LED Interior Cargo Lights - How I Done It.

[Dellmassive]

Keep an eye on the LED driver temps ... some of the cheapy wish LED strips get hot when the charge voltage is high at 14.9v...(when engine running)
..

But as @Deaky says perfectly fine when stationary and running off just battery voltage.

Keep an eye on the battery though RGB Leds can draw more power than single colour. (keep a jump-pack handy =] )

 

[Jamie2.0]

Got the RGBs fitted, they work a treat when just on the battery buuuut went to try them whilst the engine was running to use as a running light...nothing, well I say nothing they glowed a dim green. Do I need to think again?

 

[Djahawes]

LED rear interior lights - How i done it.

so a few have asked, so i though i would just list it here as a post so i could refer back to it in the future.

The lights were purchased from The T6F shop over here >

View attachment 27565

We were planning to do the carpeting at around the same time, but for the purpose of this thread ill leave the carpeting bit out.

first thing to do was to remove the existing roof lining by popping out the grey plastic hex head pop studs, they all unscrewed easily, the center support bar popped out with a plastic trim tool... no problems so far....


View attachment 27566

The existing OEM LED light unclipped easily reveling the loom and connectors . . .

View attachment 27567



once the panels were out we layed them out on the floor and used a string line to work out where we wanted the new lights and what spacing we were going to have . . . . .

View attachment 27568


because we had already carpeted the panels, drilling into them was going to be a challenge ( the drill bit snagging the carpet) but and old car audio ICE trick was to put the drill in reverse and burn through the carpet, once burned through you could go through normally. . . . we drilled holes for the cable entry to the back of the panel and poked the wires through. . . . .

View attachment 27570

next up was to mount the lights, we used the small self tapping screws that comes with the kit to screw into the backing board, then fitted the covers over the screw fixings . . . .



View attachment 27571

next task was cable management, we cut off the small two pin connectors and layed out the cables to roughly where we needed them. We used white gaffer tape to tape down the cables to stop them ratteling etc . . . . we bought the excess cable through the OEM light fitting hole.....we decided to keep the OEM LED lights as dummy units, the also helped out as a good cable way and access panel of sorts to get to the connections . . . .


View attachment 27572

now the new LEDs were fitted we could refit the panels in the back of the van . . . we pulled the existing loom and original connectors out the hole where the old light was. . . . . .

using a multi-meter we measured the BCM 0v ground wire and the BCM timed 12v+ wire (when the rear door was open) and joined them with crimp terminals to the OEM loom . . . leaving the original connector on the end.


***************************************************************************************
Factory Non-LED 3 wire setup:

(brown) - earth point left a-pilar
(brown/red) - connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg 0v)
(red/black) - positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v) ( 7.5A fuse 24 holder C)
****************************************************************************************

Factory LED 2 wire setup:

(brown/red) - connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg)
(red/black) - positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v)( 7.5A fuse 19 holder C)

****************************************************************************************
BCM rear light TIMER :

credit: @JCElec

You can change the time by changing module 09 chanal 038. standard value is: 21 (10.5 minutes) en you can change it to 254 (127 minutes). it's multiplying whit 30 sec.

@mmi Excellent info. Thanks. Seems to match with my observations in thread Led Rear Interior Lights - How I Done It.
- channel 38 in my van has value of 121 - and indeed I had observed the lights (obviously the new setting came with factory LEDs in cargo space) stay on for 60 mins.

*****************************************


View attachment 27575

once all back in the van we tested it all making sure that the new LEDs didnt flicker and also went off when the van doors were closed/van locked etc.


FYI: This van had the factory OEM REAR LED pack option so already had the rear LED light modules with no-rocker switch. also the loom had only 2 wires. It also looks like you will get an extended ON time of around 60mins before the lights shut off.

