Has anyone installed the DEPO LED Taillights on their 2009 A4 B8

[basamx]

Just wondering if anyone on this board has actually purchased the DEPO LED Taillights from ebay or another place and installed them. I understand that these are resistor based, and everyone has a different opinion, but I haven't heard any personal negative experiences from anyone installing onto their own B8. I just don't understand why so many are going or talking about the route of paying $1100 plus a donation for remote programming to get the OEM RoW ones working on a US Spec car.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-2009-201...#ht_5185wt_913

[DavidB8]

Maybe it's because most people dont' want cheap looking knock offs on their cars. Those lights just look horrific in that picture. They will never look OEM or act like OEM without being reprogrammed. Just look at the inner and outter. One on one off with brakes??

If you like them get them but you get what you pay for.

[hender]

yeah man... basically you can tell those are knockoffs. which is never a compliment.
I much prefer the standard halogen tails over those knockoffs any day...but the OEM LED tails are one of my favourite aesthetic elements.

i couldn't tell you why, but they just look really cheap. too many leds, not the right reflective housing or whatever. just too busy / looks like a civic job.

by all means, throw them on, because I agree $1200 is insane....but you asked why more people don't go that route, and I believe you're getting an answer.

[brainpan]

Wrong one..

[basamx]

DavidB8, I along with a lot of people respect what you've done with the programming of the lights, but have you had any personal experience with the DEPO lights? Or are you just assuming they look bad because of the pictures?

hender, I hear you, well said.

[Devilz173]

Is like wearing a pair of Jordans...u put your feet in some fakes and makes u feel uncomfortable n stuff... U cant go anywhere without programming them regardless...if im not mistaken'
I'd leave the stocks or justmdo the upgrade...the right way

[A4 Centaur]

DO it right, or don't do it at all.

DavidB8 is absolutely correct.

Depo Lights are Fugly.

[maga4]

I can appreciate different tastes, but this is a good example of you do get what you pay for...

[basamx]

Ask for peoples own experiences, get a bunch of attacks on the product from people who've never even seen or used them in person. I don't doubt your feelings, but opinions are worthless to me unless you can provide some sort of tangible comparables between the products.

My personal opinion is that its STUPID to pay $1,200 for a set of LED taillights, just to say they are OEM. You can buy a 2010 model for about $3,000 more, have the LED and one more year of warranty, along with a car worth more money. No one is going to give you a better trade in price or offer you more money for your car because you put a set of AUDI LED lights on it. Even if you had to remove and resell them, you have to rely on someone else to code things back to stock.

I also think that there is a quite a bit of markup in these lights. I mean really, $999 for the set, $99 for shipping, and you have to give David $100! The lights alone are probably like $600, so a $600 mark up on a product they didn't even develop, that's insane! The $100 or so for the coding, I kind of get that. David spent a boat load of time on it, but modifying a harness and up-charging $400+.. No way. Someone on this board should have some pictures on a "HOW TO" modify Euro Spec tail lights. Then we can all order our own, and mod them.

[neptunesfinest]

I think it's STUPID to remove the bulb tails (which look fine and are 'free') and install some cheap looking LEDs (which cost $3-400 and make your Audi look like cheap shit). Why come here and ask for peoples opinion if you don't appreciate honest feedback? Like others have said, bottom line is they won't work right no matter what you do unless you can code them. I understand that $1100 seems like a lot of money to pay for tail lights, but I'd rather sink $1100 into a project that improves the look of the car than $3-400 into a project that leaves my car looking worse than it did before. Come on man it's an Audi not a civic.

[basamx]

I don't disagree that buying the DEPO is not smart either, although it makes a heck of a lot more sense, TO ME, then forking over $1,200. I'm not in favor of either right now, but it's not because of the rants on this discussion, it's because of the helpful person that sent me a video of them on his car. The DEPOs don't have a flashing Amber LED, and the brake lights are just the outside lights. I believe US Spec the whole taillight lights up when braking.

I think to each his own and I don't think anyone on this board has a right to bash something just because they personally don't like it. neptunesfinest, you're wrong I NEVER asked for opinions, but OH boy did i get them :)

[DavidB8]

Well I don't sell lights but I think your way off base. I just looked up the US lights from Genuine so a huge discount and the they where $1100. I don't know what it costs to make the harnesses but I would think labour and parts would be around 75 to 100 maybe? Those wires are damn expensive and plugs can cost up to $10 each depending on the part numbers.

