Interior/Exterior Light that boot! (LED trunk light MOD)
#51
12-01-2006, 08:17 AM
#52
12-01-2006, 09:22 AM
5th Gear
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Tustin CA
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Today, I picked up an assortment of resistors from Radio Shack to try. I wound up installing a 1K ohm resistor, as suggested by pjschaffer, in place of the stock bulb. This stops the flickering in all situations and does not even get warm. Works great and cost me the great sum of two resistors for $1.29. Thank you pjschaffer for the calculated value to try.
The nice thing is that I have not altered the stock wiring or stock light fixture, so if I want to put it back to stock, it will be simple.
Now waiting on the mailman to deliver more LED strips for the footwells for this weekend's project.
YD
The nice thing is that I have not altered the stock wiring or stock light fixture, so if I want to put it back to stock, it will be simple.
Now waiting on the mailman to deliver more LED strips for the footwells for this weekend's project.
YD
Nice work on putting the details together for this mod. I will be ordering my light strip today.
Phil
#53
12-01-2006, 10:43 AM
#54
12-01-2006, 11:33 AM
#56
12-01-2006, 12:32 PM
I'll try to post pics tonight, but this is a lot easier than it may appear.
Remove the boot bulb fixture by pushing it out from the rear. Remove the bulb. The bulb rests between two metal connectors which have holes in them. Stick the wire ends of the resistor through the holes and twist them and crimp them with needle nose pliers and you are done. The resistor is now both physically and electrically where the bulb used to be. If you know you will keep everything this way, then you can solder the resistor in place.
I don't know if the footwell LED mod will require a resistor or not, I haven't tried it yet. I'll let you know when I get that far.
You still have to connect the leads from the LEDs to the wires going to the stock boot bulb, but that is also obvious and easy.
YD
Remove the boot bulb fixture by pushing it out from the rear. Remove the bulb. The bulb rests between two metal connectors which have holes in them. Stick the wire ends of the resistor through the holes and twist them and crimp them with needle nose pliers and you are done. The resistor is now both physically and electrically where the bulb used to be. If you know you will keep everything this way, then you can solder the resistor in place.
I don't know if the footwell LED mod will require a resistor or not, I haven't tried it yet. I'll let you know when I get that far.
You still have to connect the leads from the LEDs to the wires going to the stock boot bulb, but that is also obvious and easy.
YD
#60
12-01-2006, 02:35 PM
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I couldn't decide either so I ordered both. The blue lights are on backorder with an ETA of about a week. What a great vendor though. They called me within an hour or so after I placed the order to inform be that the blue lights were backordered to allow me to cancel, wait or change my selection. Great service.
#62
12-01-2006, 03:33 PM
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#63
12-01-2006, 03:59 PM
KnottyMan:
I took the shelf out, turned it upside down on my work bench, laid down a 3/8 inch bead of black silicone sealant where the left side light goes and then set the light in place. I then stretched out all of the electric lead all the way across to the far right. I then laid down a bead of seleant over the wire in the center part and also where the right LED strip would go. Then set the right strip in place with the left wires running under the right one. All four wires exit to the right toward the stock light fixture.
I let this dry overnight.
Currently I take all four wires to the stock boot light fixture. I am planning on installing a mini RCA type panel connector somewhere near the stock light so I can plug and unplug the LEDs for when I want to remove the shelf entirely.
Remember that LEDs are polarity sensitive... so if they don't light, reverse the wires.
Hopefully, pics tonight, or at least sometime tomorrow. I'm bogged down right now editing wedding pics for about five brides. Their pics and resulting $ takes priority over my fun MINI stuff for the next few hours.
YD
YD
I took the shelf out, turned it upside down on my work bench, laid down a 3/8 inch bead of black silicone sealant where the left side light goes and then set the light in place. I then stretched out all of the electric lead all the way across to the far right. I then laid down a bead of seleant over the wire in the center part and also where the right LED strip would go. Then set the right strip in place with the left wires running under the right one. All four wires exit to the right toward the stock light fixture.
I let this dry overnight.
Currently I take all four wires to the stock boot light fixture. I am planning on installing a mini RCA type panel connector somewhere near the stock light so I can plug and unplug the LEDs for when I want to remove the shelf entirely.
Remember that LEDs are polarity sensitive... so if they don't light, reverse the wires.
Hopefully, pics tonight, or at least sometime tomorrow. I'm bogged down right now editing wedding pics for about five brides. Their pics and resulting $ takes priority over my fun MINI stuff for the next few hours.
