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LED Footwell Lighting - Fabia vRS


alex_e3

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So i got round to fitting my LED footwell lights after having them for ages. Thought I might as well knock up a quick guide, as I know people have asked questions in the past....

 

 

Ok, so first off I purchased some LED strips off eBay from overseas. Something like this is ideal for what you want...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Latest-4-x-30cm-15-LED-Car-Trucks-Moto-Grill-Waterproof-Light-Strips-4-Colors-/360786410610?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item54008bbc72

 

They can be cut down with scissors and still work fine after, although I didn't need to cut mine down at all.

 

 

Coming to the fitting, you need to first decide exactly how you want them wired up. As you can take feeds from the door loom or from the interior light. A bit of thought later I decided to wire off the interior light so that it would work in tandem with it. After chatting to a couple of guys off the forum I decided to wire directly into the light unit itself. That way I could wire the lights to the map reading lights also.

 

First step was to pull the standard light unit out. Flick down the cover that you pull down to change the bulbs, then unscrew the 2 screws attaching it to the roof. At this point the light 'should' just pull out. However, the standard design isn't exactly conducive to this...  I managed to pull out the metal surround with the light unit. This will likely happen, so you need to ease it out to ensure that you don't damage the roof lining.

After you've taken the metal surround out from the light unit, you should straighten it out and fit it back in...

 

2015-02-22%2017.45.47_zpsiucr7gfw.jpg

 

 

Whatever you do, do NOT pull on the switch part of the light. Or you will end up losing a spring like I did and have to piece it back together later, which is a fiddle!

 

 

Next step is to get in the car with a test lamp with the light plugged in. I wanted to be able to use all 3 light modes in the car and also wanted them to come on with the respective side of map light. A lot of fiddling around with light switches and test lamps later, and I figured out which connections I needed to use.

 

From here, I used some small 5 Amp wire from Halfords - I cut 4 pieces of about 2" equal length, stripped the end of the sheath and crimped on red female bullet connectors. The other end of all 4 wires were then soldered directly onto the light unit, as can be seen below...

 

 

2015-02-22%2014.05.30_zpswaghvvpj.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2014.24.13_zpsrvrd9vzt.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2014.24.19_zpsyom2frhj.jpg

 

 

Please excuse the shabby soldering. It's been years since I last did it, and I was trying to use it with a knackered tip! Luckily resistance doesn't matter, as LED's take such a small amount of current to work!

 

I used female connectors on all wires due to the fact that there is current going through all wires at some point, with how the light is wired up. Hence I would rather not have an open male connector if I decided to remove the lights later. In reality the current is that small I doubt there'd be an issue anyway!

 

 

Next up I quickly popped a couple of bullet connectors onto one of the LED strips just to check it's operation in the light unit...

 

2015-02-22%2014.15.39_zpsyxizdhse.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2014.15.57_zps7kxjjh7l.jpg

 

 

As can be seen, they worked fine with all the light modes.

 

 

With the main light wiring finished, I then took 2 LED strips, cut the wires quite short and stripped a small bit of sheath off the end. I then cut 4 more 2" strips of 5A cable and soldered them together with different bullet connectors on...

 

2015-02-22%2015.30.47_zpsjoxvqsen.jpg

 

 

I then insulated the new connections with black insulation tape...

 

2015-02-22%2015.39.18_zpszn1lb3va.jpg

 

 

Next up I pulled the driver's side door seal off around the fuse box area and located the LED strip in it's location underneath the steering wheel near the pedals. I fed the wiring through to by the side of the fuse box...

 

2015-02-22%2015.42.31_zpsm65lwxmn.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2015.42.22_zpspval9hcp.jpg

 

 

With the LED strip hanging down, I needed to complete the wiring up to the interior light. Hence I removed the side A-pillar plastic panel, which just pulls off. Be careful not to lose the metal clips, which may fly away. You may also have to retrieve some of the clips from within the pillar itself which have been left behind.

I traced the routing of how much 5A cable was needed to go from the connections at the side of the fuse box up to the light unit and cut 4 equal lengths. The ends were stripped and then the appropriate connectors were crimped onto the end...

 

2015-02-22%2016.35.51_zpsogfusvp1.jpg

 

 

Me being slightly OCD, I insulated both sets of cables together with insulation tape again...

