Log in

View Full Version : DIY Door Entry Light (lights up when door is open) ---- Updated 29/01/2010



philip_pc
08-01-2010, 08:42 PM
Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!


Aim: To install lights on the steps of the door
Required: 2 LED Strips, Electrical Tape, Some extra wiring for extension, Scissors and Common Sense =)
Steps: As Documented Below
Other comments I did this in my Civic FD1, unlike the accords and other hondas, the FD1 when the door is open there is no light on the actual door, so my attempt here is to add some sort of external light source to make entry into the car a bit more elegant and pleasing. Similar to the one below, but i wasnt familiar with taking the door trim off so i installed them on another location which still gave very nice light output.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6919/door.jpg

These are the strips i used, got them from ebay, dirt cheap =) make sure you get the flat ones.
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/5939/ezbq2814.jpg

Sorry i forgot to take pictures as i did this DIY, so i only have pictures of the end result, this be relatively simple though, very easy DIY

Step 1:
Starting at the drivers door, use a philips screwdriver (the one from the boot should do), undo the screw at the boot release.

Step 2
Pull firmly (and wiggle out of the way of the boot release) on the plastic part to expose the metal body of the car.
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9735/doorstep.jpg

Step 3
Then pull firmly again on the rubber moulding and lift it to expose the edge of the car step.
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/375/rubbermoulding.jpg

Step 4
Then Get your LED strip and tape it to the side of the door step edge.

Step 5
Wiring part now (use electrical tape and possibly solder if you like to affix the connections). There should be a black push button thing on the drivers door jam towards the back end of the car, if you notice that when you push it down the interior light will dim, this is the button you are going to use to regulate when the LED strip turns on or off.
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4356/blackbutton.jpg

Step 6
Trace your way to the back of the black button, the side pillar should come off easily at this stage to allow for easier access. Remove the plug from the socket and tap the negative wire of the LED onto this wire, should be a green wire (extend your wire if its not long enough)

Step 7
Back to the positive side of the LED strip. Thread the wire (extend if needed) through the bonnet release panel towards the interior fuse box.

Step 8
Tap the wire into a fuse which provides constant power even when the ignition/key is not in (refer to your users manual for this). In the FD1 i used fuse 25, this is the door lock fuse.

Step 9
At this stage your LEDs should light up, test it out and see if you have wired it correctly by pressing the black button. If correctly wired, the LEDs should turn off when the button is pressed and light back up when released (simulating a closed and open door)

Step 10
Now just repeat the same process for the passengers door, when you get to the stage where you tape into the interior fuse, you might want to twist both the wires together, just makes it easier to work with.



The end result should look something like this
(Please excuse my bad wording and explanation in this DIY, if you are unsure or confused about any of these steps feel free post here and i will do my best to clarify the step). Please disregard the blue and red light on top, thats just my footwell lighting

Drivers Door
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9452/ledstripinstalledsidest.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5522/ledstripinstalledsidestu.jpg


Front Passenger Door
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/9452/ledstripinstalledsidest.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9452/ledstripinstalledsidest.jpg

These lights are very beautiful at night and very bright, well worth the money. This DIY should take no longer then 1 hour to complete and is accomplished for less then 10 bux i would say. I bought 2 strips for 5 bux on ebay. Just a note, if you forget to close your door or leave your door not fully closed, these lights WILL stay on. So make sure you close your door properly, if tapped into the interior dome light source then it would be different, but i was not familiar with that circuit so i chose to use the door locks one instead.

Update 29/01/2010: I have received a few PM's asking how i fixed the strips to the car, i have attached some pictures here, hopefully it clears things up a bit more. By the way the double sided tape you get on the strips originally dont seem to be strong enough, i affixed some double sided tape to mine to just make it stick better =)

"Far Shot of Door"
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/9452/ledstripinstalledsidest.jpg

"SMD Strip On"
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4530/ledstripinstalledsidestg.jpg

SMD Strip off, should be able to see clearly here
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/9452/ledstripinstalledsidest.jpg

kairi_k
09-01-2010, 03:51 PM
nice write up.

yeah i would probably tap into the interior dome light rather than the door locks, but then both sides would come on when either door is open, but then again its less wiring involved. btw would you mind sharing the link to where you bought the led strips.

cheers

+1rep

philip_pc
09-01-2010, 10:15 PM
this is the page/listing i bought mine from. Costs about 5 bux for 2 strips (delivered :angel:)

grifty
09-01-2010, 11:46 PM
this looks to be very similar and also cheap, you can cut it shorter if you need to.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Car-Waterproof-White-45-SMD-LED-Bulb-Grill-Light-Strip_W0QQitemZ170420405177QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_C ar_Parts_Accessories?hash=item27add903b9

kairi_k
09-01-2010, 11:49 PM
this is the page/listing i bought mine from. Costs about 5 bux for 2 strips (delivered :angel:)

did u forget the link?

philip_pc
10-01-2010, 08:09 AM
did u forget the link?

oops, sorry about that, here it is
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Flexible-White-For-Audi-R8-style-thin-led-strip-lights_W0QQitemZ140370384116QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item20aeba14f4

tiksie
14-01-2010, 09:21 AM
154 negative feedback in 12 months...... Wow.

haku
14-01-2010, 04:46 PM
wow indeed. But having a look at the negative feedback not many people complained about the LED strips so it should be safe to buy. postage with that seller might be another issue though. lol

philip_pc
16-01-2010, 11:16 PM
i received mine pretty promptly though, took about 7 days all up to get it delivered to my door.

curtis265
24-01-2010, 04:14 PM
looks great!

