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A faulty stick
When I bought this car, I did not sign up for so many problems. Yes, the car is not new, but it should not have all these troubles. Previously, it was a short to ground, some water ingress in the bumper, more water ingress in the trunk lid and a faulty charge port. This time, it is another unforeseen issue with the turn signal stick.
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Broken charge port
Yesterday, the charge port of the e-Golf broke. Last Friday, I was unable to remove the plug from the car, but eventually I managed to get it out. Then on Saturday, I wanted to charge the car again, but this time the plug would not lock. Although charging would commence on the charge point, the car gave a red LED indication on the charge port. I tried to swap the cable with another one, and I finally managed to charge it again. Until yesterday, when I could not get it to work, no matter how often I tried.
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Water ingress (part 3)
Like I stated in part 2 of this series, I already predicted that the water ingress would not be solved with just replacing the drain tube. Autumn came, and it started to rain more and more. I kept checking the inside of the trunk lid from time to time, and there was definitely still water ingress. Luckily, it was still limited to a few drops and only when it poured heavily.
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e-Sound system (part 5)
The only step I still had to do, was to crimp a proper connector onto the wiring loom that goes to the e-Sound module. The e-Sound speaker can be reached from the front wheel well. Simply removing the small plastic cover gives you access to the speaker and its connector. From there, I removed the additional wires I added when the speaker was installed on its temporary location, crimped the pin terminals and inserted them into the connector.
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CarPlay navigation and AID navigation
I never understood why the Active Info Display (AID) does not show navigation map when Apple CarPlay has navigation active. When that is the case, it simply shows a message telling me that navigation is active on the the phone. Luckily, there is a way to change this.
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e-Sound system (part 4)
The e-Sound system is working fine, but I still had to intall the speaker in the front bumper area. I figured that it should be mounted close to the front right wheel, and according to ETKA it needs two brackets,
5GE 035 205and5GE 035 369. I already received these, some time ago. The information still lacking was how to mount the brackets. Base on information from Elsawin, I figured that the holes of one of the brackets should probably be aligned with the bumper bar mounting holes. -
Water ingress (part 2)
This isn’t a topic I would want to write a second part about. Fortunately, this time it isn’t back in the trunk. In fact, I checked the trunk a few times since I wrote the first part, and the water ingress there seems to be gone. No, this time it is inside the trunk lid.
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e-Sound system (part 3)
Last week I had the time to finish the majority of the wiring that was needed to finish the many ongoing retrofits. After this, I could finally test the e-Sound system and the ESC/ASR button. The ESC/ASR button worked fine, but the e-Sound button did not. I did the obvious checks, such as verifying the wiring, and checking for any fault codes. There was a fault code for the button.
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The big install
This post is actually a summary of the last weeks. I have spent an enormous amount of time to finalizing the wiring for the many retrofits I have tested and prepared over the last months. I have installed the e-Sound system, the ambient lighting, and the ESC/ASR button. Most of it seems to work so far.
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ESC button (part 3)
Since I also want to retrofit the pedestrian warning system (PWS), I also want to have that button retrofitted. This button allows you to turn the system on or off. I probably will not use it much, but I want it to have as original as possible.
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e-Sound system (part 2)
Now that I verified that the e-Sound system would work yesterday, and that the ESC/ASR button would work as well two weeks ago, I could start with the final wiring loom in the engine bay. I needed to route three wires from the coupling point (TIUL) on the driver side to the right side of the front bumper (two wires for the speaker, 0.75 mm²) and the ABS pump (ESC/ASR button, 0.35 mm²). These three wires need to go through the so-called firewall.
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e-Sound system (part 1)
The name of the e-Sound system makes it sound like it is a sound upgrade for the car. But is actually a pedestrian warning system (PWS, or AVAS). It is a system that emits a sound when the car is driving at low speeds, to warn pedestrians and cyclists. The sound is emitted by a speaker that is installed in the front of the car, close to the right wheel arch. It must not be confused with a similar system, that emits a sound by vibrating the front windows to emit an ‘engine sound’ to the interior of the car.
