Puddle Light wiring up schematics, and detailed pics.
07-09-2012, 11:00 AM
#41
2014 Jeep SRT
If you're using the diode to prevent current from backfeeding into the source you're grabbing it from (door trigger), then you have it in backwards. The way you have it on the schematic will prevent positive flowing current from feeding into the door trigger, and allow ground to go to the door trigger.
07-09-2012, 12:02 PM
#42
Engineer in Training
Sorry, it is incorrect. The way it's set up will prevent the ground from the door trigger to reach the puddle lights. The diode must be turned around so that the cathode (stripe side) faces the door and the black part (anode) faces the puddle lights' negative/ground wire.
Personally I would diode-isolate BOTH the rocker switch and the door trigger. One on the door trigger with the stripe facing the door trigger, and one on the rocker switch with the stripe facing the switch. This way the switch and door never see each other to prevent any ground loops or current backfeed.
Personally I would diode-isolate BOTH the rocker switch and the door trigger. One on the door trigger with the stripe facing the door trigger, and one on the rocker switch with the stripe facing the switch. This way the switch and door never see each other to prevent any ground loops or current backfeed.
Last edited by LockDots; 07-09-2012 at 12:05 PM.
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ebelp (07-09-2012)
07-09-2012, 01:12 PM
#43
BrownBuck
Sorry, it is incorrect. The way it's set up will prevent the ground from the door trigger to reach the puddle lights. The diode must be turned around so that the cathode (stripe side) faces the door and the black part (anode) faces the puddle lights' negative/ground wire.
Personally I would diode-isolate BOTH the rocker switch and the door trigger. One on the door trigger with the stripe facing the door trigger, and one on the rocker switch with the stripe facing the switch. This way the switch and door never see each other to prevent any ground loops or current backfeed.
Personally I would diode-isolate BOTH the rocker switch and the door trigger. One on the door trigger with the stripe facing the door trigger, and one on the rocker switch with the stripe facing the switch. This way the switch and door never see each other to prevent any ground loops or current backfeed.
I know basics...lol and i know what you mean by ground loops or current backfeed. But i am so lost after reading this. It's probably mostly me tho since i dont' deal with this stuff everyday.
I REALLLY want to do this and the illuminated door sills at the same time.
07-09-2012, 01:36 PM
#44
2014 Jeep SRT
I'll admit, I had to look at the picture of the schematic while I read his post in order to picture it in my head, but now I know exactly how he's saying it should be wired up. I know nothing about diodes, so I will have to trust his instructions! Thanks LockDots!
07-09-2012, 01:53 PM
#45
Engineer in Training
No problem. Standard Silicon diodes are easy to learn. Think of this way:
Stripe side: positive can come OUT of it but not into it
Black Side: Negative can come OUT of it but not into it
Stripe side: positive can come OUT of it but not into it
Black Side: Negative can come OUT of it but not into it
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ebelp (07-09-2012)
07-18-2012, 02:46 PM
#49
BANNED
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^got better installed pics?
not sure if i like it or not.
not sure if i like it or not.
07-19-2012, 08:18 PM
#52
Drifting
iTrader: (13)
I'm not sure what effect paperboy is going for----is it to light up the indentation behind the handle (what is usually meant by "lightup door handles") or to shine the light down to the ground like puddle lights?
Need more, better pics.
Need more, better pics.
07-20-2012, 06:02 AM
#55
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
yep, pointed down, exactly like the bmw door handles 
i just finished wiring everything up and all the leds installed couple hours ago. will take better pics when i have access to a dslr....iphone camera doesnt do it justice lol
i just finished wiring everything up and all the leds installed couple hours ago. will take better pics when i have access to a dslr....iphone camera doesnt do it justice lol
07-20-2012, 06:03 AM
#56
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
btw its not that easy to have the light pointed towards the door given the shape of the door handle. it naturally curves outwards so pointing straight down is alrdy pushing it. still looks great though. and i did think about under the side mirrors but I thought it'd be overkill since theres an led for each door handle already
Last edited by paperboy42190; 07-20-2012 at 06:07 AM.
07-23-2012, 10:32 AM
#60
takin care of Business in
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damn George...that is well done....but am not digging it....IMO the lights are tooo bright and the TL door handle does not have closed top so the light more than helping will blind you....
but again am just gauging from the pix you have posted....none the less, great work
but again am just gauging from the pix you have posted....none the less, great work
07-23-2012, 10:34 AM
#61
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i like the idea, but wish they were more angled towards the ground and not so overpowering...like the BMW pic above.
nonetheless, great work man!
nonetheless, great work man!
