Cab Ambient "mood Lighting" Under-dash - How I Done It -

[roadtripper]

I was thinking more along trying a couple of these

Red 3mm Prewired Diffused LED 20cm Cable 12V

Red 3mm LED featuring a colour diffused lens, prewired with a resistor and 20cm of cable. The LED features a low power consumption and is suitable for a wide range of 12V indication and illumination applications. Colour diffused lens Input voltage: 9-12V Forward current: 25mA 20cm cable Long...

www.switchelectronics.co.uk

The prewired means they are quite physically long but they are quick and simple to experiment with

Probably what I'd try is some high density 120 per m LED strip - the 12v stuff you can cut every 3 LED as that's a 12v segment of 3 chips 1 resistor - that should be around 3 cm with wires.

The downside is you probably have to buy a metre of it and I have to warn you soldering to the tape is a pig. The best advise is to not try and use all the tape, sacrifice the next segment by cutting just beyond the pads rather than across the middle to give a big as pad as possible. Use quality solder and an additional no clean liquid flux and tin the wires well beforehand. A bit of heatshrink to finish off and secure the wires, or maybe hot glue in place. You can get clamp on connectors, but if you are trying to tuck into a small light you don't have the space.

12V/5M Ultra Bright 600 LED Light Strip Sticky Tape SMD 2835 120LED/m 8mm *FAST* | eBay

Smartlight™ 5M/600 LED LED Strip Lights (SMD 2835) - INDOOR & WATERPROOF. The LED's can be wired directly in to any 12v source or be connected to an AC adaptor using a DC Converter Cable. The DC Converter is included but the AC Adaptor is not.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[RobFlynn]

I looked at that strip stuff but am I not a bit goosed if 3 LEDs is too bright?"

 

[roadtripper]

You can always drop the current with a series resistor.

You're not going to get something off the shelf doing this, you're likely to need to experiment with a few options to find what works.

But as I say I'd start with a small pre wired 12v LED and see if that's enough.

My suspicion is that a single prewired will be about right for light level, but might not produce the pool of light you want, hence suggesting the other option.

 

[Dougw]

I read through this thread and a couple of others over the weekend, ordered a set of the Travelin Lite footwell LEDs on Tues, they arrived yesterday and I fitted them today. I opted to connect them to the ambient circuit by hooking into the back of the dimmer switch and I’m very pleased with the result. They look great and the dimmer switch controls them nicely. £30 well spent. Very simple installation.

The one issue I had was that the Posi taps that are provided are a bit too large for the blue/grey ambient wire (but fit the brown well). First go the tap just pushed the wire to one side rather than piercing it. I solved this by wrapping a little tape around the wire before inserting into the tap. This made the wire sit more centrally and held it more firmly in the tap and it worked first attempt after doing this.

Hi just read your thread, I have just fitted the same footwell lights, the only problem I have is that until i lock the van the footwell lights will stay on. Sometimes when I'm at work I don't need to lock the van but worried I might end up with a flat battery.
Do yours do the same thing?
Cheers

 

[Big.mac]

Hi just read your thread, I have just fitted the same footwell lights, the only problem I have is that until i lock the van the footwell lights will stay on. Sometimes when I'm at work I don't need to lock the van but worried I might end up with a flat battery.
Do yours do the same thing?
Cheers

Mine don’t do that. They’re on when the lights are on, off when the lights are off. Simple as that

 

[Dougw]

OK
I'll take another look
Cheers

 

[burtonshawv]

Late to the party, but only just got my T6. It doesn't have an instrument dimmer fitted. Can this be retrofitted? Or should I just create my own for the ambient lights when/if I fit them?

 

[dom92]

Mine don’t do that. They’re on when the lights are on, off when the lights are off. Simple as that

Hello, on which wire are you connected so that it works like this? because I tried on the blue/white wire but it only has 5V and not 12v. thank you

 

[Big.mac]

Hello, on which wire are you connected so that it works like this? because I tried on the blue/white wire but it only has 5V and not 12v. thank you

Honestly can’t remember it was so long ago that i did this but reading my prior post I’d say it is the Blue/Grey and the Brown.

 

[dom92]

Honestly can’t remember it was so long ago that i did this but reading my prior post I’d say it is the Blue/Grey and the Brown.

but the gray/blue does not do 12v on the door. unless you recovered elsewhere? thank you but the gray/blue does not do 12v on the door. unless you recovered elsewhere? thank you

 

[Big.mac]

but the gray/blue does not do 12v on the door. unless you recovered elsewhere? thank you but the gray/blue does not do 12v on the door. unless you recovered elsewhere? thank you

I never measured the voltages so can’t comment on that. All I can say is that i connected the footwell lights into the back of the light switch or dimmer switch (can’t remember which). I also have door card lighting which is connnected onto the grey/blue in the door. Both work perfectly and dim with the ambient dimmer switch

 

[dom92]

I never measured the voltages so can’t comment on that. All I can say is that i connected the footwell lights into the back of the light switch or dimmer switch (can’t remember which). I also have door card lighting which is connnected onto the grey/blue in the door. Both work perfectly and dim with the ambient dimmer switch

What type of lighting did you install on the doors? Because when I connect the gray/blue wire to the . As soon as I turn it on, the LEDs flash because there is not enough voltage.