I'm looking to put some ambient lights in my CL, but I'm trying to figure out where to tap for the power. I want them to be on when the parking lights are on. I know MrFluffy has got some info on this, I'll be PM'ing him, but I was wondering where you guys would suggest or what experiences you have

-Evan

 

Yea, Mr. Fluffy would be the guy to ask! His car has more lights then a Mexican Mobile

 

well put

 

you guys are messed up.

i am also looking to tap into some lights, but i wanna tap into the dome light. does fluffy know where that power wire is too?

 

run a relay and tap into one of the front parking lights

 

i don't want to run anything through the firewall or doors, I'm sure there is a interior dash light wire to tap into, just want to get some advice from someone who has done it

 

you know that we have a light bulb in our bottom center console that lights up when we turn our lights on? maybe you can look into tapping into that.

 

Haha I used a fuse tap from autozone and I just tapped into my fuel pump fuse. So far so good, turns on when I turn the car on.

 

yea, i'm looking for it to turn on when the lights turn on

 

what about the center arm rest light that i suggested?

 

I'm going to look into that later today, need to figure out how to get to it. I think I'm going to have to just remove that bottom center console, wish there was an easier way.

 

Is this what you guys are looking for? This is the back of the fuse box above the drivers left foot. There are four types of power sources there. It's unfused except for the mains as far as I know so you may want to use something inline if you tap one of these.

 

now can you post where to tap for dome light and the door light/door switch?

 

I have it posted in my thread about TL side skirts and puddle lamps. Are you looking to wire in a light to the dome light (so it turns on/off and fades with the dome lamp?)

Check my thread, but if you open up the A pillar on the passenger side, there are a thread of wires running up to the dome light. It's either the white or the black wire. And that is a ground. So you need to tap a constant power source from the fuse box and wire your ground to that wire. That way it will become active when the dome light does. The dome light has a constant power wire running to it, but its not powerful enough to power another light source as well, so wire a constant power and then tap the ground off the A pillar wires.

 

yea, im looking to have it fade in and out with the dome. im looking at your thread right now.

well if i use LEDs, will that work or would i still have to use the 12V constant?
i was wondering what color the ground and power wires are to the dome light, i plan to T-tap into those

 

Great info here! Found my solution here. But its really not okay to tap into the dome's power? even if your using LEDs? cause maybe its the amount of power being drawn?

and how does it fade with the dome even though its not getting power thru the dome?

 

umm, well if it's just one light source you should be able to. I had 4 lights running, so i needed independent power. (and that was with LEDs) so, yea, if you only have one or two you should be ok. I over loaded it and blew a fuse trying with 4.

And yes, doing it the way I did will make it turn on/off and fade with the dome light.

I believe it fades in/out with the dome because it's a variable ground wire

 

hmm, well im thinking of using 2 LED strips. 30 LEDs each strip. maybe thats too much for dome power.

 

What are you doing with the strips? I'm intrigued!

Also, that light constant worked great, thanks guys!

 

footwell ambient lighting. if you ever wanted to do some, it should be pretty easy for you since you could just tap right in to the puddle light wiring.

so those 2 strips are probably too much huh? i think ill just keep it safe and tap into the one you used. what color was the power wire to the one you tapped?

 

Sorry I was away for the weekend

You kinda have tear The center console apart but its only like 6 screws if that. The upper one slides back after taking out the scews in the thing that lift up and then taking the two trim pieces that look like boomerangs there are only a few screws and it slides back to expose the plug that you tap into

If you use the puddle lights it wont be on when the door are closed

 

well evan already did his puddle lights. but the center console removal is pretty easy, even i've done it before. you have to remove screws under the wood trim and i think there are a couple of screws at the bottom of the bottom bin in the center arm rest.

does anyone know how to tap into the door switch/light? i'd rather have my footwells light up with those then the dome.

 

He only wants the lights to come on when he opens the door ?

I belive the fuse for that door light is on the pasenger side

 

no, im talking about me now. i his thread. I was planning on some footwell lighting and i want them to turn on when the door opens. IE. when the driver's door opens, the driver's foot well turn on only.

Is it just a fuse labeled door light? cause i dont remember seeing anything like that. I just wanna figure out what color of the wires to tap into. The ground and power wire for each of the lights on both sides.

 

well it doesnt matter which light you tap into left or right. I would go with the passenger door.

Im not sure what colour they are but its easy to check just pop the corner of the inner door panel and stick a flash light up there. there should be only two wires going there ground and power. they only exit the door in one place if you take the panel off where the fuses are u should be able to see them coming in to the car just find the same color wires and tap in this part should be quite hard BTW

or you can star pulling fuses and see which one turns those lights off and tap in there but im not sure where the switches is to turn the door lighs off and on is. It could be before the fuse or after the fuse if its before your good it will go on and of with the door if its after then you will need to tap it close to light which is the easiest but you may have trouble hiding the wire coming in to the car from the door

Hope this helps

 

yea, im gonna pop off the corner of the door panel, then see what color they are. then find the same wires near the fuse box and tap into them there. and repeat for the other side.

i hope i dont blow a fuse though.

another way i was thinking was to tap into the switch for the door. like the indicator to tell the car that the door is open. its on the door jam next to the latch for the lock. if you push the black rubber covered button, the light goes off. but i think tapping into the light is easier.

 

That switch you are talking about is a ground by the way. I f tap in to it you will have to tap int both( I think ) but if you tap in the light you will only have to tap in to one side which should make things alot easier

I was just thinking about this but if that is a ground then you could probably make a switch to ground as well so when you open the car doors the lights go on and when switch it to the other ground ( any ground) the lights stay on. Which would be kinda cool I like driving a night with the floors light up personaly. I may just switch mine to this the problem that I can for see is that the door lights will stay on and the car may think the door are open

Im probably going to try this when It stops raining but could be awhile been raining straight for 2 weeks

 

naw, i just want my footwells to be on when the door opens. and only one side of the door. like if the driver's door is open, only the driver's footwell will be on.

but im gonna give it a shot and tap into the door light only. i'll need to tap into each side, i dont see how i could tap both of the lights into the passenger's side only.
i wont be able to do the project soon, maybe sometime this summer as i have school and such but im doing research now and hopefully will be done by the end of this summer.