YD
YD
#65
12-01-2006, 10:06 PM
#66
12-02-2006, 07:55 AM
I promised pics and diagrams last night, but Yo's older sister commandered my computer. I must give way to real work sometimes.
Here is the under side of the hardtop's package shelf showing the mounting of two white 9 inch LED strips from www.oxnium.com
Here is the resistor installed in place of the bulb. The wires on the right are the +12v and ground from the car. The wires that look like speaker wires are from the LED strips. I have the temporarily connected LED leads to the hot and ground leads from the car. Later, these will connect through a panel mounted plug.
My crude, hand drawn wiring diagram is next (ImagoX, don't look). I hope this helps anyone who might be confused. Send me a PM if necessary.
YD
Here is the under side of the hardtop's package shelf showing the mounting of two white 9 inch LED strips from www.oxnium.com
Here is the resistor installed in place of the bulb. The wires on the right are the +12v and ground from the car. The wires that look like speaker wires are from the LED strips. I have the temporarily connected LED leads to the hot and ground leads from the car. Later, these will connect through a panel mounted plug.
My crude, hand drawn wiring diagram is next (ImagoX, don't look). I hope this helps anyone who might be confused. Send me a PM if necessary.
YD
#67
12-02-2006, 11:29 AM
#68
12-02-2006, 11:46 AM
I have my two white LED strips from Oznium, but as I started to put together my installation, I discovered that one of the strips has a group of 3 LEDs near the center with a bad electrical contact. These 3 LEDs light up only if I twist or pinch the strip in a certain way. All the other LEDs were fine. I contacted Oznium, and they are shipping out a replacement right away and told me to throw out the defective one. Even without 3 LEDs lighting, the strip is very bright so I am going to install it anyway, for a total of 3 strips that span the entire width of the tray.
Yo'sDad, it's interesting that your OEM boot lamp appears to use a festoon type bulb. It is a 194 bulb in my cabrio. Also the cabrio tray does not have a support rib across, and silicone sealant would be insufficient to secure the LED strips. I will be using wire ties as ImagoX did. Looking around the house to see what wiring I have available, I decided to use a headphone extension cord. I cut it in half which gives me a cable with jack and plug for quick disconnection when removing the tray. Over the longer term I'd like to cut a hole in the side trim panel and mount a small permanent jack there for the LEDs to plug into.
Yo'sDad, it's interesting that your OEM boot lamp appears to use a festoon type bulb. It is a 194 bulb in my cabrio. Also the cabrio tray does not have a support rib across, and silicone sealant would be insufficient to secure the LED strips. I will be using wire ties as ImagoX did. Looking around the house to see what wiring I have available, I decided to use a headphone extension cord. I cut it in half which gives me a cable with jack and plug for quick disconnection when removing the tray. Over the longer term I'd like to cut a hole in the side trim panel and mount a small permanent jack there for the LEDs to plug into.
#69
12-02-2006, 02:45 PM
Since I don't have a cabrio, I don't know what you have, but the wiring should be the same. Good luck. I'm sure you can make it work. My red and white LEDs for my footwells came today so I'll decide which I like best when it gets dark and then start the installation. Red lights shining on my black with red dot cocomats looks really eery. Sort of pulls at my eyes to focus... I think I like the red for the footwells.
I'll post some pics later.
YD
I'll post some pics later.
YD
#70
12-02-2006, 04:51 PM
I did my install on my cabrio tonight - my light socket also differs from Yo's Dad's. Mine uses a 194 wedge and has a single plug connecting to it. Here's the key points on how I did mine:
* drilled three pairs of small (maybe 1/8") holes and used three black zipties, as others have done. Very clean and unnoticeable from above.
* used black electrical tape to mask down the wire across the bottom of the shelf. so it looks clean from underneath and won't snag. The tape I used is pretty sticky, I think it will stay since the wire is almost weightless.
* looped the wire around the post on the left side of the shelf.
* left enough slack that it won't bind if the shelf is moved to the upper position.
* squeezed in the felt interior of the boot on the left side where it connects to the plastic roll bar cover to make enough of a gap to push the wire through.
* fished the wire through the hole where the standard light installs
* unplugged the plug from the standard fixture
* stripped about 1/4" on each lead to the LEDs, inserted in the appropriate side of the plug, bent the 1K ohm resistor into a U and plugged one leg into each side of the plug - this holds the small LED lead wires securely.
* used electrical tape to insulate the sides of the resistor/leads from one another to prevent shorts
* Made a loop in the lead up the plug wire and back down to prevent it getting pulled out - the taped well around the whole thing. This should be vibration and "pull" proof, but can easily be reversed as I have cut and modified NOTHING at this point.