If your van has the standard rear filament lights you would most likely have a rocker switch on the lamp unit and 3 wires in the loom. (0v ground perm, 0v BCM switched, BCM timed +12v perm) The BCM shut off time will be around the 10 - 20 mins mark.


for people looking to have a override switch for say a camper etc then a fused +12v feed wire would be used to feed the lights in addition to the BCM feed. A blocking diode may be needed on that feed wire.

If your switched override feed was coming from the AUX isolated battery feed in conjunction with the BCM feed (from the starter battery) i would defiantly fit a blocking diode to stop any back flow of current from the AUX and STARTer battery.

some people just totaly disregard the BCM +12v feed and just use the new +12v AUX feed, though a warning on this point is that if the lights were left on all night there is a chance of discharging the feed battery to a dangerously low level causing possible damage. . . . . . low voltage cut-out are available to prevent this from happening.

A relay can also be used to shunt the lights from BCM van control over to Leisure battery for extended light on times for camper-van setups and the like.

Hope that answers some questions I've had. =]

More info over here > Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread

.

Hi, I'm looking to put an ON/ON switch in the courtesy light circuit which switches to the leisure battery for the lights to come on but powered by the leisure battery instead of the main battery. Because the live feed to the existing circuit has the door opening switch in it I thought adding my new switch in the other side of the circuit would work. Is this the principle you are describing above please? See picture too for my crude understanding of this!
David

 

[Deaky]

The courtesy circuit is switched on the -ve side

 

[Blitz]

Going back to Paulys option of replacing the initial live wire with one from the leisure battery, has anyone done this and kept the factory time out and door sensors functioning?

 

[The Bear78]

@Dellmassive thank you for all of the How I Done it threads. They are invaluable for looking into how things work and how they can be improved.
I have been studying the interior LED option for a while and with the van in pieces I have taken the plunge. I have just started wiring up a set of 4 LED lights in the rear load area to completely replace my existing 3 wire incandescent units.
I have no leisure battery yet but plan to incorporate one in the future and have drawn up the attached circuit diagrams which I hope will work in both scenarios. I wish to retain the door open lights as mentioned by @Blitz above but also keep the permanent on function. Where it gets tricky is maintaining these for both leisure and non leisure battery installations!
Please take a look at the diagrams and let me know what you think? I don't want to install a low voltage cut off just for the lights but will incorporate one for the full leisure battery supply when fitted. I have mitigated against a flat starter battery by utilising an ignition feed from the centre fuse box to power the remote switch and relay.
Cheers, Steve.

 

[Jonnyboy217]

Thank You!!

Hi, would this replay do the same job as the ones you mentioned?
Thanks

 

[cfdave]

Keep an eye on the LED driver temps ... some of the cheapy wish LED strips get hot when the charge voltage is high at 14.9v...(when engine running)
..

But as @Deaky says perfectly fine when stationary and running off just battery voltage.

Keep an eye on the battery though RGB Leds can draw more power than single colour. (keep a jump-pack handy =] )

Also on this note. I had a problematic led rgbw strip and controller. Turned out it was the controller causing the problem, so i just fed the white led's (no controller) These are replacing the interior courtesy lights in the rear.

All worked fine at first. But yesterday, they now only work for the first 30cm. the rest are dead.

So iv'e bought a new single colour, white led strip. I was nervous about installing it without a voltage regulator, just in case that was the issue?

Or am i panicking over nothing. And its just crap led tape light/controller initially?

Thanks

 

[The Bear78]

@cfdave I run a multi coloured LED strip without issue. Its this one here. this is straight off of the starter battery (currently) and seems to work fine. The remote is IR and struggles unless literally 2 inches from the receiver but the whole thing can also be app controlled via Bluetooth.

@Jonnyboy217 they look just like mine. They have been working fine although the relays wiggled loose a couple of times in the first week but seem more secure now... Just be cautious of the 10A limit.

 

[Jonnyboy217]

LED rear interior lights - How i done it.

so a few have asked, so i though i would just list it here as a post so i could refer back to it in the future.