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Water ingress (part 1)
A few weeks ago, I noticed that the carpet in the trunk of my car was damp on the other side. Since I did not notice any water ingress traces, I figured it was probably some water that came off the charging cable: I do not dry the cable if it is wet, and that water needs to go somewhere. But I was not fully sure, so I decided to add some tape with some markings to the bottom, to hopefully see where water was coming from. The idea was that water would run along the markings and leave a trace on the tape.
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Tire pressure monitoring system (part 4)
I verified that the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) was capable of receiving updates of the new wheel sensors I bought from AliExpress. The only thing left to do was to mount the sensors inside the tires. Today I went to a tire shop, and they had a spot available to immediately mount the sensors inside the tires. Before I did that, I asked them to verify the sensors using their own testing tool, and they were able to confirm the identifiers with the identifiers I read using VCDS. They also stated that the battery was still good for at least 24 months, which I guess is the maximum time the device can report.
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A new body control module (part 3)
Yesterday I enabled predictive-ACC (pACC), for which I needed ODIS-S with online access to remove component protection. I needed to do the same when installing a new body control module (BCM). I already prepared the BCM and restored it to the factory defaults, so the BCM was ready for use.
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Enabling predictive ACC
The predictive ACC (pACC) is a feature that allows the car to adapt its speed based on the road ahead, using data from the navigation system. This feature is normally not available on the Golf, and only on higher-end models. It is possible to enable it on the Golf, but not with just a few check boxes in VCDS.
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A new body control module (part 2)
In the previous part I connected a new body control module (BCM) to my test bench. I was able to power it, access it and flash different firmwares. In the mean time, I also received a proper connector for T73a (the A-side connector of the BCM) with part number
5Q0 937 700 B, so I could properly wire the BCM to the test bench. -
ESC button (part 2)
I stated in the previous part that I would probably test the wiring before installing the button. Today I added a wire to the ABS pump connector, to see if it would work. According to the wiring diagrams, T46a/39 of the 46-pin ABS pump connector is connected to the ESC button in the center console. This button only connects to 12 V when pressed.
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Ambient lighting (part 1)
This part technically already started, because I did some experiments when I tested the new LED footwell lights. But actual work on the car started today. My plans with this retrofit will first focus on the footwell lights in the front and the rear of the car. But ambient lighting can also be installed in the door panels, the glove box and even the sunroof (Passat). Nonetheless, it is a retrofit that originally was not available on the Golf.
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Installing dynamic tail lights (part 3)
Well, this escalated quickly. From ‘idea’ to ‘execution’ in less than a month. This week I had some time off, and during a heat wave in The Netherlands, I decided it was the proper time to install the dynamic tail lights. I already had the retrofit kit with part number
5G1 052 200 Cand the replacement connectors with part number1K8 972 928 Bjust arrived. It turns out that these are almost the same connectors as the old ones, they are just keyed differently. You could probably cut away the keying on the old ones if you really wanted. -
Replacing the rubber grommet
When I ran additional wires for the high-line camera, I ran the CAN bus wires via the left rubber grommet that connects the trunk lid to the body. The hard plastic part of the grommet hooks on one side to the chassis, and the other clips. It is that part that can be bent easily, which results in too little clamping force to seal the rubber grommet to the chassis. Of course, I bent it too much, which resulted in an improper seal.
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High-line camera upgrade (part 5)
Although I have been using the high-line rear view camera for a while now, I still had to finalize the wiring. The eight-pin connector (T8aj) needed power, which I took from the four-pin connector (T4bt) from the low-line camera, but I planned to use the T4d connector from the servo motor to power the camera. This way, I had a one-cable solution. I have the details for the wiring and the connectors in part 3, so I will not repeat them here.