 

2015-02-22%2016.53.28_zpspctiytxl.jpg

 

 

The long piece of wiring was then attached to the bullet connectors at the side of the fuse box, and the cable was routed up along the A-pillar, underneath the front of the headlining, and through to the light aperture. To keep things neat and tidy and OEM looking, I cable tied the wires so using the holes in the A-pillar...

 

2015-02-22%2016.55.31_zpsnavg737y.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2016.58.43_zpsrxqrjpxi.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.02.59_zpspmaka1w4.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.03.17_zpsanjnv9x7.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.03.28_zpstdcsqfyg.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.03.41_zpsvnh4zlq5.jpg

 

 

The connection was then made to the light unit and tested to make sure it was the correct way around...

 

2015-02-22%2017.06.30_zpstrnqdw8i.jpg

 

 

I then focused my attention to placing the actual LED strip onto the plastic underneath the steering wheel and near the pedals. I first used IPA to clean anything off the plastics, then used a heat gun to dry it off and heat the plastic up so that the adhesive would stick ok. The backing tape was removed and the strip carefully applied with some more mild heat. The wiring was pushed nicely underneath the plastic covering to make everything neat...

 

2015-02-22%2017.23.10_zpsw3ltmwir.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.50.52_zpsppu5s0db.jpg

 

 

 

Once everything was tested out, I focused my attention on the passenger side.

 

This was pretty much the same, with the exception of me using the existing wiring loom to cable tie my new loom to...

 

2015-02-22%2017.37.44_zpshjfbgix0.jpg

 

 

 

 

Once the lights were both confirmed working, I replaced the trims, door seals and interior light unit carefully.

 

End result...

 

2015-02-22%2017.21.59_zpsw7pqncpk.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2018.27.04_zpskdruoevh.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2018.27.18_zps3mf5oql8.jpg

 

 

I'm happy with the results, and also happy that the lights work with the OE lights perfectly. They even fade dim slowly with the main light.

 

I've picked red, but obviously this can be done with any colour :thumbup:

 

 

Hope this guide has helped at least 1 person by saving them some time! :)

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So i got round to fitting my LED footwell lights after having them for ages. Thought I might as well knock up a quick guide, as I know people have asked questions in the past....

 

 

Ok, so first off I purchased some LED strips off eBay from overseas. Something like this is ideal for what you want...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Latest-4-x-30cm-15-LED-Car-Trucks-Moto-Grill-Waterproof-Light-Strips-4-Colors-/360786410610?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item54008bbc72

 

They can be cut down with scissors and still work fine after, although I didn't need to cut mine down at all.

 

 

Coming to the fitting, you need to first decide exactly how you want them wired up. As you can take feeds from the door loom or from the interior light. A bit of thought later I decided to wire off the interior light so that it would work in tandem with it. After chatting to a couple of guys off the forum I decided to wire directly into the light unit itself. That way I could wire the lights to the map reading lights also.

 

First step was to pull the standard light unit out. Flick down the cover that you pull down to change the bulbs, then unscrew the 2 screws attaching it to the roof. At this point the light 'should' just pull out. However, the standard design isn't exactly conducive to this...  I managed to pull out the metal surround with the light unit. This will likely happen, so you need to ease it out to ensure that you don't damage the roof lining.

After you've taken the metal surround out from the light unit, you should straighten it out and fit it back in...

 

2015-02-22%2017.45.47_zpsiucr7gfw.jpg

 

 

Whatever you do, do NOT pull on the switch part of the light. Or you will end up losing a spring like I did and have to piece it back together later, which is a fiddle!

 

 

Next step is to get in the car with a test lamp with the light plugged in. I wanted to be able to use all 3 light modes in the car and also wanted them to come on with the respective side of map light. A lot of fiddling around with light switches and test lamps later, and I figured out which connections I needed to use.

 

From here, I used some small 5 Amp wire from Halfords - I cut 4 pieces of about 2" equal length, stripped the end of the sheath and crimped on red female bullet connectors. The other end of all 4 wires were then soldered directly onto the light unit, as can be seen below...

 

 

2015-02-22%2014.05.30_zpswaghvvpj.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2014.24.13_zpsrvrd9vzt.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2014.24.19_zpsyom2frhj.jpg

 

 

Please excuse the shabby soldering. It's been years since I last did it, and I was trying to use it with a knackered tip! Luckily resistance doesn't matter, as LED's take such a small amount of current to work!