07-23-2012, 10:45 AM
#62
Engineer in Training
The lights look great! I have a few questions for you:
1 - What size resistors did you use?
2 - Where in the car did you tap into for the dome light?
3 - How did you route the wire through the factory molex plug? The doors have a molex plug with usually only 2 pins that are not used. I have used these pins to remotely control my auto-window up/down. I don't feel like drilling new holes so I'd really like to know how you routed your wires.
1 - What size resistors did you use?
2 - Where in the car did you tap into for the dome light?
3 - How did you route the wire through the factory molex plug? The doors have a molex plug with usually only 2 pins that are not used. I have used these pins to remotely control my auto-window up/down. I don't feel like drilling new holes so I'd really like to know how you routed your wires.
07-23-2012, 09:24 PM
#65
Engineer in Training
damn George...that is well done....but am not digging it....IMO the lights are tooo bright and the TL door handle does not have closed top so the light more than helping will blind you....
but again am just gauging from the pix you have posted....none the less, great work
but again am just gauging from the pix you have posted....none the less, great work
Not sure why you're saying they would blind you. The BMW door handles don't have a closed top either. My wife has an '07 328xi and you definitely cannot see them from inside the car or even when you stand above the handles. All you see is the light on the door and the ground.As a side note to those who are thinking that LED's have hot spots this is also an easy thing to take care of. You can sand or grind down the tip of the LED's dome to spread the light a lot more evenly. You can even sand the rest of the LED with high grit (1000 or higher) to give it a frosted look which also cuts down on the sharpness of the light and softens it up.
Hope this helps someone out.
I'm definitely thinking of doing it. Just have to tackle the lack of real-estate for wire in the molex/boot 
07-23-2012, 09:34 PM
#66
Very nice. I definitely need more pics before making a decision
I'll admit that when I saw those door handles on a BMW in person, I instantly said I have to have that on my car
And I just might! But it could end up being too much since I already have INSIDE door handle LEDs AND puddle lights, not to mention white sidemarkers.
I'll admit that when I saw those door handles on a BMW in person, I instantly said I have to have that on my car
And I just might! But it could end up being too much since I already have INSIDE door handle LEDs AND puddle lights, not to mention white sidemarkers.
07-23-2012, 09:38 PM
#67
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
thanks for the comments guys. i realized it was indeed angled too outwards so it was too blinding. however also keep in mind that the camera took the picture from a low angle so that added to its intensity. I just remounted the LEDs so they sit deeper in the door handle now. its much less blinding from the outside while still putting out a decent amount of light on the door and floor.
1. I used a 330 Ohm resistor
2. look at the original post of this thread, I followed the wiring exactly.
3. the front doors have the molex plug so I will take a pic on how I did it. For the rear doors, it does not have a molex plug so it was very easy to wire through the stock grommet.
1. I used a 330 Ohm resistor
2. look at the original post of this thread, I followed the wiring exactly.
3. the front doors have the molex plug so I will take a pic on how I did it. For the rear doors, it does not have a molex plug so it was very easy to wire through the stock grommet.
07-23-2012, 09:57 PM
#69
Engineer in Training
paperboy, mind if I make a suggestion? I would route the wire through the door instead of around it. The constant rubbing will wear down the wire over time whereas if you went along a stock harness not only do you avoid any sharp turns in the wiring you can also guarantee that the wire is never worn down and eliminate the possibility of slowly seeping in water since there is never a perfect seal the way you have it done at the moment.
just my .02
just my .02
07-23-2012, 10:03 PM
#70
2014 Jeep SRT
^I was going to say the same thing.
07-24-2012, 02:10 AM
#71
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
you guys know its going through the stock grommet right? theres no "rubbing" involved and i can definitely guarantee its not leaking water. you can high pressure spray at that spot all you want but if you really examine how the seal works, you will see that theres a door seal and the frame seal(and no they are not at the same), so im 110% sure its not leaking.
btw do you guys even know how many wiring harnesses there are under the dash on driver's side? it was hard enough getting it through as is. if you guys want to do it cleaner, try doing it yourself first, i guarantee my method is the most viable
btw do you guys even know how many wiring harnesses there are under the dash on driver's side? it was hard enough getting it through as is. if you guys want to do it cleaner, try doing it yourself first, i guarantee my method is the most viable
07-24-2012, 02:32 AM
#73
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
heres this picture again, you guys see how there are 2 seals? the one on the door, and the one on the frame? they work independently of each other, even if water went through one, it still has to go through the other, a lot of people think that the 2 seals press together with each other, but they do not.
heres another pic, showing you guys that it DOES run through the stock grommet. GOOD LUCK trying to use the stock molex plug. even if you use the molex plug, you will need to cut the wire, and crimp on the pins. i guarantee that route will lead to more chance for error and wires coming loose than my method
Last edited by paperboy42190; 07-24-2012 at 02:34 AM.
