Author Topic: Golf gti mk7 to mk7.5 headlights and tail lights  (Read 7058 times)

Offline Fais86

  • Just got here
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Hi everyone.

Apologies for starting a new thread on this topic. Im sure peeps would have talked about it before but I have tried the search and cant find it :/

Soo. I have a 2015 mk7 golf gti performance with factory fitted xenon headlamps and the standard gti tail lights that all the gti’s/gtd/s have. I have had the car a few years now and wanted to change/upgrade its look a bit.

I am interested in upgrading the lights to the new mk7.5 lights. I believe i can change the tail lights to the new swipe ones without any issue. But the headlights I have read in a lot of places that they cant be changed if they are factory  xenons. Only standard halogen ones can be upgraded to the new 7.5 style. Thats retrofit. Not original vw ones

Can anyone shed some light on this for me please? Has anyone here had the lights changed to the new 7.5 style?

Thanks everyone in advance for any input you can give :)


Offline fredgroves

  • Serious forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 7,948
  • Professional Um Bongo drinker
Re: Golf gti mk7 to mk7.5 headlights and tail lights
« Reply #1 on: 30 May 2019, 11:59 »
I've seen some kits which say don't work if you have xenons.

Why... I don't really know!

Swapping out the whole unit might be possible but I suspect its a lot of ball ache and involves parts beyond the headlight unit itself plus some software changes that may or may not be possible.

Current: Mk8 GTI DSG, Adelaides, DCC, HUD, HK, Winter Pack, Rear Camera.. Aka "HMS Weasel"

Gone: 2017 Mk7.5 GTD,manual, NavPro
Gone: 2014 Mk7 GTD, manual, NavPro, DCC

Offline Exonian

  • Serious forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 9,319
Re: Golf gti mk7 to mk7.5 headlights and tail lights
« Reply #2 on: 30 May 2019, 13:24 »
The tail lights are an easy and popular swap.

The headlights not so.
You’d be going from xenon to LED so there will be loads of detail differences in hardware aside from the obvious power supply differences and bulb requirements.
The very first thing to check would be the actual shape as the bumpers follow different contours between 7 and 7.5 so there might be fractional differences with the lens/casing. I’m sure I remember reading that the front wings are different on a 7.5 too. It might only be millimetres of differences but...

Have you had a look on golfmk7.com? I’ve not been on there for years but there are a lot more modders on there. 
‘25 8.5R, ‘23 8R, ‘20 8CS, ‘19 135iX, ‘19 TCR, ‘17 Ed40, ‘17 GTD, ‘15 7R, ‘13 GTI PP, ‘11 GTI, ‘09 GTI, ‘98 Ibiza Cupra, ‘05 GTI, ‘06 Polo GTI, ‘04 GT TDI, ‘05 Fabia vRS, ‘02 GTI T, ‘03 Ibiza TDI 130, ‘01 Leon 180, ‘89 mk2 16v, ‘99 Ibiza TDI, ‘96 VR6, ‘98 Ibiza TDI, ‘92 VR6, ‘88 mk2 8v, ‘92 Polo G40, ‘91 mk2 8v, ‘89 mk2 8v, 205 GTI 1.9, ‘83 mk1 GTI, ‘80 Scirocco GTI, plus some others I’ve forgotten 

Offline dubber36

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 5,536
Re: Golf gti mk7 to mk7.5 headlights and tail lights
« Reply #3 on: 30 May 2019, 15:19 »
I've seen some kits which say don't work if you have xenons.

Why... I don't really know!


Many of the aftermarket headlights have a H7 bulb holder that is fitted with a H7 HID kit. Providing that the ballast is CanBus compatible, the car will still think it has halogen lights. They will also incorporate beam height adjusters that will work with the halogen equipped cars dashboard switch.
Red Mk6 gone replaced with a white Mk7 which has gone too. Green Mk2 here to stay.

Offline Fais86

  • Just got here
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Golf gti mk7 to mk7.5 headlights and tail lights
« Reply #4 on: 30 May 2019, 15:32 »
Hi Guys and thanks for your all your replies.

I have managed to find a company to replace the tail lights. And yes Exonian from what I have seen online the tail lights do seem like an easy and popular swap. No I haven't been on golfmk7.com never heard of it. But will do now so cheers for that.

Still trying to find out more about the headlights. I don't think the bumpers and wings etc would be an issue as there are a lot of aftermarket headlights that will fit the mk7 design but wont fit the 7.5 if you get what I mean. The issue for me is the xenons part. So its that I'm trying to get around.

As dubber has replied. Man that seems too complicated for me lol. I might just have to stick with my old headlights. I wish there was just a simple plug and play version as there are for the halogen headlight version.

Cheers guys :)