markboris
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mark
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2019
- Threads
- 26
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- 2,754
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- 5,808
- Location
- Sonora, CA
- Vehicles
- _______ '20 Shelby GT500 FPB '21 Mach-E GTPE IS
- Occupation
- Retired
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- #1
I realized after I saw the beautiful interior photos of the Mercedes EQS thread, I figured I would make one on how I added some accent lighting in my car. I went with the color ice blue for two reasons. One, to match all the switch lighting and the down-lights in the overhead console (which are all ice blue and cannot be changed). Two, I wanted the EL wire to be clear when off. The only two strip lights that are clear when not powered (from this company) are white and ice blue.
I purchased the EL wire from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B4CX5GB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1)
and did all four doors and the upper instrument panel trim. For the doors I inserted the EL wire in the crack just below the chrome trim. It is a press fit and went in fairly easy. For the drivers door I tapped into the illumination wiring at the door lock switch. Blue/Green +, Black/Viloet - and passenger door lock switch, Violet/White +, Black/White -. Both rear doors were not easy at all. I could not tap into the wires that I used for the rear door ambient lighting that I installed a few months back ( #1 ) as it was too much of a load adding this EL wire to that circuit. The rear doors get some of the electrical from the front doors and had to add a relay in both front doors to send more power to the rear doors for one of the circuits. I actually won't go into detail on this as it was quite a bit of extra work and a PITA to do. For the instrument panel trim, I removed it then hot glued the EL wire under the chrome strip on the panel trim so it would match at the same level and continue the lighting to the doors. The wiring for that I tapped into the bottom connector of the BCM, Violet/Gray for + and the top connector, Black/Yellow for -.
Since they are connected to the switch lighting circuit, they can be dimmed from the headlight panel dimmer switch.
Took these photos with my phone which is not the best at capturing the lighting like this. It does look better in person. Last two are close up of before and after on the door trim.
I purchased the EL wire from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B4CX5GB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1)
and did all four doors and the upper instrument panel trim. For the doors I inserted the EL wire in the crack just below the chrome trim. It is a press fit and went in fairly easy. For the drivers door I tapped into the illumination wiring at the door lock switch. Blue/Green +, Black/Viloet - and passenger door lock switch, