[rnlabas]

rnlabas- I have been following this thread as well and you should definitely be commended for all the work you put in from YOUR OWN time to get this right. You sir, are a trailblazer and pioneer :cheers:

Thanks much, but really, I'm just interested in getting all of us some progress on this ...

And speaking of - I just returned from trip to find the "new" BCM2 from Kufatec, it is actually an H model fom 2008, and based on sticker, probably from a wrecked Q5. No matter really - trotted off to Audi for adapting keys and component protection. But alas, it was DOA. We couldn't get it to light up on the bus no how, no way. Even tried a variety of 15-power (basic ignition) tricks, all to no avail. Even tried guided replacement - special mode that is supposed to keep the CAN powered up just for these replacements, but it didn't work either. So, we just put back the original one with the defective ignition lock - and guess what? That fault was gone. I replaced both remote batteries and rechecked all DTCs (VCDS faults) - all clear except the usual "data set implausible" for the BCM2 - VCDS-speak for "I don't recognize what Kufatec did to me" notice, but everything is all way cool now and works right.

I do still have the hyperblink in the dash for normal signals (not hazards), but hey, I can live with that. So Kufatec has finally come thru, and now I just hope they can get Andy fixed up via remote desktop - and get Brian a new dongle that will work. Hooray !!

 

[index411]

awesome!
does that mean Kufatec is going to have a complete "working" US set available soon?

 

[index411]

awesome!
does that mean Kufatec is going to have a complete "working" US set available soon?

Do we still need to get the dealer involved with the Kufatec setup?

 

[rnlabas]

Do we still need to get the dealer involved with the Kufatec setup?

In theory no - Kufatec actually recodes the BCM2 - the module that directly controls the rear lights. Contrary to some other experts, the Euro or eCode rear LEDs are NOT at all different from the version for the US - just programmed or coded differently. The housings have two different lamps however, one being the sidemarkers - not present on the eCodes, and as thoroughly discussed above, the turn signals are amber colored in the eCodes while programmed a bit differently for the US.

The Kufatec dongle supplied will provide a fairly simple and straightforward installation, when available. While I cannot and do/will not speak for them, I can certainly observe that they should be easily capable of producing/providing a dongle for EITHER the NA (US) or Euro version, your choice.

Stay tuned and/or inquire directly with them...

 

[Audistic]

IT'S WORKING!!!!!

Just finished working with Kufatec and my new coding is finished. I now have reverse lights and European spec amber signals and hazards etc with no bulb out warnings. It's nice to have a working car again.

I understand that this is a pretty active thread with a lot of subscribers interested in its progress. For that I have bad news but (potentially) good news. The bad news is that Kufatec GmbH may or may not wish to continue this prospect to deliver and mass produce this dongle. Like Roger I cannot speak for them, and they did not explicitly say that they will discontinue their efforts but given our dialogue with them it is implied that they may not get any further involved. As you may know they had no intent to ever develop any kits for the US market and that this is more of a matter of clearing their name after questionable business ethics with one of their partners which I won't get into here.

However on the brighter side of things this may just get into the hands of Kufatec USA (whom I had the pleasure of meeting this morning) and after seeing today's results is definitely interested in continuing this project. More than just the A5/S5 community there's a huge number of B8 A4 people eagerly waiting in line for this to get figured out.

So hopefully the wait for everyone else shouldn't be too long. I think the only major delays this would suffer is for them to figure out the issue with hyperblinking... that and any further feedback from either me or Roger, which I don't see happening.

 

[index411]

fantastic news!

 

[shugs]

Oh well, sounds like I'll just have to keep my non LED lights... Thanks to everyone who participated and installed the kits. If it wasn't for this topic and brave people taking the first step, we could have all been in trouble. Good luck to those dealing with problems.