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Tire pressure monitoring system (part 3)
I received new tire pressure monitoring sensors from AliExpress. I was a bit hesitant to buy new ones from AliExpress or eBay given my previous experience with the fakes ones. It were the reviews by other buyers and a price of 30 euros that made me buy it once more. This time I received the orange sensors, with the same part number:
5Q0 907 275 F. It does not contain a Volkswagen logo, and the text on the sensor is hard to read (it seems to be laser etched). This is not uncommon: parts produced by the same OEM are often sold via other channels, but without the vehicle manufacturers’ logo. A least the good thing is, is that it was produced this year (if this can be trusted). -
Installing dynamic tail lights (part 2)
I decided to buy the retrofit kit with part number
5G1 052 200 C. As explained last week, this is an official kit provided by Volkswagen for the Golf 7.5. The price I paid was more competitive than buying the four tail lights second-hand and sourcing the wiring separately. The only remaining item I need to purchase is the set of replacement connectors, part number1K8 972 928 B. -
Installing dynamic tail lights (part 1)
The dynamic tail lights are one of the features that really stand out. I really like how they add depth to the car. My e-Golf does not have these lights, but many people have retrofitted them—even on the pre-facelift model. I do not know if I will do this now or later, but since I still have all the panels removed from the trunk lid, it might be wise to prepare this for future installation.
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Swapping the key fob buttons
When I bought the vehicle, it was quite clear which of the two keys was used the most, even for a vehicle with keyless entry (KESSY). The buttons on one of the two remotes were slightly dented. I bought new buttons to replace the old ones on AliExpress.
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A short to ground
Whenever I modify the car, I am always concerned about making things worse. This was one such situation, but it turned out I was not at fault.
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ESC button (part 1)
Another retrofit where I probably have more joy in doing all the research then actually using it. But I also like to have more buttons in the center console.
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Upgrading the PLA module
My e-Golf has a PLA 3.0 module (German for Parklenkassistent) with 12 sensors to cover the full circumference of the vehicle It can park itself, which is a nice party trick, but I will probably never use it in practice. According to VCDS, the following module is installed:
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Tire pressure monitoring system (part 2)
After having received a fake TPMS sensor, I ordered a second-hand version from a Tiguan. This time, I knew it would be a genuine one. The seller of the fake one refunded me the money. At least the wiring loom was usable.
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High-line camera upgrade (part 4)
I got the new camera working, including actuating the servo motor of the logo. The quality is much better, especially in the dark. Here are two pictures before and after. Notice how the brick lines are much more detailed. The viewing angles are also different.
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High-line camera upgrade (part 3)
Yesterday I finished installing two CAN bus wires for the new rear view camera. Today I continued the installation and was able to test it. It is not yet finished, because I did not have all the necessary pins and connectors to install it properly.
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TPMS and camera preparation
Both the TPMS sensor and high-line rear view camera require additional wiring. The TPMS sensor requires four additional wires (CAN high, CAN low, 12V, and GND). The rear view camera requires only two additional wires (CAN high and CAN low) because the existing low-line camera already provides the power and signal wires that can be reused.
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VAS6350: taping 28 pieces of paper together
Tomorrow I will install the wiring for the new high-line rear view camera and the TPMS. Hopefully, it will go very smoothly. Today I prepared the necessary ‘accessories’ for after the installation.
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A new body control module (part 1)
The body control module (BCM) connects to many sensors, actuators, and lights within the vehicle. They come in different tiers, such as low-line, medium-line, and high-line. Depending on the vehicle and chosen options, a specific BCM will be installed. The different versions have very similar hardware but might differ on a few pins added or removed. Because 99% of the hardware is identical, you can often flash firmwares of high-line versions on lower-line versions. Obviously, this does not give you the new features that require physical pins.
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High-line camera upgrade (part 2)
I had less luck preparing the fake TPMS sensor yesterday. That did not stop me from trying it today with the high-line camera. I hooked up the camera to my test bench.
The CAN bus lines are connected to the infotainment CAN bus, which I have exposed using a gateway splitter.It turns out that it was the wrong bus, even though it worked. See this post for how I found this out. -
Tire pressure monitoring system (part 1)
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) are something I frequently monitor on my primary vehicle. I have the impression that tire pressure is even more important on an electric vehicle. There are two types of TPMS: direct and indirect. The e-Golf uses the indirect variant, which cannot be monitored until it is too late.
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Active Info Display (part 2)
Today I visited the shop that would perform the installation of the Active Info Display for me. There were simply too many hurdles I would have to overcome to successfully complete it myself.
