Hey guys,

Last week when I was installing some new interior LEDs, I realized our map lights don't light up when the doors are open like many new cars nowadays do (say, the 3G TL). While my 9LED festoon dome light is quite bright as it is, it would be pretty sweet to get the map lights to turn on too. I am not too familiar with all the wiring and stuff, so I was wondering if any of you gurus can clearify/help me out with this.

Thanks!

 

I'm sure you could somehow connect the map lights to the dome lights, it's not impossible. I'll ask my dad (electronics engineer) if he has any ideas about it tomorrow.

 

I think I've ask the dealer the same question about this mod before and they said something about the wiring for the power will need to be swapped out completely because the voltage or wattage the wiring can handle is precisely measured... Anyway... hopefully we can get a anser from alleyesonmeee's dad... It should be a great mod...

 

is simple

if the map light is negative trip than hook up blackwhite to the ground side of the map light

if is possitive trip hook up a relay to swich polarity from the blackwhite wire to the positive wire on the map light

 

easy!

but you cant just connect the wire from the dome light to the map lights, cuz then when you would turn on your dome light (using the ceiling switch) your map lights would light up too.. You will have to use a relay to make sure the current goes through only when doors are open (door signal will trigger relay's coil to let current from the dome light go through).


If someone could provide me with the wiring diagram for the dome, map and door lights i would draw a wiring schematic.

 

Good mod idea. I'll have to check my Helms electrical schematics manual.

 

if this turns out to be an easy mod with no extra parts required (too busy to go buy stuff), then i want in. (all my interior lights r blu)

 

it is a easy mod, you may just need a 5 dollar relay

 

Damn... Can't wait for the schematic...

 

sounds great! thanks for the replies you guys. ill be waiting out for that. im a total n00b when it comes to electrical stuff.

 

any updates on this?

 

nope, i guess they all forgot to check and get back to me on it haha

 

awwww..... I've been wanting to do this for the longest time...

 

This is the best solution, and simple as well. The problem is finding the wiring diagrams. Someone with a helms manual could easily tell you were to find all the wires and the colors.

 

Helms manual... would I be able to find them at places like pepboys or autozone?

 

yeah lemme know what happens

 

I think you have to order it online at helmsinc.com or something like that

 

alright so I realized that the LED's i bought for my map lights rarely get used and I was thinking it would be really cool to have them wired up to the dome lights so they go on when the doors are opened. So i searched and came accross this thread and another (https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...8#post11428348) talking about the same idea. so i'm wondering if 2 years later this idea has been carried out.

 

its a red/blk wire that gets its power from the taillight relay. one u turn on the parkin lights it powers the glove box and 2 vanity mirrors. if u get 2 t-taps and some wire im sure u can just take the red/blk wire and wire it up to an ignition sense (+) wire. then the 2 vanity lights and glove box will be on as long as the key is in the on position.

 

i forgot to add that once u tap into that red/blk wire itll also send power for all the switches and the gauges to turn the illumination on. so basically you could cut the red and black wire at each vanity light you can just send the vanity lights power from the ignition.

 

^ He's talking about the map lights, not the vanity and glovebox. Trying to have the map function like the dome when the door opens.

I'd like to do this too. I need more time to look at the wiring diagrams.

 

wow lol i missed that one.... ok give me 5 mins illl have ur answer

 

ok so from what i see in the schematic theres a white/blue wire that powers the dome light when u open the door. if you tap into that wire and run it to the white/blue wire for the map lights it should turn both lights on when u open the door. the only down side is that it wont dim slowly like the dome light does because that works off the ground side.

 

How involved you think it would be to make it dim like the dome? And have regular function of the map lights through the button.

 

you could probably try just t-tapping the ground side of the dome light to the ground of the map lights and see if when u lock it it dims down..

 

I think if you did that you would have to disconnect the existing ground on the map lights first.

 

did this in my car about a month ago. looks great and dims, just like the dome light.. tapped the dome light ground and used the constant power from the homelink.. BUT the problem is, unless you rewire the homelink or run your own dedicated constant power, it will only work with the door open. because the lights and homelink share a common ground.

 

Did you just tap it behind the passanger fusebox?

 

i ran a single wire from the dome to the map lights, around the sunroof.

 

did you take down the headliner?

 

Hmm, I might try this since I don't use Homelink at all.

So your map light don't have the normal functions, they only come on with the dome?

 

so wheres the DIY?

 

^ There isn't one yet.

 

Wired like that the map lights won't work unless the door is open? If so then :thumbsdow

 

It's weird he used constant power from Homelink. Doesn't the map light already have constant power?

 

they share a constant power..

 

someone wanna make a DIY so handycaptd can do it for me? =]