25 replies to this topic

[welshwhiz]

Can anyone give me some tips, or point me in the right direction of how to add some LED strip lights to the interior of the car. Ideally I would like to wire them so that they work in conjunction with the light coming on when you open the door, wouldn't be the end of the world if I had to flick a switch though. Thought this would be a straight forward mod that I could do over Christmas, but unfortunately don't know where to start or where to purchase. Any thoughts welcome. Thanks.

[techieboy]

LED strip lights

[VIX]

don't know where to start ....
Any thoughts welcome.

Don't!

Edited by VIX, 10 December 2010 - 04:23 PM.

[2.2_na]

strip lights to the interior of the car

Do you also need tits tips on how to install a pole in there?

[SteveA]

I'm sure there is an issue with LED's and interior lighting circuit. A small voltage in the circuit stops them turning off fully IIRC.

Edited by SteveA, 10 December 2010 - 04:26 PM.

[smiley]

Like this guy: http://www.speedster...opic.php?t=4292 (pretty detailed though) I would suggest a small strip, with 5 small led's in them, and then just hook up positive on your regular interiour light. Do you want somehting illuminated specificly, or just more light, when getting in/out?

[VIX]

IIRC pullen vx220 chav'd his footwells up with LEDs. I also think he used to sell them in his Ebay shop. Disclaimer. This is not a recommendation of anything.

[Garry.L]

MODS...... I think the OP has his answer so can this thread PLEASE be removed before it starts getting linked to other forums..... I'd hate to have to deny ever owning a VX220.

Edited by Garry.L, 10 December 2010 - 08:50 PM.

[fred666]

You could cut into the live that allows the interior light to come on then it would come on with that if needed. you should be fine with led currents, its when you swap a bulb for an led item in the standard interior light you get problems

Edited by fred666, 10 December 2010 - 09:57 PM.

[Ebo100]

Funny I was thinking of this the other day. I spend a bit of time waiting for my kids to finish sport/music/college and usually read in the car. A quick search on Ebay found these :- http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item3a61496619 might look a bit cheap and tacky and I don't if they would be easy to mount without wrecking the trim but might be worth a punt for a couple of quid. Halfords do a battery powered magnetic/stick on which would be easier but equally tacky

Edited by Ebo100, 11 December 2010 - 12:01 AM.

[Cookies220]

Like this guy: http://www.speedster...opic.php?t=4292 (pretty detailed though)
I would suggest a small strip, with 5 small led's in them, and then just hook up positive on your regular interiour light.

Do you want somehting illuminated specificly, or just more light, when getting in/out?

When I started looking at that thread I was thinking Noooooo!!! but when you see the illuminated heater controls, it actually looks pretty good - although it's not enough of an issue for me to warrant all that work.

[Wolfstone]

And those of you that do add these can go and join the Corsa boys down Maccy D's car park on a Sunday night. What are you thinking? For the love of God, get real.

[welshwhiz]

I'm not want for tacky add ons. My VX is quite plain at the mo, just thought that the cock pit is quite dark at times and something just to allow me to see what setting the heating controls are on, without having to put the main light on. Not that the heaters work mind! Thanks for all your responses.

[Ormes]

Like this guy: http://www.speedster...opic.php?t=4292 (pretty detailed though)

Not a fan of using the back of a VX as a work bench

[siztenboots]

i find the disco ball hits my head going round left hand corners

[smiley]

just thought that the cock pit is quite dark at times and something just to allow me to see what setting the heating controls are on, without having to put the main light on.

Don't worry; i have the exact same feeling.
Just need to find a mod, that's basicly invisble, and blends invisibly into the interiour. (like an extremely thin led strip, linked to my normal light switch, so that the knobs are illuminated, when normal light is on.

Anotherone of my winter projects is to led supply the optional brace bar between console and dash, to make it shine decently.

Edited by smiley, 11 December 2010 - 12:53 PM.

[2.2_na]

i find the disco ball hits my head going round left hand corners

Just turn right then

[Mangham54]

i find the disco ball hits my head going round left hand corners

Just turn right then

Just to be able to say "My ball hits the missus in the face every time I turn right"

[G-Bob]

No-one has any idea what the OP wants to do with the lights so why slag him off? He wants a little more light in the cabin and at no point did he mention coloured neons or anything so what's the problem? I remember seeing a thread last year where someone had hidden some led strips up under the dash and wired them to his interior light so that it lit up the footwells instead of the pathetic orange stained bulb. He had hidden the light units so that they were not visible and very subtle. Nothing wrong with it at all. welshwhiz - remember though, the lights will add weight to the car and not keep in the spirit of what the car was built for </sarcasm>

[fred666]

No-one has any idea what the OP wants to do with the lights so why slag him off?
He wants a little more light in the cabin and at no point did he mention coloured neons or anything so what's the problem?

I remember seeing a thread last year where someone had hidden some led strips up under the dash and wired them to his interior light so that it lit up the footwells instead of the pathetic orange stained bulb.

He had hidden the light units so that they were not visible and very subtle. Nothing wrong with it at all.

welshwhiz - remember though, the lights will add weight to the car and not keep in the spirit of what the car was built for </sarcasm>

I had done similar to my na to light the heater controls, head unit, and vx220 plaque (led strip hidden behind the dash panel so the glow was visiable but no lighting itself.

I purposely left it out of my project diary for the like of response above i deemed it not worth the hassle of posting

I've tried to offer help with my above post rather than offer my opinion

And just incase its of any help to welshwitz (flamesuit on)...


I used this type of thing...
http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item45f4a66061

You can trim it to size but once its cut the end piece is usually useless afterwards so its best to measure roughly what you need and trim from there.

Edited by fred666, 11 December 2010 - 05:37 PM.