shun_kim

thanks to all those who posted instructions. Here's mine.. Sorry for the crappy picture, i don't have a good camera.

TOC-TS-EXY

I just bought a led interior tube kit. It comes with four 6" tubes, on/off and mode controller it ends with a red and black wire and a black wire. Can I use the same "cd holder" location wires to tap in for this set up? Thanks for any help.

intensity2x

Shouldn't be a problem. Sounds like those will be pretty bright though, I hope thats the look youre going for.

I personally used only 2 (single) led's on each side. Matches the stock lights perfectly. Most other people only used 1 led per side with similar results. I also hooked mine to the dome lights instead of the cubby light so they fade in and out when you open the doors, unlock, etc.

Good luck, all in all its a pretty easy install.

TOC-TS-EXY

so i tried to do the set up today and when it was all said and done my lights didn't come on and now my light for the "cd holder" is out. I did the wire tap over again to double check, but still no light. Any ideas?

K3VIN

intensity2x where did u tapped the wire to get the 2 way??

intensity2x

I posted a link to a puddle light DIY a couple posts back.

Basically there is a green 5-pin plug that comes from the driver's A-pillar into the back of the fuse box. If you take all the molding off in that area and look up towards the pillar you will see it. You want to run your ground (black wire) to the red/green wire (i think, double check the DIY I linked to) and then run your red wire to a constant hot. You can tap fuse #6 for this as I did. I also wired up a 2-way switch so that I can turn them permanently on as well.

intensity2x

Check your fuses. If one is blown you wired it wrong

K3VIN

thanks intensity2x

TOC-TS-EXY

yeah thanks intensity2x and now i might try to set it up the way you did but i'll keep you guys posted

EscaBoi

Hey I wondering for those who have done this already if you can give me some help. I went to The Source (Circuit City) and they didn't have those quick connectors so the guy told me to buy wire connectors as they work the same. If I'm using this, that means I'm gonna have to cut the chubby wire in half and connect it to the LED wires right? I took a picture of what I think I'll have to do, can someone tell me if that's right before I get started?


Is this how I'm gonna have to put all the wires together?


Also I got my LED's from eBay, the wire seems a little smaller than the chubby wire and I also had to get hookup wire to extend it, are these LED's adequate?

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

you should be able to get quick connectors at home depot or something. i wouldn't go to circuit city.

i'm actually have some difficulty finding those LEDs. maybe i'll try that ebay seller you listed in your pic. haha.

EscaBoi

The wire for each LED from the eBay seller isn't long enough, you'll have to buy hook up wire. I bought 22 gauge hook up... but I'm not sure if that'll work. Wish we had a Pep Boys here to Canada... would be easier for these DIY's

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

ah, gotcha.

i actually msg'ed the seller on ebay to see the length of the wires, but you answered my question. now i know why you used those connectors. i thought you were just talking about tapping.

HI OFECR

radio shack usually has an assload of LED's and connectors splicers elect.

EscaBoi

OK, I just noticed in MDK's post that he's using 18-14 gauge quick connectors. The LED's that I've got are much smaller, and I bought the 22 gauge hook up wire which is slightly thicker than the LED wires. Is it still possible to hook up the 22 gauge wire to the bigger 18-14 gauge chubby wire?

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

ooo...good to know. i can stop by one after work.

for those of you that installed, did you put that foam padding back onto the panels? i'm assuming you guys did.

taz98spin

Thanks so much for the write up MDK!!!


I will finally be able to install my LEDs!

intensity2x

I wouldn't do it that way. Wire nuts are a bad idea if you ask me. If you are going to cut the wire, then you should solder the connection. If you insist on using the wire nuts, make sure you tape it up very well with electrical tape.

You can get the wire taps just about anywhere, Radio Shack, Home Cheapo, Lowes, even auto parts stores usually have them. You want 20-22 Gauge taps (the red ones), 18 to 14 Guage will be way too big.

If you need to add wire, just about anything will be fine as led's draw very little current. 20 or 22 gauge speaker or hook-up sire is fine. You can use butt connectors to do this or solder them as well. Always a good idea to tape them up too.

I am a firefighter so I've seen first-hand what happens when people do poor electrical work in cars. Always get the right size connectors and make sure your connections are solid. Otherwise...

EscaBoi

Oh man, this is AWESOME!! I just completed this and I gotta said it was pretty darn easy, all thanks to the great instructions and help from everyone here. It took me about an hour because I had to use wire nuts/cones but everything is working fine.