Your getting bent out of shape because of opinions, well your only going to get opinions from most because there is little interest in them. People see the pictures and there have been more pics on the forum and they don't get them. You don't have to buy them to provide an educated opinion. Even if someone bought them it's still an opinion. Lighten up a little.

You don't want to spend the money.. Don't blame you. You never get all your money back out of mods, that's life. You do them because they are what you want, not because you want to sell them to the next person.

I personally always looked at it like if you had two cars side by side same model same price but one had LED lights which would you buy? You may not ask a greater price with the lights but you'll get closer to your asking and sell it easier.

Anyway, take a deep breath, non of this is personal and not aimed at you. You decide to go with those lights that's cool. Let me know and I'll hook you up on the coding at a good deal so we can see what they look like when you have them coded properly and not running them like bulb lights. That's assuming they can be run as normal LED's of course.

[vtheman]

Depo makes quality lights. I have seen Depo product (Toyota, Mazda) in person and compared it to an OEM and believe it or not I wasn't able to tell the difference, I've never seen an A4 lights made by Depo but as far as their quality goes it is top notch. Said all that I'd be very interested to check them out in person and/or get more feedback from actual owners.

[tenfour]

Very well said David.

I had DEPO tail lights on my b5 and they were perfectly fine. I liked them actually. Though they weren't LED style type of lights like the B8s. Someone should take the plunge and try them out. Some actual feedback would be nice as compared to just pics.

[dracolnyte]

i think they would look fine to me after properly coding them. i get what you mean, $1,100 + $!00 coding vs $300 + $100 coding, and you achieve what you want at the end: LED tail lights. i wouldnt give a f*** what others think knowing that I got them for 1/3 of what they did and the difference is really negligible.

plus, most people wouldnt be able to tell the difference unless a stock LED car is parked beside it once its coded properly

[MilesM]

Only read the replies up until the OP stated "Ask for peoples own experiences, get a bunch of attacks on the product from people who've never even seen or used them in person."


There is a reason nobody on here can speak for how they are in person, nobody wants them. They're hideous.

[basamx]

I'm still thinking it through. I've been modifying cars for over 15 years, so yeah I know how it goes. I'll just crawl on the classilfields for a few months, if nothing pops up I'll grab some DEPOs. Until them, I still have some rims to purchases. Found a good deal on some RS4 wheels. Machine shop charges $80 to bore the holes to 66.6mm from 57.1mm.

Is there any way I can buy some US spec LED lights and modify them myself to get them working? Then have you do the coding? I now I can pick them up from the junkyard for under $400 for sure.

[Greg Nelson]

Looking at the pics and description on the link - other pics w/LEDs on look better than one posted here, HOWEVER description states only the LEDs are included, not the incand. bulbs (turn, backup, fog) and unsure about harness connection shown in one pic would work.
When many of us did the group buy last March/April, the EuroPrice set included ALL bulbs and the plug'n'play harness connector - was $900 for my '09 sedan IIRC.
Regarding DEPO, they seem to be reliable - 6 years ago I purchased their smoked taillights for my B6 - kept getting a bulb out warning - no bulb was out, faulty pin in harness connector - put the OEM's back in, no more warning.

[OmaHahn]

I emailed the seller about being a true 100% "Plug & Play," as they claim and about their Return Policy. If everything is legit, I just might be your guinea pig. I absolutely agree that over $1000 bones for some tail lights is insane! But I really like the LED look. DavidB8 programed by bulb tails to ROW and I installed an amber signal bulb - I love them now, but still have that nagging urge for LED! I wonder if David can program these to ROW as well. That would be a huge factor in my decision.

[dracolnyte]

looking at this pic, doesnt seem possible to code much, since the harness just has power and ground on the outer LED. unless you splice your own wires into each section

[OmaHahn]

Didn't even see that pic! Never mind! Still $aving my ca$h for Alex & David for the true LED mod then!

[dracolnyte]

just saw this on the road, nearly fooled me if he haven't signalled (which was an amber bulb)

[dylannorton]

One of the guys on here, Oascom, has had them for a while now. I ask him every once in a while how they're holding up so I can decide whether or not to go for it. Maybe he'll chime in here at some point. I plan to pull the trigger on them eventually; just not the first thing on my mind at the moment.

[lx4life]

is it possible to code them like that if so has anyone done that yet. I really believe alot of people have them but are scared to post because people are going to bash them which is always the norm on the forum.

[treginginco]

I don't think there's anything wrong with these. They look fairly close to OEM. My only beef is that it looks like it does NOT have an LED turn signal.

[BarEaterB8]

I have the OEM ROW LED tails and they have a non-led orange turn signal.