07-24-2012, 06:29 AM
#74
Engineer in Training
I don't know why you're being so defensive from being offered a better long term method. I HAVE gone through the Molex connector. That's why I was asking how you did it, to see if there was a way to get more worse than I did through the stock connector. I did it without crimping, cutting, or or going behind a seal.
Also I never said that it WILL leak water, but that it CAN since it's not the same as before. I'm an electrical/electronics Engineer and thou can ask anyone else in my field or the Honda engineers yourself and any of them will tell you that sharp right-angles in wire is never a good idea. Think about it like bending a piece of metal (which wire is). If you bend it enough times it will develop stress cracks and break. Same concept here whereas instead of bending the work you're expanding and contracting from weather along with vibration from the car being used.
As for there being too many connectors behind the driver's dash it's really not that bad. I took a wire 'snake' and attached the wires I wanted through the stock grommet and simply pushed it in and very easily saw it poking through under the dash just like the stock harness going in. You could do the same by taping the wires onto a large zip tie.
If you do want to use the Molex plug like I did (and I can take pictures for you or anyone else if you'd like) you have to go with 20-22 gauge wire which is what the stock wire is.
Also I never said that it WILL leak water, but that it CAN since it's not the same as before. I'm an electrical/electronics Engineer and thou can ask anyone else in my field or the Honda engineers yourself and any of them will tell you that sharp right-angles in wire is never a good idea. Think about it like bending a piece of metal (which wire is). If you bend it enough times it will develop stress cracks and break. Same concept here whereas instead of bending the work you're expanding and contracting from weather along with vibration from the car being used.
As for there being too many connectors behind the driver's dash it's really not that bad. I took a wire 'snake' and attached the wires I wanted through the stock grommet and simply pushed it in and very easily saw it poking through under the dash just like the stock harness going in. You could do the same by taping the wires onto a large zip tie.
If you do want to use the Molex plug like I did (and I can take pictures for you or anyone else if you'd like) you have to go with 20-22 gauge wire which is what the stock wire is.
07-24-2012, 10:53 AM
#75
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
I understand what you mean but if you look carefully, it's actually not at 90 degrees, it's more like 60 degrees because of the curvature in the door. I suppose i could also add a rubber grommet to the hole that it went through but I don't think they sell any that small. I'm an engineer as well in school right now, I wouldn't do anything on my car that I feel wouldn't hold up for the life of the car. However thank you for your suggestion.
One question though, in what way did you go through the stock molex connector? You said you didn't cut the wire, so did you make a little hole in the connector for the wire?
One question though, in what way did you go through the stock molex connector? You said you didn't cut the wire, so did you make a little hole in the connector for the wire?
Last edited by paperboy42190; 07-24-2012 at 10:56 AM.
07-24-2012, 10:21 PM
#76
Engineer in Training
On the front doors there are two empty pins in the molex plug. I used 20ga wire and pushed them through. This let me route the wire along the factory harness in the door, literally through the molex connector and along the factory harness leading into the driver's kick panel.
The grommets you would use are available through Harbor Freight. They sell them in assorted sizes. If you do that however, I would strongly recommend sealing it with silicone. Also even though your resistor is protected by the handle's plastic IF you get a problem with either added resistance from corrosion or oxidation from being outside the car simply place the resistor inside the car closer to where you made the connection for the power going to it, or along the line. This way your'e not only keeping in the car further away from weather but you also give yourself a little more room to work with to angle them better or anything really.
The grommets you would use are available through Harbor Freight. They sell them in assorted sizes. If you do that however, I would strongly recommend sealing it with silicone. Also even though your resistor is protected by the handle's plastic IF you get a problem with either added resistance from corrosion or oxidation from being outside the car simply place the resistor inside the car closer to where you made the connection for the power going to it, or along the line. This way your'e not only keeping in the car further away from weather but you also give yourself a little more room to work with to angle them better or anything really.
07-26-2012, 02:15 AM
#77
