LED door illumination

blumi00GT

Founding Member

Jun 26, 2002

79

0

6

Thuringia, Germany

Apr 26, 2004

#1

• Apr 26, 2004

• #1

Yo - this was a project during a lonesome february weekend:

• two ultra-bright white LEDs facing downwards (connected to dome light)
• one ultra-bright red LED facing backwards (connected to dome light)
• one inconspicuous green 3mm LED in the door handles, to ease orientation (connected to dash-lighting - it even dims)

What do you think? Has anyone done that before?

 

BullittStangV8

Founding Member

Oct 5, 2002

1,104

0

36

NJ

Apr 26, 2004

#2

• Apr 26, 2004

• #2

looks clean to me. why the lights on the sides of the door tho? i like the handle leds.
Mike

 

N

n0v8or

10 Year Member

Aug 23, 2003

604

8

39

Rhode Island

Apr 26, 2004

#3

• Apr 26, 2004

• #3

Glad to see I'm not the only one with passengers that can't find the door handles at night. I used small green LEDs facing down from the top. That way the light source itself is not visible. I found them distracting if on all the time, so wired mine so they only turn on for 15 seconds immediately after the ignition is switched off.

 

N

n0v8or

10 Year Member

Aug 23, 2003

604

8

39

Rhode Island

Apr 26, 2004

#4

• Apr 26, 2004

• #4

Links to pics:
Door handle illumination http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/handle_LED.jpg
Window and lock switch night lighting http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/lh_switches.jpg
. . . and at night http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/lh_switches_nite.jpg

 

P

Phoenix00GT

New Member

Apr 26, 2004

245

0

0

Bay Area, CA

Apr 26, 2004

#5

• Apr 26, 2004

• #5

n0v8or said:

Links to pics:
Door handle illumination http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/handle_LED.jpg
Window and lock switch night lighting http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/lh_switches.jpg
. . . and at night http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/lh_switches_nite.jpg

Click to expand...

Damn! You weren't playing around...looks pretty good, as long as they aren't distracting that's a pretty cool idea

 

blumi00GT

Founding Member

Jun 26, 2002

79

0

6

Thuringia, Germany

Apr 27, 2004

#6

• Apr 27, 2004

• #6

BullittStangV8 said:

looks clean to me. why the lights on the sides of the door tho? i like the handle leds.
Mike

Click to expand...

The red LED should warn the oncoming traffic that my door is open.
Seems to work because since installation nobody has driven my doors off

Blumi

 

2

2003BlackStang

New Member

Nov 11, 2003

188

0

0

Apr 27, 2004

#7

• Apr 27, 2004

• #7

any directions on how to hook all this stuff up??

 

Milenko

Skid Mark Layer...only not fro

Founding Member

Nov 5, 2001

462

1

19

Boston, MA

Apr 27, 2004

#8

• Apr 27, 2004

• #8

Looks like a lot of work, but I like.

 

N

n0v8or

10 Year Member

Aug 23, 2003

604

8

39

Rhode Island

Apr 27, 2004

#9

• Apr 27, 2004

• #9

I've posted a JPG image of the door handle illumination schematic at:
http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/door handle LED module.jpg

The drawing may not look good in your browser window, but if you download the image and enlarge it, all of the detail is there. I can send as a PDF attached to email (send a PM).

The module is mounted under the panel that covers the shifter (there is plenty of space there). All of the wires to tap are available in the console on an '03. Two feed wires and two ground wires must be run, a pair to each door, which involves removing the door trim panel, door sill molding, and side kick panel. It's not difficult, but time consuming, a better Winter then Spring project.

 

Milenko

Skid Mark Layer...only not fro

Founding Member

Nov 5, 2001

462

1

19

Boston, MA

Apr 27, 2004

#10

• Apr 27, 2004

• #10

Dead link

 

N

n0v8or

10 Year Member

Aug 23, 2003

604

8

39

Rhode Island

Apr 27, 2004

#11

• Apr 27, 2004

• #11

Dead link?
I share the blame with the Stangnet software, which seems to impose a limit on the number of characters or spaces in a URL. I should have checked the link both before and after posting, not just before.
You will have to highlight the entire line (beginning with http and ending with .jpg), then copy and paste in into the address line of your browser. It really does work.
http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/door handle LED module.jpg

Milenko . . . thanks for pointing out the problem.

 

GTPhreak

Founding Member

Mar 16, 2000

5,505

0

77

Rowlett, TEXAS

Apr 27, 2004

#12

• Apr 27, 2004

• #12

its not stangnet software causing it. the reason it willnot carry the full url is because of the spaces

 

69PaleHorse

Member

Feb 3, 2004

264

0

16

Ventura County, CA

Apr 27, 2004

#13

• Apr 27, 2004

• #13

http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/door handle LED module.jpg

 

N

n0v8or

10 Year Member

Aug 23, 2003

604

8

39

Rhode Island

Apr 27, 2004

#14

• Apr 27, 2004

• #14

OK; I loaded a copy with underscores in place of the spaces. Hope they work.
http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/door_handle_LED_schematic.jpg
http://members.cox.net/n0v8or/door_switch_LED_schematic.jpg

 

ProKiller

Founding Member

Apr 26, 2002

3,064

15

78

PA

Apr 27, 2004

#15

• Apr 27, 2004

• #15

nice, looks good. i like the leds under the door panels, lets you see the ground when the doors open.

 

O

oldmodman

New Member

Sep 5, 2003

19

0

0

West Los Angeles

Apr 27, 2004

#16

• Apr 27, 2004

• #16

blumi00gt, really nice work! I've never seen anyone do an LED mod to the window and lock switches like that before. How long did the installation take you? And did you consider putting a pot (dimmer) in the circuit if the brightness of the LED ever became intrusive?

 

propellerhead

New Member

Apr 13, 2004

1,541

0

0

"but what's with the but shots?"

Apr 28, 2004

#17

• Apr 28, 2004

• #17

Wouldn't it be cool if you could make them flash like the lights on the tips of airplane wings?

 

P

Pepe

Banned

Apr 28, 2004

4

0

0

Apr 28, 2004

#18

• Apr 28, 2004

• #18

Mustang ricers; ghey

 

GTPhreak

Founding Member

Mar 16, 2000

5,505

0

77

Rowlett, TEXAS

Apr 28, 2004

#19

• Apr 28, 2004

• #19

How is giving yourself more visibility while entering and exiting your vehicle rice? I think its pretty coo idea