Need a Light? Quick and Easy LED Courtesy Lighting.

Intro: Need a Light? Quick and Easy LED Courtesy Lighting.

A simple modern luxury that lights up your step when you open the door so you can see where you going before you enter your car. It also shuts off when you shut your door. Watch the tutorial alongside the instructable!

STEP 1: Remove the Fuse for the Interior Dome Lights

The first thing to begin this awesome luxury is to pop the hood and locate the fuse panel. Find the fuse that provides power to the dome light. You only need to do this if you want the fading effect, but I didn't do that in the video.

STEP 2: Door Switch Hack

After removing the fuse you want to open the door and locate the switch that your door comes in contact with so your car knows when the door is open or shut. Remove the screw with a screwdriver or socket set after removing the rubber cover.

STEP 3: Add Wire to the Door Grounding Switch

Add a length of wire that will stretch around the molding of the car, so you can hide it, to about the gas pedal. Remember you can always cut wire if you need to.

STEP 4: Replace the Door Switch Screw

After routing the wire to the pedal, you want to replace the screw on the door switch.

STEP 5: It's Electric.

Locate a fuse in your instruction or owners manual that provides 12v+ even when the keys are not in the ignition. Remove that fuse and insert the positive end of the LED strip in the hole and replace the fuse on top of it.

STEP 6: Routing Time.

You're almost done! All you need to do now is to route the wires throughout your car so that they do not get in the way of things. This is an important step as you need to also make sure the wires are secured down so they don't cause problems in the future. Finally you can run the LED strip out to the bottom of your car and you may want to use clear packing tape for this because the original sticky tape is usually not enough.

STEP 7: Replace the Fuse Under the Hood and Test!

Replace the fuse under the hood of the vehicle, and try it out! Now when you open the door to your car, the LED strip should illuminate under the car providing more than enough light to see your way into the vehicle. Have fun and impress your friends with this awesome new feature of your car that will put all eyes on you!

Comments

[Bash9]

can anyone say how can i get power for this?

[shager36]

Instead of wrapping wire around a fuse and causing issues with your panel eventually, grab an "add a circuit". It allows you to plug directly into the fuse panel, replace the existing fuse and add a second fuse for what you are wiring up. These are cheap and available at your local parts store. Just remember with small LED light strips and bars, use a small fuse like a 5 or 10. More than that can allow the wire to melt before the fuse pops.

[gasjr4wd]

Videos aren't there... says to sign in, then says video is private.

Is it me?

[Changreat]

Hello this really help me but I wonder if I can connect the wire to my fog light so when ever I unlock my door or open my door the fog light come on. I already try my best to connect it but always fail. I found 12 v and I connect it with my dome light and when I switch off the dome light the fog light still stay on I don't know know why and how. Thank you so much. I hope you can help me with this.

[SoggyCornFlakes]

This is the type of car hacking that makes auto techs cringe! Although the idea is great, the execution leaves a little to be desired. The wire thats pinched behind the door jamb switch may break thru its own insulation in time and short to ground. Not a big deal if it is on the ground side of the circuit but may leave you with a dead battery if it does short and turn your light on. Secondly, NO!!! do not shove a wire behind a fuse to source battery power! This tends to stretch the contacts in the fuse box creating an unreliable connection. These fuse boxes in most modern cars are not just a fuse panel anymore but actually a computerized logic module on a network with other modules within the car. Sounds expensive? Diagnosing customer installed electrical issues makes me lots of cake! If you must do it this way, be sure to at least use the fused side of the circuit you are stealing power from. The use of a stand alone fuse for your circuit would be a good idea too.

[orlov127]

I understand the issues completely. I really appreciate the constructive criticism as it helps not only me but others who attempt this instructable too. This is my first instructable and it is a great learning experience. As for the issues with the project I will edit the instructable or just delete this and make a new one because I don't want anyone to do anything to damage their vehicles. Thanks once again.

[maniacse]

Or You can do it like this https://plus.google.com/110900867642424056387/post... Wires goes through "sleeve" for repro and central locking cables, then from inside of doors down, under doors, not under car itself. So if You close door, LED strip is protected against weather and so on.. But You need to disassemble doors. So, You can choose.. :)

[orlov127]

That's a pretty cool idea! Thanks for the suggestion!

[maniacse]

No problem mate, You can check my picasa, there are more photos from my old works, maybe there will be more ideas for You.. :) I need also put ther more photos from current works and semi finished projects..

[NamedJohnny]

thats genius! I always fall on a waterhole at night when I see nothing

[MsSweetSatisfaction]

That an a really cool upgrade to a car. I love how simple you made it seem, especially to a car newbie like myself.