HotKgon
24-01-2010, 04:29 PM
It looks great. Thanks for the DIY. I think I might do this for my car soon.

You mentioned you had interior footwell lighting. Did you DIY that as well? Was it easy? I would like to do the footwell lighting and entry lighting together. Instead of seperately.

Thanks. :)



"yeah i would probably tap into the interior dome light rather than the door locks"

I would like to know how to tap into the interior dome light. Could you please shed some light on this?

philip_pc
24-01-2010, 10:02 PM
i did do the footwell lighting myself, it was very simple.....i just tapped into the parker lights and added a switch within the circuit so i can turn it off if i wanted at night and still have the park lights on, not hard at all this DIY

as for the interior dome fuse, the fuse is located in the engine compartment, fuse #22 if i remember correctly, but i checked the power at the fuse and it seems to be a constant supply at that point, if i want the fade in fade out effect i might need to actually tap it at the interior dome light place, not at the fuse.

curtis265
24-01-2010, 11:19 PM
ah, the fade is due to some kind of variable, controlled ground, i can't remember where it is.

philip_pc
25-01-2010, 07:56 AM
its definately not the black buttons on the door jam cause thats what i linked it to and when its pressed its instant off and on.
Must be somewhere in the roof or so.

philip_pc
29-01-2010, 04:27 PM
Update: 29/01/2010
More pics Added

curtis265
29-01-2010, 05:44 PM
Look good. Do you have a far shot of it with the LED's off? I don't tink i'd want to be able to see them.

philip_pc
29-01-2010, 07:15 PM
you really dont see it, i have the black/grey scuff plates on the doorstep so mine blends in, but really you wont see it unless you get down low enough and really look for it.

if someone didnt tell you you really wont know its there. But then again if you did look hard enough im sure you'll see it, its just all personal preference i guess.

HotKgon
29-01-2010, 10:18 PM
Thanks for adding the extra pics. Looks really good. I'm really tempted to go buy the parts and get this on its way. =)

Xpire
30-01-2010, 01:18 AM
Thanks for the additional pics!

Xpire
27-03-2010, 05:57 PM
Does anybody know how to take apart the rear door section so I can tap into the ground point behind the button?

Cheers

philip_pc
27-03-2010, 06:25 PM
rear door section? can you elaborate on this a bit more

Xpire
27-03-2010, 06:31 PM
rear door section? can you elaborate on this a bit more

lol sorry :o

in your guide you had steps showing how to remove the plastic bits in order to place the strip in the appropriate place, and then another step to remove the plastic bits in order to wire up the ground cable.

I can't seem to figure out how to pull out the plastic bits for the rear as they seem to be underneath the seats and don't budge :(

philip_pc
28-03-2010, 09:59 PM
OHHHH, i didnt do my rears, but last time i check it out the rears dont have any screws on them, its just 1 pin you need to get out (if that makes sense)

Front has pins you pull put of the top and the side
>|
>|
>|

but for the rear seats the pin goes from top down

_____V___

the pin is located under the seat so you might just need to pull it upwards....
im not sure how well i explained this, sorry if i confuse you

philip_pc
28-03-2010, 10:08 PM
not sure how well this picture illustrates what im trying to say but im sure theres a pin where i circled. just gotta pull upwards on that there.

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/8268/img9699.jpg

curtis265
29-03-2010, 01:12 AM
U gotta slide ur hands under, and then you'll feel some sorta ring. Pull the ring outward, where phillip drew in my photo

sinseven
29-03-2010, 01:20 PM
cool write up man

Xpire
24-04-2010, 05:40 PM
U gotta slide ur hands under, and then you'll feel some sorta ring. Pull the ring outward, where phillip drew in my photo

Still haven't gotten around to finishing this off =P been busy with uni

Is the ring underneath the plastic, or between the plastic and the seat? I tried putting my hands underneath the seat and I just found a hole lol

curtis265
24-04-2010, 06:34 PM
its between the carpet and the seeat

curtis265
22-02-2011, 07:21 PM
ey guys how'd u get power from the fusebox? Which wire? How do u tap fuse 25? I had no clue how to do it. Epic failed today by trying to use the door switch alone... (switch was inverse to what i expected :( )