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Interior Lighting LED Switches

15K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  Beee_Breezy 
#1 ·
So, I bought an expandable interior lighting kit from LEDGlow Lighting ? LED UnderGlow Lights and LED Underbody Kits. It came with a control box but I couldn't figure out a good place to mount it. I just left it in the middle console but it was a pain to try and change the mode and turn it off as well as dangerous. So I came up with the following solution and I figured I'd share it with you.

Tools/Parts:
- Light Kit
- Fog Switch Harness [2 blank covers/1 fog button]
- Screwdrivers
- Soldering Iron
- 3 momentary switches [normally open]
- Wire
- Drill
- Sandpaper
- Spraypaint/Plastidip
- Electrical Tape
- Zipties

Optional:
- 2 milliAmp LED

Difficulty: 6/10. You will need to know how to solder and some parts are a bit tricky but overall nothing too tough.

Application: All cars that either have a empty cubby next to your steering wheel or one that has two blank plates. I've got an LX sedan and I ordered the harness and switches from a member on here but I'm sure you can find all the pieces on various Honda part sites.

Final Result:


1. Order your kit. It should come with 2 or 4 LED strips (depending on the kit you buy), a control box, mounting clips and 3m tape. I didn't use any of the tape and only two of the clips. But zipties and twist ties are helpful.



2. I installed the lights first since I just wanted them on, I'd suggest finding a 12V source and testing the LED strips to make sure they work.

3. Take apart the control box. There's a little bit of glue holding the two pieces together so just be gentle.



4. Find a ribbon wire, with 6 ends (or 4 if you dont need the status LED):



5. Following the picture, solder the wires onto the exposed circuit board. Yellow and orange are for the status LED, and labeled from left to right are
C - Control
P - Power
M - Mode
S - Pause

Write down which color is which or mark them somehow. Now, run the soldered wires through the hole where the other wires are coming through the control box and close 'er back up.



I dont have a lot of pictures of the rest since it was all outside and required all my attention. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you have, I'll do my best to help you.

6. For the single button switch, I followed the DIY for an integrated garage door opener.
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/inte...-garage-door-openers-09-si-sedan-no-navi.html

7. For the double button switch that was a bit more difficult. You need a OEM fog light button (the one that clicks on and off). You need to open it up.. requires a bit of effort but there are little slits on the side that you pry open. Then drill the two holes in the fog cover, sand it down to get rid of the fog icon, spray paint over it.

Note: You will need to do all of the soldering outside next to your car because of the way they need to be installed.


8. Now, we need to gain access to the cubby.



- Remove the panel with the change pocket directly below the cubby we need to access.
- Cover a screwdriver with electrical tape and gently pry the panel off.

If you dont already have the switches:



- You will also need to remove the entire dash piece (least I did in order to get to the screws holding the cubby in)
- Lower your steering wheel by pulling out the lever on the bottom of it.
- Unscrew the screw that the panel below was covering.
- Remove the panel

9. Remove the cubby currently there and replace with the switch panel.



10. Now, run the wire through the back of the switch panel, solder a common and the wire for each button and plug in the button. If you are doing a status LED, solder the two wires onto the LED and superglue the tiny LED in place.

11. Pop your hood and grab the fuse puller located in the top of the hood fuse box. If you dont know where this is, check your manual's index for fuses. Tap into the fuse of your choice (i used 35 - accessory radio, so the lights would come on anytime the electrical system was on) red wire into the fuse, black wire grounded to the screw next to the fuse panel.

12. Install those lights. Pretty self explanatory. Couple of tips: good place to run the wires is underneath the radio (there's a little hole you can run wires through). Along under the carpet and tucked beneath the console as well. Plug em in and voila.

Sorry for the lack of pictures near the end of the install, didn't have time to take pics. Another thing to note is you can place the control box behind the change cubby, just make sure nothing is pressing on the buttons as they will still work. Also, turn the mic sensitivity up if you wish to make use of the sound mode.. I forgot to do this and I will do it one evening when I have time.

Dont hesitate to ask any questions. I'll do my best to help you out.

Interior Lights Pic:


Final Switches Result:
 
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#12 ·
well, i had the lights set up in my car for a while and the first install of them (cuz i am a newb) took maybe an hour or something to find the good places to route them and so forth. To do the actual switches? Umm.. compounded prolly a day combined? I had to wait to have my dad help cuz he's really good at drilling and i didn't trust myself. lol. So it was a few nights an hour each then finally a few hours during the day on a weekend.
 
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