 

I used female connectors on all wires due to the fact that there is current going through all wires at some point, with how the light is wired up. Hence I would rather not have an open male connector if I decided to remove the lights later. In reality the current is that small I doubt there'd be an issue anyway!

 

 

Next up I quickly popped a couple of bullet connectors onto one of the LED strips just to check it's operation in the light unit...

 

2015-02-22%2014.15.39_zpsyxizdhse.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2014.15.57_zps7kxjjh7l.jpg

 

 

As can be seen, they worked fine with all the light modes.

 

 

With the main light wiring finished, I then took 2 LED strips, cut the wires quite short and stripped a small bit of sheath off the end. I then cut 4 more 2" strips of 5A cable and soldered them together with different bullet connectors on...

 

2015-02-22%2015.30.47_zpsjoxvqsen.jpg

 

 

I then insulated the new connections with black insulation tape...

 

2015-02-22%2015.39.18_zpszn1lb3va.jpg

 

 

Next up I pulled the driver's side door seal off around the fuse box area and located the LED strip in it's location underneath the steering wheel near the pedals. I fed the wiring through to by the side of the fuse box...

 

2015-02-22%2015.42.31_zpsm65lwxmn.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2015.42.22_zpspval9hcp.jpg

 

 

With the LED strip hanging down, I needed to complete the wiring up to the interior light. Hence I removed the side A-pillar plastic panel, which just pulls off. Be careful not to lose the metal clips, which may fly away. You may also have to retrieve some of the clips from within the pillar itself which have been left behind.

I traced the routing of how much 5A cable was needed to go from the connections at the side of the fuse box up to the light unit and cut 4 equal lengths. The ends were stripped and then the appropriate connectors were crimped onto the end...

 

2015-02-22%2016.35.51_zpsogfusvp1.jpg

 

 

Me being slightly OCD, I insulated both sets of cables together with insulation tape again...

 

2015-02-22%2016.53.28_zpspctiytxl.jpg

 

 

The long piece of wiring was then attached to the bullet connectors at the side of the fuse box, and the cable was routed up along the A-pillar, underneath the front of the headlining, and through to the light aperture. To keep things neat and tidy and OEM looking, I cable tied the wires so using the holes in the A-pillar...

 

2015-02-22%2016.55.31_zpsnavg737y.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2016.58.43_zpsrxqrjpxi.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.02.59_zpspmaka1w4.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.03.17_zpsanjnv9x7.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.03.28_zpstdcsqfyg.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.03.41_zpsvnh4zlq5.jpg

 

 

The connection was then made to the light unit and tested to make sure it was the correct way around...

 

2015-02-22%2017.06.30_zpstrnqdw8i.jpg

 

 

I then focused my attention to placing the actual LED strip onto the plastic underneath the steering wheel and near the pedals. I first used IPA to clean anything off the plastics, then used a heat gun to dry it off and heat the plastic up so that the adhesive would stick ok. The backing tape was removed and the strip carefully applied with some more mild heat. The wiring was pushed nicely underneath the plastic covering to make everything neat...

 

2015-02-22%2017.23.10_zpsw3ltmwir.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2017.50.52_zpsppu5s0db.jpg

 

 

 

Once everything was tested out, I focused my attention on the passenger side.

 

This was pretty much the same, with the exception of me using the existing wiring loom to cable tie my new loom to...

 

2015-02-22%2017.37.44_zpshjfbgix0.jpg

 

 

 

 

Once the lights were both confirmed working, I replaced the trims, door seals and interior light unit carefully.

 

End result...

 

2015-02-22%2017.21.59_zpsw7pqncpk.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2018.27.04_zpskdruoevh.jpg

 

2015-02-22%2018.27.18_zps3mf5oql8.jpg

 

 

I'm happy with the results, and also happy that the lights work with the OE lights perfectly. They even fade dim slowly with the main light.

 

I've picked red, but obviously this can be done with any colour :thumbup:

 

 

Hope this guide has helped at least 1 person by saving them some time! :)

Seems like a fair amount of work,but I'd have to say I'm very impressed by the end results. :clap: :thumbup:

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Did you have to requote the whole post with pictures?? LOL

Good work Alex, i will be doing something similar with mine over the summer as well as adding a rear roof mounted courtesy light.

I was going to say the exact same thing :D

Great work and write up, Alex.

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