 

[Europrice]

Glad to see some people getting this solved finally. Sorry to see that a fair number of folks ended up with items they can't use and/or poor service from the seller. I receive 50-60% of my quotes now from this forum about matching prices from the vendor who supplied these items and sounds like they weren't even allowed to, let alone properly support customers after the sale. Hopefully a bit of a lesson was learned regarding the supplier in this case. Regardless I am curious who Kufatec USA actually is and why they wouldn't want to get this kit set for the US? One would think they would just send what they have learned into the US division for sale. I must receive a request on these taillights every other day.

 

[rnlabas]

Glad to see some people getting this solved finally. Sorry to see that a fair number of folks ended up with items they can't use and/or poor service from the seller. I receive 50-60% of my quotes now from this forum about matching prices from the vendor who supplied these items and sounds like they weren't even allowed to, let alone properly support customers after the sale. Hopefully a bit of a lesson was learned regarding the supplier in this case. Regardless I am curious who Kufatec USA actually is and why they wouldn't want to get this kit set for the US? One would think they would just send what they have learned into the US division for sale. I must receive a request on these taillights every other day.

Actually at this point, and I know intimately the technical details as well as anyone, no one who was a part of THIS group buy has been left with an item they can't use by their own choice. You are in fact right about this vendor, but NO ONE should extend their poor choice of sales ethics and support behavior (or more accuratey, LACK of it) to Kufatec GmbH, or either, their US rep. As for Kufatec's business choice to market/ sell/ support their hardware for this, or not, is ultimately their own decision, for which I too, must only wonder...

 

[SDS5]

Well it's good to see that it's working - a few of us way back looked at this modification and concluded that the BCM module would need to be changed to the EU version including the keys.

Fwiw - I understand why kufatec might not want to market the upgrade. Basically their solution is modifying the software. If they do not have access to the code, then they cannot be completely sure 100% that there aren't any unintended changes to othe BCM functions - even though I am sure they have tested the functions very thoroughly.

The second point is that Audi may simply say, in a warranty claim, that the modification is not authorized. Similar in the way Apple tell people that Jailbrake their iPhones that their warranty is void. This would leave the car owner chasing the company that modified it.

So maybe it's just too much legal risk for the USA market. Blanking off the side markers makes it not SAE compliant.

Just a possible explanation...

 

[HP18]

OEMplus = Kufatec USA, Inc.

https://oemplus.com/index.php?main_page=contact_us
http://kufatec.com/index.php?main_page=contact_us

 

[rnlabas]

Well it's good to see that it's working - a few of us way back looked at this modification and concluded that the BCM module would need to be changed to the EU version including the keys.

Fwiw - I understand why kufatec might not want to market the upgrade. Basically their solution is modifying the software. If they do not have access to the code, then they cannot be completely sure 100% that there aren't any unintended changes to othe BCM functions - even though I am sure they have tested the functions very thoroughly.

The second point is that Audi may simply say, in a warranty claim, that the modification is not authorized. Similar in the way Apple tell people that Jailbrake their iPhones that their warranty is void. This would leave the car owner chasing the company that modified it.

So maybe it's just too much legal risk for the USA market. Blanking off the side markers makes it not SAE compliant.

Just a possible explanation...

While it's definately NOT simply just changing to an EU BCM2 (they don't) the code that Kufatec changes does show up under VCDS as non-compliant, or more accurately "Data Set Implausable." This will lead any/every Audi dealer here to want to replace it, working or not. THAT may be a liability not worth marketing for them. Combined with the fact that their product is used to compromise US DOT regs (you're right about the side-markers, whilst the amber signals are okay), that too could be a factor. btw, eCode tails - side-markers are not blanked off, just not even there at all.

They could modify the code for US LEDs, but there seems to be a small hard-coded glitch (hyperblinking in dash) that may be limiting remote flashing of (or writing to) the PROM at all - making a core-swap of the BCM2 a necessity, perhaps another too-much-of-a-hassle.

In the end, the Audi-now solution (replace BCM2, adapt keys and component protection) adapt harnesses - is the most straightforward approach for the US. For me, who wanted the eCodes, they came through. We're just a small band of outlaws though ...