The lights were purchased from The T6F shop over here >

View attachment 27565

We were planning to do the carpeting at around the same time, but for the purpose of this thread ill leave the carpeting bit out.

first thing to do was to remove the existing roof lining by popping out the grey plastic hex head pop studs, they all unscrewed easily, the center support bar popped out with a plastic trim tool... no problems so far....


View attachment 27566

The existing OEM LED light unclipped easily reveling the loom and connectors . . .

View attachment 27567



once the panels were out we layed them out on the floor and used a string line to work out where we wanted the new lights and what spacing we were going to have . . . . .

View attachment 27568


because we had already carpeted the panels, drilling into them was going to be a challenge ( the drill bit snagging the carpet) but and old car audio ICE trick was to put the drill in reverse and burn through the carpet, once burned through you could go through normally. . . . we drilled holes for the cable entry to the back of the panel and poked the wires through. . . . .

View attachment 27570

next up was to mount the lights, we used the small self tapping screws that comes with the kit to screw into the backing board, then fitted the covers over the screw fixings . . . .



View attachment 27571

next task was cable management, we cut off the small two pin connectors and layed out the cables to roughly where we needed them. We used white gaffer tape to tape down the cables to stop them ratteling etc . . . . we bought the excess cable through the OEM light fitting hole.....we decided to keep the OEM LED lights as dummy units, the also helped out as a good cable way and access panel of sorts to get to the connections . . . .


View attachment 27572

now the new LEDs were fitted we could refit the panels in the back of the van . . . we pulled the existing loom and original connectors out the hole where the old light was. . . . . .

using a multi-meter we measured the BCM 0v ground wire and the BCM timed 12v+ wire (when the rear door was open) and joined them with crimp terminals to the OEM loom . . . leaving the original connector on the end.


***************************************************************************************
Factory Non-LED 3 wire setup:

(brown) - earth point left a-pilar
(brown/red) - connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg 0v)
(red/black) - positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v) ( 7.5A fuse 24 holder C)
****************************************************************************************

Factory LED 2 wire setup:

(brown/red) - connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg)
(red/black) - positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v)( 7.5A fuse 19 holder C)

****************************************************************************************
BCM rear light TIMER :

credit: @JCElec

You can change the time by changing module 09 chanal 038. standard value is: 21 (10.5 minutes) en you can change it to 254 (127 minutes). it's multiplying whit 30 sec.

@mmi Excellent info. Thanks. Seems to match with my observations in thread Led Rear Interior Lights - How I Done It.
- channel 38 in my van has value of 121 - and indeed I had observed the lights (obviously the new setting came with factory LEDs in cargo space) stay on for 60 mins.

*****************************************


View attachment 27575

once all back in the van we tested it all making sure that the new LEDs didnt flicker and also went off when the van doors were closed/van locked etc.


FYI: This van had the factory OEM REAR LED pack option so already had the rear LED light modules with no-rocker switch. also the loom had only 2 wires. It also looks like you will get an extended ON time of around 60mins before the lights shut off.

If your van has the standard rear filament lights you would most likely have a rocker switch on the lamp unit and 3 wires in the loom. (0v ground perm, 0v BCM switched, BCM timed +12v perm) The BCM shut off time will be around the 10 - 20 mins mark.


for people looking to have a override switch for say a camper etc then a fused +12v feed wire would be used to feed the lights in addition to the BCM feed. A blocking diode may be needed on that feed wire.

If your switched override feed was coming from the AUX isolated battery feed in conjunction with the BCM feed (from the starter battery) i would defiantly fit a blocking diode to stop any back flow of current from the AUX and STARTer battery.

some people just totaly disregard the BCM +12v feed and just use the new +12v AUX feed, though a warning on this point is that if the lights were left on all night there is a chance of discharging the feed battery to a dangerously low level causing possible damage. . . . . . low voltage cut-out are available to prevent this from happening.

A relay can also be used to shunt the lights from BCM van control over to Leisure battery for extended light on times for camper-van setups and the like.