* stuffed the plug and extra LED lead into the hole for the standard fixture and snapped the fixture back in.
Looks clean, works well. One blue Oznium strip for me provides great light without being too bright, and compliments the Cool Blue (though the wife would have preferred white...). And I have two extra blue strips left to do other cool things with which will REALLY turn off the wife.
* drilled three pairs of small (maybe 1/8") holes and used three black zipties, as others have done. Very clean and unnoticeable from above.
* used black electrical tape to mask down the wire across the bottom of the shelf. so it looks clean from underneath and won't snag. The tape I used is pretty sticky, I think it will stay since the wire is almost weightless.
* looped the wire around the post on the left side of the shelf.
* left enough slack that it won't bind if the shelf is moved to the upper position.
* squeezed in the felt interior of the boot on the left side where it connects to the plastic roll bar cover to make enough of a gap to push the wire through.
* fished the wire through the hole where the standard light installs
* unplugged the plug from the standard fixture
* stripped about 1/4" on each lead to the LEDs, inserted in the appropriate side of the plug, bent the 1K ohm resistor into a U and plugged one leg into each side of the plug - this holds the small LED lead wires securely.
* used electrical tape to insulate the sides of the resistor/leads from one another to prevent shorts
* Made a loop in the lead up the plug wire and back down to prevent it getting pulled out - the taped well around the whole thing. This should be vibration and "pull" proof, but can easily be reversed as I have cut and modified NOTHING at this point.
* stuffed the plug and extra LED lead into the hole for the standard fixture and snapped the fixture back in.
Looks clean, works well. One blue Oznium strip for me provides great light without being too bright, and compliments the Cool Blue (though the wife would have preferred white...). And I have two extra blue strips left to do other cool things with which will REALLY turn off the wife.
#71
12-02-2006, 06:19 PM
I just installed the driver's side footwell LEDs (red). Looks good. Assuming I did this correctly, another resistor is apparently not needed for the footwell lights to stop flickering. The resistor installed in the boot circuit may be taking care of the load for the footwell lights too.
I started the passenger side LEDs, but then realized that this would be a lot easier with the gove box removed, so I'm differing this until tommorrow and think I'll watch the end of the Ark, Fla game.
YD
I started the passenger side LEDs, but then realized that this would be a lot easier with the gove box removed, so I'm differing this until tommorrow and think I'll watch the end of the Ark, Fla game.
YD
#74
12-02-2006, 07:25 PM
Moderator
#75
12-03-2006, 06:53 AM
On the driver's side I don't have a shelf, just the stock panel, which pops off easily, just grab the top and pull hard. After it is off, you'll see what holds it in place and how it goes back.
After the panel is removed, there is a support that runs all the way across from left to right. I drilled small holes in the support that align with the left, middle and right of the LED strip and attached the strip with the ImagoX approved small plastic wire ties. Three holds nicely.
There are two wires that go to a connector that plugs into the stock footwell light. Pull that connector out and that will give you more room to work with the wires.
I tried tapping into the two wires with little blue connectors that you squeeze with pliers. The wires were too small to work with these things so I abandoned that connection method. I just stripped the wires a little in the middle and wrapped the LED wire around the bare part and added a tiny drop of solder and wrapped it in elecrical tape. Very crude, but effective for now. Oh ya, I never cut the wires short. I always leave several inches of extra slack and loop it somewhere out of the way just in case I need it later.
I have not done the passenger side yet, but plan to remove the glove compartment to gain easy access (I don't do well standing on my ear under the dash... I'm old and don't bend well). Where is Gumby when you need him?
After the panel is removed, there is a support that runs all the way across from left to right. I drilled small holes in the support that align with the left, middle and right of the LED strip and attached the strip with the ImagoX approved small plastic wire ties. Three holds nicely.
There are two wires that go to a connector that plugs into the stock footwell light. Pull that connector out and that will give you more room to work with the wires.
I tried tapping into the two wires with little blue connectors that you squeeze with pliers. The wires were too small to work with these things so I abandoned that connection method. I just stripped the wires a little in the middle and wrapped the LED wire around the bare part and added a tiny drop of solder and wrapped it in elecrical tape. Very crude, but effective for now. Oh ya, I never cut the wires short. I always leave several inches of extra slack and loop it somewhere out of the way just in case I need it later.
I have not done the passenger side yet, but plan to remove the glove compartment to gain easy access (I don't do well standing on my ear under the dash... I'm old and don't bend well). Where is Gumby when you need him?