mishar

I wouldn't do that. It will be hot. That's fire hazard. Insurance would be happy to save money in case...you know.

williebone

Smart move and hopefully they'll work for you, but stay away from the Resistors unless you like the smell of melting wires and plastic. Good luck! Laters,

jakematic

williebone - what are good ones to get if you wanted to upgrade them?

williebone

I went with autoilumination for the 9 LED Canbus which had enough current to avoid the Bulb Out Warning. Laters,

Brozee

Yeah don't get the single LED like I did. Threw an error code in the 05+ If you have an 04 I hear they work though.

brisweeney

I ordered the 5 led ones from autoilumination. Hopefully they work. Otherwise I'll go for the 9 led tower ones they do!

FlyTyinFool

On my 2005 A8L I just installed these last weekend:

5 LED SMT Canbus from Autolumination for the Little guy in the headlamp housing. I've read some posts that called it a DRL bulb (it isn't because it comes on without DRL activated), while others say it's a turn signal bulb (it isn't because it doesn't blink). I call it a marker lamp. It is the only bulb that comes on in the head lamp housing when the switch is turned to running lights only, without DRL activated. It's a little on the blue side for color, but acceptable. NO error messages at all! Link: http://autolumination.com/194.htm 9th set of bulbs down, 5 LED SMT 10mm X 32mm

Passenger side HID DRL/Low Beam bulb was burned out (this is what inspired this whole project) and throwing an error at the dash. Replaced both HID bulbs. I selected 5000K color, it's whiter than the stock 4300K, but doesn't get into the blue spectrum. I did not have to do anything to stop the error message. It just stopped after installing the new bulb. (Note: Headlamp bulbs, driver's side especially, SHOULD NOT be this ****ing difficult to replace!!)
Link: http://shop.lightwerkz.net/product_i...products_id=41 I selected 5000K (Pure White)

Replaced H7 Fog Lamp bulbs with 55W HID lamps in the 3000K color spectrum (yellow). The kit was fabulous and included everything needed (I also got the Error Eliminators). Everything was plug and play. I was worried about using 55W but that's what I already had in the existing H7 bulbs, so I went with it. The HID bulb color is only apparent while the lamps are on (not so with H7 replacements that are actually tinted yellow). When the lamps are off everything is clear, as they should be. (Note: I selected yellow for functionality, not style. We get LOTS of rain here in the Northwest, and plenty of foggy mornings.)
Link: http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DD...ast-35W-or-55W I selected: 55 Wattage, H7 Bulb Type, 3000K Bulb Color, and Error Eliminator Type - 3, no harness, no adapter cables

I also replaced all 4 courtesy lamps on the underside of the 4 doors with 4 LED Canbus bulbs from Autolumination. The color matches the LEDs under the mirrors and they are much brighter than the old yellowish 194's that came out of the doors.
Link: http://autolumination.com/194.htm 9th set of bulbs down, 4 LED 12mm X 30mm

williebone

FlyTyinFool,

I believe the Bulbs are called City Lights and are activated anytime the Park Lamps or Headlights are on whether DRL is Activated or Not. DRLs are the Low Beam HID Headlamps. I've been saying that this LED was the Bulb that would draw enough current to not activate the Bulb Out Warning and you are Proof Positive! I went with the 9LED only because I needed more Light inside the Housing and they're Whiter than the 5LED because of the additional lighting getting pass the Access Opening. The 5LED set-up allows 3 to 3&1/2 of the 5 Units to Reflect do to the Short Length of the Base getting consealed by the Hole Opening, but they were by far the Starting Point.

I was very close to going with the 55w HIDs for the Fogs, but was afraid they'd be too hot and/or too bright! Any issue with heat or brightness so far? Hats off to you for going with the 3000K even though HIDs are a Purer Coloration than the OEM Bulb and are not so Exotic in Color as one may think. I chose the 5000K which is still on the White/Yellow Spectrum, but is a much better match to the Stock HID Headlamps. Bottom line is when all lights are on, it's not so obvious in Color Temperature which I'm sure that in your set-up still holds true even with 3000K in an HID Fog. Halogens and HIDs don't play well together and LEDs and HIDs are a Step Up, and all HIDs with LEDs is about as Factory as it gets. It's the New Standard for High End Luxury Cars and is why Halogens are fading out. This is why it's all or nothing when changing the Light Scheme or just stay with OEM Mis-Match and be Happy unless you're the Fortunate Few that Have the Newer A8s with HID and LED Factory Set-Up. BTW, for God Sakes don't show up with the Cheesy LED Strips or After Market RS6 Add On Units! Laters,

FlyTyinFool

LOL!

I love it, williebone! Nope. No cheesy light strips for me. And City Lights sounds fine to me. I'll roll with that. We're definitely talking about the same lamp. You say potato, I say potat...

I always suspected you were right about the voltage draw being too low on the 1 LED lamps to go in the City Lamp holes. I would have preferred the minimalist look of them though. I was pretty positive the 5 LED lamps generated enough that bulb out warnings wouldn't get thrown, and I was right. The 9 LED lamps just seemed like they would be too bright for my liking. You're right about them being whiter than the 5 LED lamps though. But, I didn't want them that bright. To each their own, right?

I haven't had any heat issues at all. The H7's I took out of the fog lamp housings were already 55 watt bulbs and they looked to be original. I don't know if that is stock wattage for the Fog Lamps, but the housings and bulbs looked like they had never been touched.

A couple of thoughts regarding my choice HID lamps for Fog Lights...

I figured that since I pulled 55 watt Halogen bulbs out, I should be able to install the same wattage in HID. I also considered that the HIDs would run hotter than the Halogens. Even if the Halogens I yanked were not original, I run fogs often enough that a heat issue would have exposed itself while the Halogens were in there.

55 watt bulbs are really bright. I don't usually run with them on unless it's raining, foggy, snowy, etc. If I run them at night, I follow the same common sense guidelines a person would use running brights. Just turn them off if they would bother your fellow motorist. I'm not running them to look cool. I'm running them to improve my ability to see, and be seen, usually during foul weather. They work extremely well on both counts. (Note: It actually snowed here last Friday 4/15/11. Nothing serious, but it's ***ing April for God's sake! Love it or leave it, babe!)

The color was chosen for the same reason as the wattage. I run fogs to see better in foul weather and nothing works better in rain and fog than yellow, definitely not white. And, you're right again, williebone, about the color getting washed out. The color is partially washed because the bulbs are 55 watt, and partially because they are HIDs. They're still definitely yellow though. No mistaking that. But only when they're on, unlike the tacky look of mid-80's Lexuses (or is that Lexi?) that had yellow lenses.

There was one other really important (non-technical) consideration in choosing the wattage and color. The whole kit was so inexpensive and so plug-and-play that if I didn't like it, I was just going to yank it all and put the original Halogens back in. I think the whole Fog Lamp kit, including Error Eliminators and shipping, was about $65-$70 total. And, so far, it's been worth every penny!

mishar

I did the same, except color, but it was not so plug and play. I wonder if I got different set? Can you elaborate please?