Hope that answers some questions I've had. =]

More info over here > Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread

.

Hi, do you have a wiring diagram for this showing the connections? And where to install the diode?
Thanks

 

[burendan]

I had read that some people had found that the extra LEDs light up very dimly in the configuration you have drawn because a small residual current flows via the BCM for, I think, diagnostic purposes when the courtesy lights are off. I tried your circuit out and it did indeed light the LEDs very dimly, so another approach was required. I have been playing recently with some MOSFET switch modules with built-in opto-isolators, so I wired one up using just the one connection to the BCM -ve as you proposed. I also included 3 way switching with a single pole switch and the option to add a remote dimmer switch on it too, as I've been trying to address the requirements I've seen from various people in previous posts.
I tried it all out in the van last week, including the 3 position switch and the dimmer switch and it all seems to work fine, with no issues of LEDs lighting dimly.

I can't confirm yet about the dimly lit issue in the van, but within all this mess on my table I did manage to build the diagram, including a touch dimmer switch for the manual mode. I think your diagram is slightly easier to follow than my example.

 

[silentwitness]

Hey all

So I've read through this thread a few times and whilst I think I may understand it now, it would be great to check a few things from someone more knowledgeable than me!

My situation is I have a T6 camper and rear LEDs that are powered from a CBE control panel and distribution box, powered from a leisure battery. I would like to use these LEDs also to come on with the doors open from the OEM courtesy light (removed). I have found the original connector and it's the 3 wire version.

The simplest and most elegant solutions seems to be to use diodes. So my question is, if I wire the positive from the OEM 3 wire connector into the LEDs and add a diode on both the positive from the OEM connector and the positive from the leisure battery, would this work for allowing the LEDs to come on with door opening (starter battery powered) and also come on when switched on from the CBE control panel (leisure battery distribution board powered)?

Thanks

 

[Deaky]

The switching of the courtesy lights in the OEM circuit is all done on the -ve side. The OEM +ve is always live until it times out (approximately 20-60 minutes). You would need to isolate both circuits from one another on both the +ve and -ve sides.

 

[Mupp3tt]

@silentwitness, I've managed it, courtesy of the guys on here. PM me. The lights can work with the door as designed or work from the leisure battery via a switch. I jave dimmers in mine which complicate the design a little but work well. I can send you the diags I used . Just need to find them from this thread.

 

[Mupp3tt]

Going back to Paulys option of replacing the initial live wire with one from the leisure battery, has anyone done this and kept the factory time out and door sensors functioning?

Yip

 

[silentwitness]

So to do it with a relay and not using a switch directly but using the switched power from the CBE control, would this work?

 

[silentwitness]

Or as the switched power from the CBE is has an inline fuse already could this work / simpler to wire? Thanks

 

[Mupp3tt]

Or as the switched power from the CBE is has an inline fuse already could this work / simpler to wire? Thanks

View attachment 91331

Have you looked at the Moffett design from the previous page. The design with the Moffett worked for me perfect. I also bought spare Moffett im happy to post to you. PM me if you want one . @Mccoatup , HIS DESIGN WORKED THE TREAT.

 

[silentwitness]

Have you looked at the Moffett design from the previous page. The design with the Moffett worked for me perfect. I also bought spare Moffett im happy to post to you. PM me if you want one . @Mccoatup , HIS DESIGN WORKED THE TREAT.

Thanks - yep that's what I based the above one on. The only thing changed is the permanent 12v I've changed to the switchable 12v from my distribution board. Hoping that will work?

 

[The Bear78]

View attachment 91331

Hi there.
With regards to the above diagram how is the distribution board controlled? Does it have switches like a control panel or is it literally a junction box?
My immediate thoughts are that you won't be able to turn the lights off if the doors are open or have been opened unless you turn the ignition, lock the van or wait for it to time out. Happy to be corrected as its been a while since I worked my lighting out. Admittedly this isn't a massive issue but it may not be what you are after.