Audi interiors are lit well from the factory. Not brightly, but evenly, and the fittings are the kind that look expensive until the bulbs start to dim.
The Q5 and Q7 use a mix of wedge and festoon bulbs across the generations, and Audi's bulb monitoring is strict enough that a plain LED will often trip a warning. Here is what fits and what to watch for.
Q5 (8R and FY)
| Position | 8R (2008-2017) | FY (2017+) |
|---|---|---|
| Front dome / map | T10 (W5W) | T10 (W5W) |
| Rear dome | 42mm festoon | 42mm festoon |
| Footwell (front) | T10 (W5W) | T10 (W5W) |
| Footwell (rear) | T10 (W5W) | T10 (W5W) |
| Vanity mirror | 36mm festoon | 36mm festoon |
| Trunk | 42mm festoon | T10 (W5W) |
| Glovebox | T10 (W5W) | T10 (W5W) |
The 8R trunk uses a festoon. The FY switched to a wedge. If you order the older kit for a newer car you will be one bulb short and one bulb over.
Q7 (4L and 4M)
| Position | 4L (2005-2015) | 4M (2015+) |
|---|---|---|
| Front dome / map | T10 (W5W) | T10 (W5W) |
| Rear dome | 42mm festoon | 42mm festoon |
| Footwell | T10 (W5W) | T10 (W5W) |
| Vanity mirror | 36mm festoon | 36mm festoon |
| Trunk | 42mm festoon | 42mm festoon |
| Cargo side lights | T10 (W5W) | T10 (W5W) |
The 4M added side cargo lights in the boot that the 4L did not have on most trims. Count your positions before ordering rather than assuming the kit will match.
The Audi warning light issue
Audi runs a cold check on the lighting circuit at startup. A low-draw LED looks like a failed bulb to that check, and you get a chime plus a message on the dash.
Two fixes work. A CANBUS-compatible bulb with an internal resistor, or a load resistor wired in parallel. For the Q5 and Q7 we supply CANBUS bulbs for the monitored positions.
If you fit plain LEDs and see a warning, do not panic. It is not a fault, it is the car reporting a load it did not expect. Swap the monitored positions for CANBUS bulbs and it goes away.
Fitting them
The front dome on both models comes out with a trim tool from the rear edge. On the Q7 with the panoramic roof, the rear dome is set into the headliner and needs a firmer pull than you might expect. It will not break, but it will feel like it might.
Footwell lights are under the dash on the 8R and 4L. On the FY and 4M they are recessed and you may need to lie on your back to see the housing.
Vanity lights are the usual fiddly festoon. Small notch, fingernail, patience. The Q7 rear doors have two per side on some trims, so check before you order.
Which colour
Most Q5 and Q7 owners fit white. The interiors are grey or black with a lot of cool-toned trim, and warm white looks slightly off against it.
Ice blue suits the Q7 particularly well if you want something different. The 4M's ambient lighting package already uses cool tones, so ice blue footwells blend in rather than clash.
If you have the factory ambient strips and want to match them, white is the safe choice. The strips are a fixed colour and mixing temperatures is visible at night.
Frequently asked questions
Can I replace the ambient strip lighting? No. Those are LED modules built into the trim panels, not serviceable bulbs.
Will the warning come back after a service? No. The warning is triggered by bulb load, not by a stored code. If the load is correct, the check passes.
Is it safe to leave the boot open with LEDs on? The LEDs draw less power than the original bulbs. Volkswagen Group vehicles cut interior lighting after a timeout regardless.
One footwell is dimmer. Why? Check polarity first. Then check the connector is fully seated. A partially inserted wedge bulb can look lit but run at reduced output.
Find your Audi LED interior light kit by model and year.