Interior LED's and DRL Kill Switch
03-22-2006, 07:59 PM
#1
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Interior LED's and DRL Kill Switch First I laid everything out...
Then drilled a few holes...
Installed the LED's in holders...
Wired everything up...
And Voilá
The switches fit perfectly under the ashtray lid
When I was drilling the holes in the back of the console, I accidentally made one lower than the other. So I drilled two more holes to make it even. I thought about putting four LED's back there, but it would have been a pain to get them in there (getting the two was hard enough). Luckily the extra holes are hardly noticeable. The DRL kill switch is wired to the sensor for the parking brake. I'm sure I'll quickly grow tired of seeing the brake indicator on the dash, but at least the hard part is done. Now I need some CCFL's for under the dash and front seats.
Then drilled a few holes...
Installed the LED's in holders...
Wired everything up...
And Voilá
The switches fit perfectly under the ashtray lid
When I was drilling the holes in the back of the console, I accidentally made one lower than the other. So I drilled two more holes to make it even. I thought about putting four LED's back there, but it would have been a pain to get them in there (getting the two was hard enough). Luckily the extra holes are hardly noticeable. The DRL kill switch is wired to the sensor for the parking brake. I'm sure I'll quickly grow tired of seeing the brake indicator on the dash, but at least the hard part is done. Now I need some CCFL's for under the dash and front seats.
Last edited by komik; 10-24-2010 at 05:03 PM. Reason: updated image links
03-22-2006, 09:44 PM
#5
I just wired up a couple CCFL dual kits under the dash, they illuminate the area nicely. I plan on putting a four inch where the rear hatch light is, or perhaps somewhere more concealed, also.
I'm trying to do a DRL kill switch also, but I have a few questions:
1. How did you go about doing it? I've read about under the dash pad, putting a wire in some hole, snipping an orange wire behind the headlight switch, and disabling the DRL module istself.
2. Does the kill switch kill all of your headlights, or just the running orange lights?
I want to be able to disable the AHL, so that my lights are off at night if need be (all lights, unless I turn them on from the dial.) Or if I leave the switch off, they act just like normal, and come on at night, or whatever.
I'm trying to do a DRL kill switch also, but I have a few questions:
1. How did you go about doing it? I've read about under the dash pad, putting a wire in some hole, snipping an orange wire behind the headlight switch, and disabling the DRL module istself.
2. Does the kill switch kill all of your headlights, or just the running orange lights?
I want to be able to disable the AHL, so that my lights are off at night if need be (all lights, unless I turn them on from the dial.) Or if I leave the switch off, they act just like normal, and come on at night, or whatever.
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03-23-2006, 01:58 AM
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Z28-CTYHNTR, After I took the pics I realized how dirty everything was, but I was in such a hurry to get the car back together before going out tonight that I skipped the cleaning.
tc3, yes I need a soldering iron. I lost my old ones in the flood and haven't replaced them yet. Butt connectors were cheaper.
pcgamer4life, 1. I spliced the light blue wire that runs to a reed switch on the parking brake and put the switch in between. Right now it doesn't work. I'm not sure why. I haven't had time yet to take the console apart again and fix it.
2. I will let you know for sure once I get it fixed, but it should only disable the orange DRL's as they are the only lights affiliated with the parking brake. All parking / headlights operate normally.
CULATR, It's actually a Mountain Dew Live Wire bottle that I removed the label from and filled with water for dramatic effect.
My old car (2005 Scion tC) had cupholder lights. On the website they had clear water bottles in the cupholders for the pictures. That's where I got the idea from.
The reason I decided to put these lights in the first place is because on my last trip back from New Orleans I had trouble finding the cupholder in the dark while speeding through the rain. So really this is more of a safety mod than an appearance mod.
tc3, yes I need a soldering iron. I lost my old ones in the flood and haven't replaced them yet. Butt connectors were cheaper.
pcgamer4life, 1. I spliced the light blue wire that runs to a reed switch on the parking brake and put the switch in between. Right now it doesn't work. I'm not sure why. I haven't had time yet to take the console apart again and fix it.
2. I will let you know for sure once I get it fixed, but it should only disable the orange DRL's as they are the only lights affiliated with the parking brake. All parking / headlights operate normally.
CULATR, It's actually a Mountain Dew Live Wire bottle that I removed the label from and filled with water for dramatic effect.
My old car (2005 Scion tC) had cupholder lights. On the website they had clear water bottles in the cupholders for the pictures. That's where I got the idea from.The reason I decided to put these lights in the first place is because on my last trip back from New Orleans I had trouble finding the cupholder in the dark while speeding through the rain. So really this is more of a safety mod than an appearance mod.
03-23-2006, 08:27 AM
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you know, if you install foot well neons along with your cup holder led mod, you would have saved $275. Because thats what Scion is charging for that option XBs. Looks good though!
03-24-2006, 05:53 PM
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The LEDs are in 5mm LED holders from Radio Shack. The holders snap into a 1/4 " hole and the LEDs snap into the holders from the back.
I am getting power from the wires leading to the former ashtray light. This way they turn off when I turn my lights off and can also be turned off independently while the lights are on.
Yesterday I replaced the burned out lights above the switches in the doors with LED's. The one on the passenger's side doesn't look as bright as the driver's side. Someone else on this board enlarged the hole for the factory lights and flush mounted LEDs there. I am going to do the same soon. Right now they are just sitting in the cavity that the stock bulb was in.
The pictures suck because the night setting on my camera requires it to be perfectly still for 2-3 seconds. Not having a tripod, the pictures end up a little blurry.
I fixed my DRL kill switch today. For some reason I originally thought the circuit was open with the brake off and closed with the brake on, so I had the switch spliced into the blue wire leading to the reed switch on the E-Brake. Now that I realize the reverse is true, I ran the blue wire to one pole of the switch and the other pole to ground.
I am getting power from the wires leading to the former ashtray light. This way they turn off when I turn my lights off and can also be turned off independently while the lights are on.
Yesterday I replaced the burned out lights above the switches in the doors with LED's. The one on the passenger's side doesn't look as bright as the driver's side. Someone else on this board enlarged the hole for the factory lights and flush mounted LEDs there. I am going to do the same soon. Right now they are just sitting in the cavity that the stock bulb was in.
The pictures suck because the night setting on my camera requires it to be perfectly still for 2-3 seconds. Not having a tripod, the pictures end up a little blurry.
I fixed my DRL kill switch today. For some reason I originally thought the circuit was open with the brake off and closed with the brake on, so I had the switch spliced into the blue wire leading to the reed switch on the E-Brake. Now that I realize the reverse is true, I ran the blue wire to one pole of the switch and the other pole to ground.
Last edited by komik; 10-24-2010 at 05:07 PM. Reason: update image urls
03-24-2006, 06:04 PM
#15
Sounds good, nice car by the way.
What I'm going to do for my DRL/AHL kill switch is run a switch between two solderpoints on the PCB of the DRL module, which will kill it on demand.
What I'm going to do for my DRL/AHL kill switch is run a switch between two solderpoints on the PCB of the DRL module, which will kill it on demand.
