher or lower resistor have? Brighter or dimmer? Cheers pal. Again, nice vid. I'll being doing this soon for sure.

[@ilazlo]

Thank you very much!!! Works perfect!

[@stresstested]

@shianti333 Yea that's pretty much how it goes. The optics are setup in such a way as to gather light from a large area around the bulb. LEDs fire their light in a cone pattern in one direction. The only thing that you can do to get brighter is to modify the optic by cutting it on the legs towards the front and mount the led as close to the indicator on the vent as possible. It would involve using silicone and whatever else and would probably be a mess. That's why I didn't bother

[@stresstested]

@BaseStationZero Excellent. Cant wait to see it. BTW, what color are your optics, red or green?

[@stresstested]

@Broggi43 Dealer part as far as I know. There may be some V W specialty shops online that may have them. But the dealer is the place to go for the stock bulbs

[@shianti333]

@stresstest I got them done and everything went well, so thank you again stresstest. Hardest part was getting the correct length of the soldered leds, and getting the vents out, which was a PITA! But shows how well these cars are built. The end result is not much brighter than stock bulbs. Is there something I could do to get them a little brighter? Maybe cleaning the optic inside the vent? I got the 10000 mcd leds and used 470ohm resistors.

[@iurox]

excellent vid, can you please tell me if the light from leds is britghter comparing to the oem bulbs?

[@showerhead2]

@ stresstest. Thanks for your reply. I should have put it differently ~ if not, would there be any benefit in terms of brightness using 5mm over 3mm and if so, what size resistor would I need to substitute into your DIY? And is the jury still out on whether red is better than white with a red lense? I can solder but sorry, am electrically challenged.when it comes to details.

[@shianti333]

@stresstest Thanks a lot for replying. That makes things clear. I'll go for the 8000MCD because I don't want them too bright ! I found 3mm 8000MCD white leds and 560 Ohms 0.25W Carbon Film Resistors. I think they are the right ones. Tell I'm a noob to electronics yet?

[@stresstested]

@ftorns2710 yes they should. I have not done ours since the bulbs are still working in those

[@ftorns2710]

Do the side vents come out the same way? I have wanted to replace the bulbs for so long and LEDs are definitely the way to go..

[@stresstested]

@shianti333 That will work! Take your time and good luck

[@ftorns2710]

@stresstest bump! many thanks

[@showerhead2]

@ BaseStationZero, did you ever get the picture of white and red LEDs side by side? @ stresstest, did you ultimately agree with BaseStationZero on white vs read? and if so, and I can find red in 20000MCD should I go with that over white?

[@yasirjohny]

mochoo graciaus amigooo ,

[@secalcavazos3204]

That's simply a T3 Elodie light in the casing

[@DorianBudana]

Hello mate nice work...can I just ask ..do you know if all vw passat have lights in air vents cos I ve got an vw passat highline from 2004 and I never see lights in the air vents since a bought the car? thanks so much...

[@Ricardo_Falcone47]

dorian budana yeah every Passat have these

[@tinawilliams4988]

Why do the red lights on the 2003 Volkswagen Passat The Message Center goes Dim when hot where it says PRNDL

[@stresstested]

@shianti333 Yea, I was aware of that. Sometimes google stacks results under a main find and those dont have cache links, just the main. Point is I like it when they don't require registration.

[@aibarra522]

So I was adjusting my vent and I broke it. Is it easy to repair?

[@stresstested]

@shianti333 LEDs dont come in 12v. This is why you have to use the resistor. The thing you want o remember is the brighter the better. White LEDs can be had at 10,000 MCD and higher. This is the number you want to go after. If they are 5,000 MCD or lower they will perform poorly. Try to get the bright ones. If you see LEDs advertised as 12v that means they already have the resistor on them.

[@showerhead2]

BTW is there any reason why you can't go with 5mm LEDs?

[@stresstested]

@leighstephens74 What is that? A web forum?

[@Jjb43]

any idea where i can just get a replacement bulb and housing? bulb is fried and i just wanna replace it

[@arifibillah786]

Where di you purchase your Leds from? Can you please post a link or so where to buy them from. Many thanks

[@stresstested]

arifibillah786 just eBay LEDs. You can find them all over though. Just make sure they are 3mm, 5mm wont fit very well

[@AA-by7xc]

How come my 05 passat tdi doesn't have light up vents?

[@stresstested]

@BaseStationZero Not a bad idea. Lets see yours.

[@stresstested]

I haven't had to do that. If it popped out it should be pretty easy but if some of the plastic snapped it might not be repairable. If it can be glued I would NOT use a super glue but instead use a glue made for plastics. Good luck

[@boytoy663]

Nothing is going to break unless you use excessive force...The dashboard is soft and will go back to its original shape

[@stresstested]

Right about the same

[@stresstested]

Since you removed your comment I take it you were finally able to get the bulb out...

[@aibarra522]

@MAXMANER100 How much and what do I look up?

[@kostys7777]

What resistor and led color are you using? Also, is it less bright than OEM? And can you still adjust brightness of it with factory adjuster with all those interior lights? Thank you for the answers. :)

[@stresstested]

resistor is covered at 0:45 and the LEDs are 4kmcd 20mw . Dimmer works

[@aibarra522]

@MAXMANER100 I looked em up nd all i gound were some for $100 psh yea right i can live with a broken vent lol if it gets bad i can try a junk yard nd try to get it cheaper

[@aibarra522]

found*

[@stresstested]

Nope, 5mm will work too

[@MAXMANER100]

go to ebay an just get one so cheappp