Electrical: Add-on courtesy lamps--solved!!! Not 56K friendly
#28
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I did something like this a while back, just ignore my horrible splices.
http://www.g5club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8518
http://www.g5club.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8518
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i have a better way to do this... you run the power wire to your parking lamp fuse.. then at night they come on automatically and day they are off.. easiest way to do it i put red leds in mine.
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If they are wired to the parking lamp fuse, and you park your car, turn it off, and get out, they won't be on, since as soon as you open the door, the lights go out. At least when you go up to your car to get in, you can hit the unlock button which turns on the parking lamps, and thus the courtesy lights.
#32
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Well, I will just add to this how-to since my setup used the same basic wiring with the relay and everything.
You'll want to start off by setting the EL strip in place (it'll stick right to the 3m stuff that comes on it). MAKE SURE that you place the end of the EL strip with the wire coming out of it closest to the rear of the car so that you can feed the wire through the weatherstripping without having too much wire exposed in the end.
This slit in the weatherstripping just happens to be in the perfect spot from the factory so just feed it through this (doesn't have to be done immediately but do it before you put your interior panels back in at the end).
Then remove the panel that runs along the inside of the door. Just pull straight up...it takes a little force but don't worry you won't break it.
Then pull back the carpet, foam, and this rubber grommet type thing from by where your hood release is so that you can get to the plunger that you need to access.
Then do as the OP says and tap into the gray wire for the plunger after you disconnect it and pull it out. I used quick splices but you can tap in however you want to do it. NOTE: on the passenger side it is a brown/white wire and not a gray one...unless my car was just weird.
Now you can get your hot feed however you want to...do as the OP did and splice into the cigarette lighter line or do as I did and tap into the interior lighting fuse...just anything that's constantly hot really. Then connect it to the positive wire (red) from your lighting. The interior lighting fuse is this one that I'm pointing to (already removed it in the picture so it's that empty one between the other two):
It'll look like this when you're done if you do it the way I did:
Then do as the OP did and set up your ground wire using that little bolt that's there for whatever reason.
Now the relay that I used was a bit different but it works the same way. The one I used only has 4 connectors...but you will be using the EXACT same numbers in the EXACT same manner the OP used...Negative from the lighting goes to #85, wire coming from your splice to the plunger goes to #86, and the ground goes to #30.
My Relay looked like this:
Then pull up your carpet a bit and stuff the inverter and all the wiring down in there and closer to the front by where the ground is pull that carpeting back and stuff any remaining wire and the relay down in there (There's a lot of nice comfy spots for them to sit under there)
Then enjoy your fancy finished product!
And of course repeat this process on the other side of the car.
But in all seriousness if you just follow the OP's methods...you can't fail..the only difference in mine is the lighting style, relay (I got a cheaper one), and the way I tapped into the hot line. But this was for the people that wanted a basic follow up on how to make your MRZ door sills light up.
The EL panels I used for lighting were from glowhut.com
You'll want to start off by setting the EL strip in place (it'll stick right to the 3m stuff that comes on it). MAKE SURE that you place the end of the EL strip with the wire coming out of it closest to the rear of the car so that you can feed the wire through the weatherstripping without having too much wire exposed in the end.
This slit in the weatherstripping just happens to be in the perfect spot from the factory so just feed it through this (doesn't have to be done immediately but do it before you put your interior panels back in at the end).
Then remove the panel that runs along the inside of the door. Just pull straight up...it takes a little force but don't worry you won't break it.
Then pull back the carpet, foam, and this rubber grommet type thing from by where your hood release is so that you can get to the plunger that you need to access.
Then do as the OP says and tap into the gray wire for the plunger after you disconnect it and pull it out. I used quick splices but you can tap in however you want to do it. NOTE: on the passenger side it is a brown/white wire and not a gray one...unless my car was just weird.
Now you can get your hot feed however you want to...do as the OP did and splice into the cigarette lighter line or do as I did and tap into the interior lighting fuse...just anything that's constantly hot really. Then connect it to the positive wire (red) from your lighting. The interior lighting fuse is this one that I'm pointing to (already removed it in the picture so it's that empty one between the other two):
It'll look like this when you're done if you do it the way I did:
Then do as the OP did and set up your ground wire using that little bolt that's there for whatever reason.
