Door Handle LED Semi How-To

[ScathDeSolas]

LED Door Handle Light How-To
As well as this is just what I'M GOING TO DO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS. THIS HOW TO IS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU CAN DO. AND I DONT CARE
HOW STUPID OR UNPROFESSIONAL PEOPLE SAY IT IS, IT WORKS, AND YOU CANT SEE THE WIRES REGARDLESS, SO DONT LEAVE RUDE COMMENTS PLEASE.

Okay, before you can begin there's a few things you'll need... Some of which are optional and you can use whatever tools you're more comfortable with.
Here are the tools I use when working with wiring LEDs:
Pliars (Twist/Tie ends)
Wire Cutters (Cut/Strip ends)
Electrical Tape (Prevent wire exposure)
Twisty Ties (Bind together wires if too long)
Saudering Iron/Gun and Sauder (For secure connections)

Here are the things YOU WILL NEED:
Pliars
Wire Cutters
Electrical Tape
Saudering Iron (Optional, not used in this how-to)
About 20ft in wire (Takes about 16 per LED)
2 LEDs of your color choice (Or more if you want to go crazy)

Okay, to start off, you'll need to figure out where you're wiring this to. As for me I've got a couple quick connect terminals for neons that make it very easy.
So in this How-To you should have figured it out enough that you successfully wire them up with whatever setup you may have, if not then ask here and I'm sure I
or someone else will answer your questions xD

Okay, now to get down to business. In the pics below I'll be showing you some of the places where to run the wires from the led to the power source.
Since I'm using my power source it may be different from where your switches or power unit is located so you may have to alter where you run the wires.
In this how-to I'll be running the wires from the door to the middle of the dash where my power source is located.

Here's my quick connect, it has 3 terminals and 3 fuses, this thing will never short out! I love it! You can purchase it at PepBoys or autzone I think.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/PICT4425.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/PICT4414.jpg
I've got 2 of these hooked up and this Optx thing that lets me add 4 to each terminal
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/PICT4427.jpg
Company/Item here: http://autoparts.pricegrabber.com/dress-up-others/m/53457024/
You can buy one here: Ebay Click here for item (http://cgi.ebay.com/POWER-OUTLET-BY-BELL-QUICK-WIRE-CONNECT_W0QQitemZ260013142964QQihZ016QQcategoryZ42 932QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l124 7QQcmdZViewItem)
You can get the 6 outlet one Here (http://cgi.ebay.com/Bell-12v-Power-Outlet-New-in-Package-Automotive_W0QQitemZ180171852648QQihZ008QQcategory Z79816QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l 1247QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting) But it has to be wired to battery
Or I can get you the 3 outlet one for $1.99. Just pay teh $1.99 and pay for shipping and I'll send you it xD

BEFORE YOU START WIRING, ONCE YOU HAVE CORRECT LENGTH, WRAP IN ELECTRICAL TAPE. (This is what I do, so there's not a mess of wires)

Here's where your LED will be located, or you can drill into the door handle and place it somewhere else. This is the best place I think because it lights up from the back of the handle to the front and it hides nicely behind the lever when closed. Just wrap a small chunk of electrical tape around the LED to keep it in place, enough so that you can push it down and it'll stay in place.
Or however you think is best to keep it in place.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/PICT4419.jpg

This is where you CAN, you DONT HAVE TO, run the wires, the factory wiring goes through here as well so be careful not to cut any wires!
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/PICT4429.jpg

THIS IS WHERE I AM RUNNING THE WIRES FROM FOR NOW, THIS IS NOT THE BEST PLACE TO RUN THEM FROM, I JUST WANT TO AVOID FACTORY WIRING, that and its very cold out
and this is the quickest way.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/DoorRunning.jpg
After I poke the wiring through the hole where the hinge is, I'll be putting the wires from the led into semi hard rubber tubing to make sure they stay
intact, and then securing them to the hinge so they bend WITH the hinge. Only enough tubing to go from the start of the hinge, to where it ends THATS IT.
To leave room so the wires can be put inside the dash, if you leave the tubing it'll be to thick to fit and hide nicely.

Once this is done Ill be putting the wires through this opening.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/PICT4438.jpg

Then running the wires under the dash by removing the bolts and then pushing the wires underneath then bolting it together again.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/Bolts.jpg

After this is done I'll take whats left of the wiring and bundle it up and put a twisty tie around it or wrap with electrical tape and hide it in the dash.
Then I'm going to take the wiring and hook it up to my quick connect.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/ScathDeSolas/Grand%20AM/PICT4445.jpg

I hope this helps anyone and everyone who reads this who is curious. Thanks for reading. And good luck! And dont mock me. The only place you can see the wires, is because for the purpose of this HOW-TO I exposed them. Thankyou.

[gobraves00]

id be worried with the hinge closing on the wire and causing a short. it might be cold, but do it right the first time

[Gagt518]

Do you have any finished shots?

[Big Joe]

it might be cold, but do it right the first time


:agree:

[ScathDeSolas]

I didnt even start actually. It's raining. I was lucky I got these pics. And the whole hinge hitting the wires, I have that covered. Thats what the rubber tubing is for, So the hinge cant cut the wires. And I wrap them in electrical tape on top of that then put the tubing over it. I am going to do it right the first time, only problem is that the factory tube with the wiring in it, I cant find the area under the dash that goes to. So I may just put the wiring through the tube and then make a small hole for wires to reach to the dash from the door. I guess I'll just do that then worry about the hinge.

