[awrone]

Hello all,

I just found a video showing how to repair the DRL. It’s not in English and I have only just watched it but it gives me a little hope!

Ahhhh, so it appears the LED is getting too hot and melting the tip of the "fiber optic" or "light piping" eyelash strip - thus why the light changes to a dim yellow burnt color.
As for repair, all I can think of is cutting off the burnt end, polishing it, and replacing it with a glass cylinder the diameter and length of the removed light pipe section, then fusing them together with a very clear epoxy?

They should've used glass tips from the factory if it's going to be in close contact with a hot LED.

I just got delivery of my new-to-me 2016 TDI Exec last week and it was disappointing to see it had this issue too.

 

[Withnail]

Ahhhh, so it appears the LED is getting too hot and melting the tip of the "fiber optic" or "light piping" eyelash strip - thus why the light changes to a dim yellow burnt color.
As for repair, all I can think of is cutting off the burnt end, polishing it, and replacing it with a glass cylinder the diameter and length of the removed light pipe section, then fusing them together with a very clear epoxy?

They should've used glass tips from the factory if it's going to be in close contact with a hot LED.

I just got delivery of my new-to-me 2016 TDI Exec last week and it was disappointing to see it had this issue too.

I was thinking the same thing. I am trying to get in touch with the repair shop in Korea to see if he would sell a repair kit. From what I can see, he has a replacement “light piping” but I also think you may need new rubber seals once the light has been dismantled. Unsure but he seems to pull the seal out.

 

[Oz Dude]

@Withnail - great find!!

This video also provides "evidence" as to what is going wrong, and that in fact it is a defective part from manufacture, as opposed to "wear and teat".

Might help with a legal action against VW.

Just a thought.

Oz

 

[awrone]

@Withnail - great find!!

This video also provides "evidence" as to what is going wrong, and that in fact it is a defective part from manufacture, as opposed to "wear and teat".

Might help with a legal action against VW.

Just a thought.

Oz

That is very much the case. Something melting is very much a manufacturing defect. In fact, mine even shows some haze caused by the smoke from when it was burning the light piping.

As for resealing the unit after repairing, I think I remember the OG way was to use a thick bead of black silicone for windshields?

I'm just glad we found this video like you said - it's clear as day what the cause is.

 

[Victor Blizzard]

The right hand DRL has partially failed on my 2015 treg.
Center part is working, the bottom edge is not.
Rang a dealer today and was told the LED not a replaceable item, so fix is a complete headlight $1400.
Seems odd that the LED has failed inside 4 years but insane that the 'fix' is complete assembly replacement.

Same on 2015 @ 31klm. Now both RH LEDS have failed and LH LED eyelash is in its way out, now a pale yellow
Your quote is way better than what I was quoted in QLD Australia:
Quote: " could bed led drivers $397 each plus approx 3 hours labour. If that does fix it, replace headlights @ $1469 each plus approx 4 hours

 

[Oz Dude]

I'm on my second email with ZERO reply from the VW "hello" bullsh*t email link on the Complaint handling page and I think it's time I start researching class action lawyers.

Every second 7P I see running around on the road either has 1 on / 1 off, or they've done the mod to turn the DRLs off all together.

Enough is enough - let me see what / who I can find...

Oz

 

[smclaren]

Hello all,

I just found a video showing how to repair the DRL. It’s not in English and I have only just watched it but it gives me a little hope!

Hi @Withnail .... did you get a reply from the Korean company ? I see in your YouTube comment that you were struggling to make contact with them.
Let me know if you need help with that .... my best mate is Korean and can help with any translation ... as he can "sprechen sie deutsch".

 

[Withnail]

Hi @Withnail .... did you get a reply from the Korean company ? I see in your YouTube comment that you were struggling to make contact with them.
Let me know if you need help with that .... my best mate is Korean and can help with any translation ... as he can "sprechen sie deutsch".