Intensity, I wish I'd read your post before I went to do this. I did use electrical tape after I used the wire nuts just as a precaution and to make sure it all stuck together. I was contemplating whether or not to use the butt connectors but the sales people from The Source didn't know what to do. On the other hand, I did finally find those quick wire connectors and ultimately did choose to go with the 22-18 gauge (Red).

For anyone not sure which LED's to use, the eBay ones I purchased work fine... though this is just day 1 so we'll see how long they last. I would personally recommend you get the LED's from Pep Boys if you can seeing as how the wires are much longer so you wouldn't have to go through the extra step/time that I had to with additional hook up wire.

Thanks again to all the great contributors in this thread

TOC-TS-EXY

I have no idea what i'm doing wrong. I checked the fuses no blows. My wire from the lights are a bit larger then the wire for the cubby light, could that be my problem? I keep reading how easy this is to do its killing me and my urge to do mods. should i try running it to another place and is there a way to check my lights to make sure they are working? please any help would be great.

Jottle

If someone decides to do this mod with white leds, please post up pics. I prefer the white and think it gives more usable light if all you're going for is having these footwell leds light up with the interior lights when you open and close the doors.

EscaBoi

Hmm, you could try running it through the heated seat bulb, which others say works. Maybe check what type of LED's your using? Since MDK said that the ones he bought from superbrightleds didn't work, I'm guessing not all types work perhaps?

Also when you're using the quick connect wire connectors, make sure you push the two red/black wires all the way in to the butt end so that when you push down the splicer they will cut it mid way.

kdUbz

yeah i did this last week and it was cake thanks to the awesome write-ups

def not as bright as the pic shows...theyre nice and subtle and look like they come factory.

mdkxtreme

you guys dont have to use 18-14 gauge quick connects. its just that size works for the LEDs at pep boys. from what i see, 22-18 gauge quick connects are a sure thing because you can guarantee a solid connection, but dont take my word for it, im not an electrician


escaboi, the reason why the ones from superbrightleds.com didnt work is because their wires were 30 gauge. which mean that they were waaaaay too small to be spliced by the quick connects.


xjohnkdoex, yes put the padding back on. if you dont put it back on for the driver side, you can see the LED peaking through some gaps

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

thx.

i actually went to radioshack found out they actually do carry LED bulbs, sockets, and whatever components you might need to build these yourself. except these things don't seem to be too popular, at least at the RS i went to. the whole display was in some back room, and they were all sold out of blue LEDs. judging by the cost of each bulb, connectors, wires, etc...it seems like the cost would be about the same to just buy them from pep boys or something.

intensity2x

I am going to post a short DIY on how I wired my lights to the dome lights, probably later tonight. Its nothing that can't be found elsewhere, but a few people have been asking, so I figured I would consolidate it and post it here.

Yes definately put the padding back on. It is there for noise insulation. I actually rode around for a few days with the panels off while I did the prep work on my leds, and there were plenty of little clunks, creaks and rattles that I never heard before.

The red connectors, 18-22 gauge, are a good fit for the stock wiring which is why I used them. I matched my led wire accordingly. I didn't use the pep boys lights, I actually made my own (Don't ask how, just buy some pre-made ones, its much easier lol) so I didn't realize those wires were much larger. If your wire sizes are grossly mismatched, say 18 gauge and 30 gauge, then its best to solder. The way the tap connectors work is that it has a fork that is supposed to cut the insulation on both side and contact the metal of the wire. if your taps are too small you will cut into the wire, too big it may not cut through the insulation fully. If you put multiple wires in it you may also cut the wire but a lot of people do this anyway. In this application I would say its ok to connect both wires to the same tap, but only because led's are such a low current draw (2 leds = 40 milliamps)

intensity2x

First let me start by saying, I copied all this info from Xizor's Puddle Light DIY. I would have never been able to figure this out without that guide and the one from the OP.

In order to wire up your led's to the dome lights, yuo will need:
1.) Piggyback (add-a-circuit) fuse holder.
2.) 18-22 ga wire taps (the red ones)
3.) a 2-way switch, SPDT is what its called (single post, dual throw)
4.) An extra mini fuse, 10 amps or smaller
5.) all the other stuff needed to do the led install.
6.) Flashlight
7.) Some type of small mirror (optional)


Piggyback fuse thing, get from an auto parts store


SPDT Switch - Radio Shack or mouser.com

Ok, heres a diagram of how you are going to wire it.