[Matt95GT]

Advice:

1. Mount the LED's... don't just leave them hanging. That panel behind the door handle is easily removable (and plentiful in junkyards for spares) so it's a matter of 2 minutes with a drill or Dremel to permanently mount an LED.

2. Running wire via hinge = horribly wrong. Don't do it - not even temporarily. Use the factory door wire tube. Straighten out a coat hanger, and it's easy to fish new wiring. Remove the lower trim at the edge of the carpet (runs along the bottom of the door opening), the bottom dash panel, and pull back the carpet a bit. There is sound deadening material/tar paper covering the stock wiring tube, but it can be accessed there. The air bag module is in the way on the passenger side... unmount it, but do NOT disconnect the wiring to it...
http://www.fazeshift.org/pics/albums/userpics/09-28-03/DCP04012.JPG

3. That isn't an "opening" so don't run wiring there - it can damage the door seal. (not a problem if you listen to #2 above)

[Dave C]

I agree with Matt. Wait until it is not so cold out, or until you can borrow someone's garage, and use a coat hanger to run it through with the factory wiring. I did that on my 99+ and its pretty easy if you have a little patience.

One note, even if you did wrap the wires really well so the hinge can't pierce the outside, if something smashes the two wires together excessively hard and causes the isulation on each wire to get damaged and the wires touch each other, it can short that way too (I've seen this happen before).

[ScathDeSolas]

Yeah very true about the shorting. But I'm not worried about that. What it's hooked up to has fuses in the unit itself, so if a short occurs, just change the fuse. Very simple. If it does happen I'll end up rewiring it. I tried going with factory wiring, for some reason the door panel wouldnt come off on the left side all the way. Big pain. So I just said forget it for now and did it the quick way. It's temporary til I have time to do it right. Yes I know, do it right the first time, but when all else fails, improvise lol The project turned out great though. I'll have pics at some point,

[Pontiac]

I've been pondering on doing some lighting effects for my car. This one would come in handy for showing where the door handle is, as well as where that damned lock is! heh

One of the things I really want to do is turn the lights up inside the power window controls, so that might be a dedicated LED setup somehow. I've always driven with my dash lights pretty low level, because I find the dash too bright and too distracting at night. Its bright enough to see, but not bright enough to burn my eyes. ;) The problem with turning the lights down is I have to hunt for the switches to figure out what one I'm playing with. Same with the power lock light. Would be nice to crank that brightness up.

[Blackhawk]

I'm sure you could splice a level (potentiometer or rheostat?) knob into the wiring for the dash illumination and put it somewhere like under the fog switch.

[ScathDeSolas]

I've been pondering on doing some lighting effects for my car. This one would come in handy for showing where the door handle is, as well as where that damned lock is! heh

One of the things I really want to do is turn the lights up inside the power window controls, so that might be a dedicated LED setup somehow. I've always driven with my dash lights pretty low level, because I find the dash too bright and too distracting at night. Its bright enough to see, but not bright enough to burn my eyes. ;) The problem with turning the lights down is I have to hunt for the switches to figure out what one I'm playing with. Same with the power lock light. Would be nice to crank that brightness up.


Why not try hooking them up to the stock dimmer switch? If not then do what he said above lol What other kind of lighting effects are you interested in?

[Pontiac]

My point was that I like the lights dim on the dash, but not necessarily on the doors. The dimmer dial on the dash controls the dash lights as well as the lights on the door, so when I have the dial down, I pretty much don't see anything on the door.

As for the whole lighting scheme in the car, I love the colour red. Some Elwire around some of the grooves to highlighting components, as well as some some cold cathodes lighting up the floors. Maybe even a back-light for the lock at the door handle, cuz I can NEVER find it - Gotta hit up the power lock. heh

[Blackhawk]

Stephen, read up on potentiometers, you could probably wire one in the dimmer wire for the dash gauges and control it independently. You could keep the stock dimmer on full and just turn down the new gauge dimmer. I'm sure someone like Dave or Rand could confirm that this would work.

[Pontiac]

*raises a brow with interest*

Another idea would be since I want the door lights on constantly, I could find a the 12v that hits before the dial and just tie into that. That way the door lights come on just when the headlights are on, and the doors are powered at full luminance. It'd appear as close to stock since the dial controls the gage cluster. Now to wait for a warm day... Summer happens in 4 months, 29 days. {big grin}

For the Elwire and LEDs, it'd be on a separate switch and would have to run at full luminance. I think the units I'm thinking of using are designed for 12v and 12v only, and they don't like working with different source voltages. I've not yet really thought EXACTLY what I'd want to do yet. Haven't had the chance to explore the interior outside of looking for the damned seat belt buckle.

[ScathDeSolas]

Well illuminate seat belts, go buy a red LED spot light at pepboys and have it placed above the belts. That way it shines. Or have it at the bottom shining up, that may even look better. I have my lights on multiple outlets, but wired into one switch from the cigarette outlet. Very easy. Just hide the wires lol I will soon be running some new lights off of the dimmer for the car, they go on with the headlights. when I'm done I'll help you as best I can. First I need common knoweledge of the dimmer switch, gotta go somewhere and find that, what wires are to what, and I'll end up splicing into them. I have some cool little plastic things that I clip wires into, just clamp em down, and they splice into any wires I want xD

[Blackhawk]

^AKA t-taps

[ScathDeSolas]

Yeah lol