Courtesy light wiring?
02-03-2010, 01:20 PM
#1
Courtesy light wiring? My car is a 1999 hardtop, base model formula, cloth interior, no keyless entry. It doesnt have any courtesy lights by your feet or by the door handle. All it has is the map lights by on the rear view mirror and the dome light in the rear hatch area. Id like to wire up some lights under the dash in the drivers and passengers area, I looked and tested the fuses in the interior fuse box and couldnt find one that was only hot with the door open. Any ideas of a wire I could tap into or a fuse I could find that would kick the lights on when the door is opened?
02-03-2010, 02:03 PM
#3
The BCM uses a combination of both power supply and ground control to manage the courtesy lights. The voltage on the power wire is varied to provide the theater dimming when the doors are closed but then the power is restored to 12V so that the map lights will work while the ground is shut off so that the courtesy lights won't stay on all the time.
So you need to use both the power and ground wires of the courtesy light circuit from the BCM to make additional lights work the same way. The power wire is the dark blue with white in the 6-pin black BCM connector. The return (ground) wire is the white wire in the 32-pin blue BCM connector.
Don't cut either wire - just tap into them for your power and ground. Be careful that you get the correct wires... they are the only ones of those colors in those connectors but there are similar wires (e.g. there is a white with black wire close to the white wire in the 32-pin blue connector and there is a plain blue wire close to the blue with white wire in the 6-pin black connector).
So you need to use both the power and ground wires of the courtesy light circuit from the BCM to make additional lights work the same way. The power wire is the dark blue with white in the 6-pin black BCM connector. The return (ground) wire is the white wire in the 32-pin blue BCM connector.
Don't cut either wire - just tap into them for your power and ground. Be careful that you get the correct wires... they are the only ones of those colors in those connectors but there are similar wires (e.g. there is a white with black wire close to the white wire in the 32-pin blue connector and there is a plain blue wire close to the blue with white wire in the 6-pin black connector).
02-03-2010, 02:12 PM
#4
Awesome thats what I wanted to hear...one more question I did some searching on here and read I can grab any constant 12v source in the car and then find a white wire under the drivers side dash to complete the ground? Any truth to this?
02-03-2010, 02:26 PM
#5
Yes and no. You can use any constant power source along with the courtesy light return (ground) if you don't mind giving up the theater dimming effect - the lights will be either on or off and won't match the other courtesy lights. The white wire is the same white wire found at the BCM. You can find it in the large 48-pin connector between the steering column and the left kick panel but be careful - there are a couple of white wires there... one of them is for the ABS sensor in the right rear wheel.
The BCM is relatively easy to reach, doesn't have duplicated wire colors, and gives you all the features of the existing courtesy lights. I recommend making your connections there.
The BCM is relatively easy to reach, doesn't have duplicated wire colors, and gives you all the features of the existing courtesy lights. I recommend making your connections there.
