LED Lighting question

[DTGriff]

Hey guys!

I've got 2 projects that I wanna tackle this weekend.

1. Install a momentary switch and LED in my arm rest. So when I open the arm rest, the LED lights up and when I close it, it goes off... much like a fridge.

2. Install LED strip lights beneath my seats or footwells to turn on when I open the doors.

So.. I'm going to buy a soldering iron, red LED strip lights and 1 LED bulb, momentary switch and wire.

My question...

1. Where is the easiest location to connect the LED bulb into?, is it just a case of negative wire to a metal grounding point on the car and positive wire possibly splice into another wire somewhere?.

2. Where is the easiest location to connect the LED strip lights to the interior map lights? so they turn on when doors are opened.

If there is a 'How To' that I've missed then I apologise, just post the link here .

Any help would be awesome!

[DTGriff]

Just googled and found a loose answer.

Do I simply just wrap the wires around the teeth of a fuse and then plug it into the fuse box? Positive to 1 fused and negative to another fuse?

[China]

DO NOT put negative to fuse. Ground the negative lead to the body or and earth wire. In the center console there is a 12 volt power socket. The circuit is already fused, so you can just tap into that.

[DTGriff]

Hey Michael, thanks for that. Do you have any pics? Where in the console is this 12v? Is it a case of snipping, exposing and crimping in the wires from the LED?

Also I need to find the best place to tap into the Map Lights.

Does the term 'Tap into' just mean cut and join using a crimper?

[China]

It will look like the plug for a cigarette lighter socket. It will probably be labeled 12v (or something like that). There will 2 wires coming off the socket, one for power and one for earth. If you strip back the insulation on both wires, you can tap into the power and earth, or you can just tap into the power wire and ground your earth to the body.



Where in Melbourne do you live?

[DTGriff]

Haha I can see this going very wrong for me

I live in Caulfield South Michael, just south of Metro Melbourne

[Glenn]

http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/online- ... escription

these are noob friendly! and keep the factory wiring intact.

for the arm rest idea, ya use the acc wires that run there already, tap +/- to the correct wires. (black ground) and from memory aqua greenish for +
just pop off the main trim piece surrounding the ebrake and you'll see the wires

map light:

from one of ofey's posts, passenger glovebox fuse box is where you want to do your business.



Map light circuit always has + and is negative switched.
I'd run + from nay source, probably the same acc wire from the arm rest again (nice central location) then run the - to the map light wire.

have a read of these somewhat related threads

http://clubcj.net/viewtopic.php?p=181776
http://clubcj.net/viewtopic.php?p=156837

[DTGriff]

Awesome guys! Cheers for the info! I'll take a look at those links, any Melbourne guys wanna give me a hand?

[DTGriff]

Hey Glenn, just looking at this again,

So...

1. I'm gonna hook up my LED armrest to the Cigarette light so that's all good.

2. That pic you posted, Red and Yellow wire, which is + and which is -?

Do I just split into the + with the + for my LED strip and put the - to the - on my LED strip?

And is that pic associated with the MAP lights?, so basically all I have to do is split into that little plug and I'm all set?

Sorry but I just wanna make sure.

Cheers

[porkkrop]

hey did you end up getting this one completed? If so, do you have any tips

[Damir]

Im pretty against even looking at the fuse box when in terms of wiring, seems like a very dodgy way of doing it