Hello there

I tried contacting that repair guy in Korea via YouTube comments, also by using a translator, I also found an email address for him ( [email protected] ) and I wrote to him and said that I would pay him in advance for his time and parts and make it worth his valuable time (or something to that effect!) but got no reply. I asked my local VM dealer to quote for the repair and it was over 2k AUD. So I would happily pay Ho in Korea for his time if he can supply the parts.

I have also written to VW about this fault and as yet, no reply aside from an automatic acknowledgement of the submission.

My next step is to wait until my Mrs and kids go away for a weekend ( Need to wait for them to leave or they will break my balls for taking hours of my time on something so insignificant - which I know it is, but sweet Jesus it pisses me off everytime I look at my car! ) , and spend hours taking the lights off the car myself and investigate. As I dont have the yellow tell tale sign of a burned DRL tube, I am starting to wonder if it might be a ballast.

Its maddenning to think so many of us have this issue and VW offers no other solution than replacing the entire Hella light

 

[Oz Dude]

@Withnail - it doesn't have to turn yellow or fade away. Mine just went instantly. I've had it all checked by the dealer and it isn't anything other than a failure within the light itself. Front bar off, everything swapped from left to right, etc, but it's a hard failure internally.

That was when they said they were getting a replacement organised which subsequently vanished into thin air when it came time to do it...

Oz

 

[Withnail]

@Withnail - it doesn't have to turn yellow or fade away. Mine just went instantly. I've had it all checked by the dealer and it isn't anything other than a failure within the light itself. Front bar off, everything swapped from left to right, etc, but it's a hard failure internally.

That was when they said they were getting a replacement organised which subsequently vanished into thin air when it came time to do it...

Oz

Thanks mate

Does anyone know of a process to bring this to a head with VW?
Seems logical that we are dealing with a manufacturing fault

 

[smclaren]

So, watching the Korean video ... it seems that old mate dismantles the head light with no dramas, to get to the failed components.

But, from what I have read in this threat ... guys have said that the whole headlight was a sealed unit and "welded" shut.

Am I missing something here?

Admittedly, I haven't had mine out to have a look myself ... just an observation.

Oh .. and Ive got my Korean mate watching the video to understand it ... and then we'll go through it together so I can understand what's going on in detail. I'll also get my mate to reach out to our new best friend in Korea

 

[Oz Dude]

I've actually been watching "headlight" videos for a different car and the method is basically:
- take headlight out of car
- remove globes (but not necessary)
- preheat oven to 240 degrees F
- place headlight in oven for 20min
- pull out wearing heatproof gloves
- pry headlight apart (make sure all lock tabs have been "unlocked")
- remove all sealant before it cools or otherwise put back in oven

Then you can start to dismantle the innards of the headlight.

Once repairs are complete:

- preheat oven to 240 degrees F
- use specialised sealant and create a consistent bead around the headlight with no gaps
- push pieces back together
- heat in oven for 20min
- pull out and massage everything until it is perfect (one video showed pushing the corner of the headlight assembly into a wall to make it seat properly)
- work around the headlight and re lock all clips
- use clamps to hold until it cools
- NB if joint doesn't look right, put back into oven

Yup, that's the "standard" process without all of the technical stuff in the middle...

Oz

 

[smclaren]

Wow ... so thats a bit of a process, but certainly doable.

 

[Steve_L]

Yep, oven use has been a known method for quite some time for 'sealed' headlights etc.
A worthwhile solution, considering what has already been identified via the Korean video.

 

[Oz Dude]

This was one of the better videos - they go into a lot of detail about what how and when.

Notwithstanding, we need to get this resolved by VW - they supplied a faulty product so why are we figuring out how to fix it?

Oz

 

[smclaren]

Cool vid

 

[Oz Dude]

I parked right behind a twin to my car today and guess what...no RH DRL...

I spoke to the owner - had no idea it was a common problem.

How do you get the message out to ALL owners about this so we can attack en masse?

Oz

 

[Steve_L]

Does the ACCC provide an avenue of recourse?