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A gateway on a test bench
Our primary car steers significantly stiffer than the e-Golf. This is something I could change using VCDS by adjusting it to a different value. However, on the e-Golf, this is managed using driving profiles. The e-Golf only has three profiles that cannot be changed:
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A list of small changes
This is a list of minor coding and adaption changes I applied since I own the car. I used VCDS to make these changes. I might add more changes in the future, so I have the small changes documented in one place.
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Replacing the exterior temperature sensor
The HVAC air intake on the Golf is equipped with only a ‘simple’ temperature sensor, while the more expensive models have a combined temperature AND humidity sensor instead. This gives the auto HVAC system another sensor input to work with, so it is definitely an improvement (right?).
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High-line camera upgrade (part 1)
Like other Volkswagen vehicles, the e-Golf has a retractable camera mounted inside the rear logo. Whenever you put it in reverse, the logo collapses and the camera appears. Volkswagen offers two types of cameras: a low-line version (PR Code KA1) and a high-line version (PR Code KA2). From what I understood, you will only receive a high-line camera in combination with a towbar and trailer assist. This was never an option for the e-Golf.
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Bumper protection
I know the car is not new. The rear bumper has some scratches due to hauling stuff over the bumper. Preventing further damage is easy by installing a bumper protection film. On the other cars I own(ed), I also installed something similar. I chose to install a transparent one, which was easy to apply using plenty of soapy water.
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12 V battery replacement
As mentioned in the previous post, I already had plans to replace the 12 V battery of my car. The current one was still the one from the factory, and was stamped with date code week 35 of 2017. Given that the normal lifetime of a 12 V battery is somewhere between three to eight years, it is already on the longer side.
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Battery control unit software update
Today the car got repaired under warranty. They applied the software update for the battery control unit (J966, or block BD), replaced a relay that could potentially get stuck and tested the 12 V battery.
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LED light upgrades
The e-Golf uses LED lighting in almost every area. Only two places still used halogen lights: the glove box and the trunk.
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Charger investigation
Since I had a flat battery, I did not dare to charge the car overnight. But during this weekend, I noticed odd behavior with the car and/or charger. This behavior is something I never noticed with our primary car.
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Door hinge covers
A small one, and one you will probably never notice.
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Active Info Display (part 1)
Back in 2017, the Golf 7 Facelift was introduced with the Active Info Display option. This is basically an instrument cluster which uses an LCD display instead of analog gauges. This gives many additional opportunities, one of which is to show the navigation map. I remember visiting a dealership at the time to see how it looked on a Tiguan, which had received the same option a year earlier.
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Coding on a 3D printed tablet holder
I have spent quite some time sitting in the car, coding the vehicle with a laptop on my lap. Even with the seat moved to its furthest position, it was still far from comfortable—especially when entering or exiting the vehicle. I do not have a garage to work in. Otherwise, I would probably use a mobile cart to place my laptop on.
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22 degrees is too hot
A small one. For reasons I do not understand, the e-Golf always resets the climate control temperature to 22 degrees Celsius. Is this more efficient? I do not know. It is something that I — and former colleagues who drove an e-Golf — never understood.
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Steel pedals
When you buy a Golf GTD, GTE, GTI, or R-line spec car, you will receive much nicer looking pedals. My e-Golf did not come with them, but they are very easy to retrofit.
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A flat battery within 24 hours
Within 24 hours, the car had a flat battery, and that while charing. Around 07:00 in the morning, the alarm sounded. I quickly grapped the remote, an shut it off. The doors were unlocked. I cannot recall if I did that using the remote, but I could not get them locked anymore.
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Navigation update
The first change I made to the car was updating the navigation system—both the firmware and the maps, and while I was at it, I also updated the speed cameras as points of interest.
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Bye bye, Peugeot
Today I was finally able to pick up the car. As part of the deal, I sold my Peugeot 206+ to the dealer. That made today the final day I drove that car.
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The list of mods
It is still a little over a week before the car is ready for pickup, but that has not stopped me from looking into the possible modifications I can do. There are plenty of sources to find small coding-related changes. But some sources go one step further.
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The buy
My secondary car has been a Peugeot 206+ from 2009 for quite some time. It lasted well, but it was time for something else. Although it was still in good condition and it passed periodic inspection, it needed some serious investments if I decided to keep driving it.