This is a how you install l.e.d.'s on the back side of your door handles, to make the circle where your hand goes, glow.

Hear is a finished picture of my passenger side door, i will get some better ones soon of both sides

same with the video


Tools and parts needed:
-soldering iron
-solder
-heat shrink
-2 3mm l.e.d.'s (http://www.oznium.com/prewired-leds)
-30 feet of 22 gauge solid wire
-5mm allen wrench with round 30 degree tip
-flat screw driver
-cordless drill
-11/64 drill bit
-8mm socket and wrench
-10mm open end wrench (optional)
-t30 torx driver bit

First solder about 7 feet of 22 gauge wire to each led lead, and heatshrink the conections.

then start by taking off the door panel, it requires the t30 torx bit, there are 4 screws. one is located under a reflector

but do not forget to take off the tweeter cover/interior door handle trim, or you will break the clips on it, it just pops off by pulling on it.

once the torx screws are off and the trim is off you can start prying at the bottom of the door with a large flat head screw driver.

now that you have to door panel off you can start unscrewing the door handle there is a little flap at the top left(for the driver side door),
once you lift that up there will be a small hole you must stick your 5mm allen wrench into, and line it up to the allen screw on the inside of the door, and unscrew it.

Next you must unscrew the other allen... (patience required), also this is where you can use the 10mm open end wrench


once that is unscrewed pull out the plastic piece and the screw, and drill a whole using the 11/64 drill bit. the red dot is where you drill the whole.( i took the picture before drilling it)



now you need to remove the cable that opens your door, you have to pull down on the thick end until it is horizontal then pull towards you, after that you must remove the black cable protector from the white plastic groove


Next you drill a hole on the back side of the door handle to match up with the plastic piece holding the door on, that you just removed, and drilled a hole in

then drill a hole on the back side of you door handle using the 11/64 drill bit, about an inch or more from the "fatter" side of the handle,The one facing the rear of the car,closest to the lock hole.(you may want a tighter fit, if so use a smaller drill bit and test it on a piece of unwanted plastic before drilling into you handle, i used a little bit bigger drill bit so the led would sit more flush, Personal Preference.)

then fish your wires from the hole in the handle to the hole on the back side of the door handle that matches up with the plastic piece holding the door on


then put your wires through the door and reinstall your handle.


Now you must get your wires from your door to the inside of your car.
start by unscrewing your wire harness using your 8mm socket

once the 8mm bolt is out you have to disconnect the harness, and drill a hole using the 11/64 drill bit into the unused section of the harness,( you are able to tell what part of the harness is unused by matching it up with the opposite side[male end]). I do not have heated mirrors so you may have to find a different route for the wires if you do have heated mirrors, not sure though.

after drilling the hole you must fish the wires from inside the door through the rubber tubbing and through the wire harness(make sure you have some play in the wires, otherwise the window will catch the wires and possibly break them. i suggest using "sticky back cable tie holders" i don't know the technical name for them)


once the wire is in the harness fish the wires though the "male" end of the harness and into the car
you must take off the cover panel underneath the steering wheel (if you pull from the top it pop right off) once the cover is off you must remove a grommet and fish the wires through the grommet and to the footwell light



now you must remove your footwell light and solder your leads onto the light socket. make sure you have your led hooked correctly, otherwise your lights wont work!

now put the cover back on the foot light and put the cover underneath the steering wheel back on, and the door panel back on and turn on your dome light back on and your lights will work like a charm.(NOTE) your l.e.d.'s will only come on when your dome light comes on.... when you unlock your door, open your door, or turn your dome light on.

also if you file the top of your l.e.d.'s flat they will give more of a glow than a direct beam

 

Nice write up. If I ever feel like taking my handles off again I think I might do this.

 

Great write up. Thanks!

I need to take my handles off to repaint them soon, so I might look into this.

One question. Couldn't you tie this into your door ground lights? I'm not sure whether they are tied directly into your dome lighting system or not, but it would make the installation much simpler....

 

i have an 03MCS and i do not have "puddle lights" in my door, the new minis might, but yeah that would make it a lot easier.

 

when i took my handles off i plasti-dipped them! I LOVE THAT STUFF!!!!

 

Can you take a pick of that? that sounds like a good alternative in the blackout process

 

You know a mod that I just thought of? Take a Z4 turn signal (round circle) and graft it into the mini's fender....I might just have to do that...

 

^ DO IT!

 

Dood...gimme a break. My car has a Jiffy Pop transmission. Let me do my 6-speed swap next weekend and THEN maybe I might grant your DO IIIIIT request...

 

that would be a sweet mod

 

I guess so.

 

 

since i have the an 07 with the puddle lights, i can just solder the wires to that instead of the foot lights right? i was hoping to avoid unscrweing the plastic rubber that has all the wires in it.

 

I am unsure about the 07 , but if the puddle lights are hooked into the dome light then i should be the same...

 

no response?

 

I haven't checked this, but... I wouldn't think that the puddle's would come on with the dome light, I would expect them to come on, only when the door is opened. just my 2 cents, but it's probably something you want to check before hooking it up.

 

Sorry i will try and get that done soon.

 

so the plasti dip is starting to peel off my handles.... i will have to try something else.

 

How many coats did you use? It takes quite a few to stop it from flaking off.

 

to my understanding the puddle lights come on as the conviencence lighting comes on, like when you unlock your car, or take your keys out or open your door. So it should work the same as using the footwell light

 

i think like 3 or 4

 

bump

 

i took some better videos today, im just waiting for youtube to finish publishing them...

 

heres the link... i dont know how to post a video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-AdQD1FMkU

 

Hey bringing this thread back...I have my door handles off now and I am painting them. I HIGHLY doubt mine will flake off, if it does, then I will be flabbergasted. I peeled off the copper/chrome plating and got the handles down to their bare plastic, then sanded with 320, gave 4 coats of primer with a sanding in between each...now I'm working on the color coat, then I will clear.

But anyway, while they're out I plan to do this little mod...Question though, can't you feel the LED when you grab the handle? How did you glue it in there to stop it from falling back in? I'd like to make it as OEM as possible if I am going to do it.

As for the puddle lights (I do have an 05)...I just tested them they do fade in and out with unlock/lock as well as come on with dome lights and illuminate when you open the doors. So, looks like the wiring for this in 05+ is easy :D