 

[Europrice]

Roger-
I do agree, sounds like Kufatec stood up and did the right thing to ensure that anyone who was effected by this got taken care of, kudos to them. However sounds like BKS grabbed the cash and ran, to a degree. I hate to see this happen to groups that I've been involved with for long enough to form some solid customer relationships and even friendships just because of pricing. I still receive quote request after quote request to match BKS's pricing, however in the end I keep hearing they are receptive pre-sale and disappear post sale. Old adage applies in this case I'd say, if a deal seems to good to be true it likely is.

Though it's really great to hear you guys are 99% on the kit. I wonder if the hyperblinking could be fixed, maybe even something as simple as a small resistor inline to the turn signal.

Cheers,

 

[HP18]

Has anyone been able to get a hold of BBC-Technik? I've tried to contact them at least 3 times now with no response back.

 

[rnlabas]

Roger-
... I wonder if the hyperblinking could be fixed, maybe even something as simple as a small resistor inline to the turn signal.

Cheers,

It is my understanding that the in-dash hyperblinking is set in motion by the central electronics module (J519?) and NOT the BCM2 - although it depends on a signal fed to the bus by the BCM2 - which in turn is in response to the monitor of the signal bulb-circuit. The BCM2 is already (now) by-passing the bulb-out warnings, but this "blinker relay clicking-flashing"- an imitation really, has already been "set" in our cars, so it must be "unset" by the BCM2 that is already unset itself. So unless we start with a clear BCM2 (and ours weren't) it seems that neither a new code request (e.g. VCDS or even a new flash) nor a hardware (resistor) will affect the circuit monitor, since that path to the bus (then on to the J519) is now blocked at the BCM2 already.

er, ah, hope that is clearer ...

 

[rnlabas]

Has anyone been able to get a hold of BBC-Technik? I've tried to contact them at least 3 times now with no response back.

whaddya want them for on this subject - pm me...

 

[Europrice]

Roger-
Interesting, so the bulb monitoring has been turned off by the Kufatec code it sounds like. Then in turn the comfort module thinks that the bulb is out. I wonder if there would be anyway for them to code the BCM2 to give off a bulb is OK signal versus just shutting the monitoring off, basically spoofing the signal needed for the comfort module to think bulbs are OK. It is obviously not that simple, as if it was they would do it in a heartbeat I suspect. Thanks for clarification.

 

[HP18]

whaddya want them for on this subject - pm me...

he just emailed me back, thanks though

FYI the unadvertised group buy price from BBC is $1,349.00 shipped, (cali residents have to add tax?)

This price is for the whole "kit" the new module, lights instructions etc. (but only the dealer can complete the install)

speak to Benjamin at BBC if interested. they have a quiet few cars with these kits working flawlessly.

I emailed Ben regarding the $1349 group buy price and got this reply back

"I have made no provisions for a group by for that price or any other. I
did however have a massive crash of my email, and that is why I have not
responded to your previous email. Sorry for the delay. I am willing to
sell the complete kit for the prices I have previously quoted ( $1799 for
the complete kit, $899 for the programmed module). These prices do not
include installation. They must be installed at an Audi dealer. There is
no way around this, and the buyer is responsible for this cost. I am
willing to do a group buy and include installation for these same prices,
only if you had 5+ people willing to get the installation with deposits."

 

[rnlabas]

If I recall, you now have a set of LEDs right? DOT versions too. At this point, I'd just go ahead and make the harnesses and buy a new (D or later) BCM2 (~$400) and have your Audi dealer do the key adaptation and component protection - and you should be good to go...

 

[HP18]

If I recall, you now have a set of LEDs right? DOT versions too. At this point, I'd just go ahead and make the harnesses and buy a new (D or later) BCM2 (~$400) and have your Audi dealer do the key adaptation and component protection - and you should be good to go...

Yes that's what I was planning to do. I still need to get the proper harnesses so I can connect the taillights properly. If anyone can chime in on the part numbers required for this I'd appreciate it!