Step 1.
Install your led's as instructed in by the OP. Just a side note, I used a CD jewel case instead of plexi glass. Works the same. I also made my own leds, they have 2 leds per side. Looks the same as the OP, just buy yours, dont make them. Run all wires to the switch panel (where the sunroof switch is.) and leave some slack

Step 2.
Find the Red/Green Dome Light wire
This will be the trickiest part. It looks like this:


To find it, you will need to remove all the trim near the fuse box. You already have both kick panels removed, now remove the piece that surrounds the fuse box as well. Once this is done, grab the flashlight and stick your head in there. Get on your back, put the top of your head near the brake pedal, and look up. If you look towards the A-pillar (the roof support near the windshield) you should see only 1 wire harness coming down from there and into the back of the fuse back. You will NOT see the green plug, but you will see the 4 wires. Look for the piece of foam wrapped around it like in the picture, thats how I found it. Now find the green and red wire. Its one wire, green with a red stripe. Tap this wire, and run a wire from here up to the switch panel.

Step 3.
Connect the switch. Do it as shown in the picture. The black wire from the leds go to the center post. The wire coming from the red/green wire to another post, and the 3rd post run it to a ground. Just find some bare metal and attach the wire to it with a ring terminal or something. OR you can run it to the ground from the cubby light. Thats it.

You can skip step 3 if you choose and just attach your led's black wire directly to the red/green wire. If you do this, you dont get to choose when they are one, they go on when you open the door, unlock the doors, etc just like the dome light.

Step 4.
Install the piggyback fuse into Fuse #6 in the fuse panel. Install a 10 amp or smaller fuse and attach your red wire from the LEDs to this.

Thats it. Youre done. Enjoy.

N15KM

I just started this project, and I'm not sure if the LEDs I bought from Advanced Auto Parts will work. They seem to have two separate wires coming out of the bulb, but they are attached to each other the full length of the wire. one is black, and the other is black with a white stripe. Can I split them down the middle so I can use the quick connectors? or are these not usable? The problem is, they were the only LEDs of that kind.

The Dark Knight

iTrader: (1)

what color LEDs would look best for PWP/Ebony interior? I don't think blue would go well. Would white LEDs be OK? What do you guys think..

intensity2x

I've only seen it done in blue. blue matches everything else. white would look good in my opinion, but not to have on while you are driving. red, while not to my taste, would look pretter killer if you converted the stock blue leds to red also.
purple or ultraviolet would be pretty
green or amber would be :theghey:
aqua might be interesting, but again you would need to convert the other leds too.

The Dark Knight

iTrader: (1)

purple isn't bad!

if the process isn't too hard i could try it with diff colors on my 09 tsx and take pics

i have unlimited supply of LEDs/wires/etc

K3VIN

man......intensity2x r u anywhere near cali? lol

intensity2x

haha I was only kidding. Just about any color would look good provided you matched the other ambient lights to the same color. I'm not sure how easy that is though, but you probably need some soldering skills. The reason blue is so popular is because the car already has blue ambient as the theme. This 'mod' should have come stock if you ask me.

And sorry k3vin, last time I checked Jersey wasn't all that close to Cali, lol

jumbosizeme79

how about rear ambient lights, where would you hook those up too?

intensity2x

^^^ You would need to hook up to the same place. Where do you plan on putting them? Under the front seats? Doing it cleanly would require running the wires under the center console or under the carpet (at least part of the way). You could go down the door molding, but the wires will be exposed where you jump from the molding to under the seat. And an important thing to keep in mind is that the seats move, so you would have to run the wires so they don't interfere with the seat rails and that thw wires had enough slack to accomadate the seat moving. It can be done, but its not as easy as doing the fronts. I just replaced the rear dome light with a blue led version.

andrewjrr

i tried this out today, and for some reason the led's arent working, but the compartment light is. could it be because i tried to connect both positives and both negatives in the same quick connect and it might have caused it not to work right?

N15KM

^^^ I had the same problem when I tried this last night. Eventually I got them all to fit in two seperate connectors and the lights worked. Just make sure you have a good connection and the wires have good contact with metal inside the quick connect. My problem was, only one worked at first.

intensity2x

Probably a bad connection. A multimeter ($20 at radioshack) is a good investment if you plan on doing electrical mods. Will help find problems.

andrewjrr

yeah thanks for the feedback.. i ended up getting it to work just had to make a better connection. trying to fit them both in the same connector was kind of a hassle. great post tho

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

do you think napa would carry these LED lights?