Now the relay that I used was a bit different but it works the same way. The one I used only has 4 connectors...but you will be using the EXACT same numbers in the EXACT same manner the OP used...Negative from the lighting goes to #85, wire coming from your splice to the plunger goes to #86, and the ground goes to #30.
My Relay looked like this:
Then pull up your carpet a bit and stuff the inverter and all the wiring down in there and closer to the front by where the ground is pull that carpeting back and stuff any remaining wire and the relay down in there (There's a lot of nice comfy spots for them to sit under there)
Then enjoy your fancy finished product!
And of course repeat this process on the other side of the car.
But in all seriousness if you just follow the OP's methods...you can't fail..the only difference in mine is the lighting style, relay (I got a cheaper one), and the way I tapped into the hot line. But this was for the people that wanted a basic follow up on how to make your MRZ door sills light up.
The EL panels I used for lighting were from glowhut.com
#33
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I like your work. well done.
but i strongly discourage you from driving with all those lights on.
"used to it" or not....that kind of lighting on your interior is dangerous.
and any cop who sees you lit up all blue like that goin down the road will pull you over pretty quick.
but i strongly discourage you from driving with all those lights on.
"used to it" or not....that kind of lighting on your interior is dangerous.
and any cop who sees you lit up all blue like that goin down the road will pull you over pretty quick.
Nice write up and thanks for the how to, this will sure help me do this!
Last edited by trevor151; 10-25-2009 at 02:14 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
#35
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In your BCM, on the bottom row splice into the blue wire that is the third hole from the right as positive, and the grey wire that is the third hole from the left as negative. You won't have to splice into the triggers for either door NOR use a relay though I'd recommend one for any lights during a decent amount a current (I dunno how much these EL strips draw).
By doing this your strips will fade in and out sexily like the dome light does, but it won't matter cause the door will be closed at this point anyway... I think the stock dome actually goes off after a bit if you have the door open. If you want em constant on at your command that ain't hard to wire up either. I gotta go look at my BCM to confirm what wires I spliced into. Might also be on '07+ only BCM's.
I'm no expert, but I highly recomend doing this because it is much easier than reaching into splice for the triggers, saves ya from the annoying clicks of relays when you open your door, and you're splicing into one set of factory wires as opposed to 2.
Edit: Oh Christ I see that there's a transf for these strips. Probably won't like the fading voltage of the stock dome. I will come back to this post.
Not just your car. And nice how-to I appreciate it.
Doubt they're illegal unless an actual light source (LED or neon or whatever) is facing outside the vehicle from a window or something and the majority of the light is going outside the vehicle. Especially if it's blue. Cops won't like that. So just don't take bright ass blue LED's and aim them out your windows. In my Cavy I had extensive interior lighting, but it was installed and not really visible from outside the vehicle... was pulled over several times for other things but no one mentioned the lights.
By doing this your strips will fade in and out sexily like the dome light does, but it won't matter cause the door will be closed at this point anyway... I think the stock dome actually goes off after a bit if you have the door open. If you want em constant on at your command that ain't hard to wire up either. I gotta go look at my BCM to confirm what wires I spliced into. Might also be on '07+ only BCM's.
I'm no expert, but I highly recomend doing this because it is much easier than reaching into splice for the triggers, saves ya from the annoying clicks of relays when you open your door, and you're splicing into one set of factory wires as opposed to 2.
Edit: Oh Christ I see that there's a transf for these strips. Probably won't like the fading voltage of the stock dome. I will come back to this post.
Then do as the OP says and tap into the gray wire for the plunger after you disconnect it and pull it out. I used quick splices but you can tap in however you want to do it. NOTE: on the passenger side it is a brown/white wire and not a gray one...unless my car was just weird.
Doubt they're illegal unless an actual light source (LED or neon or whatever) is facing outside the vehicle from a window or something and the majority of the light is going outside the vehicle. Especially if it's blue. Cops won't like that. So just don't take bright ass blue LED's and aim them out your windows. In my Cavy I had extensive interior lighting, but it was installed and not really visible from outside the vehicle... was pulled over several times for other things but no one mentioned the lights.
Last edited by Acey; 10-25-2009 at 03:51 AM.
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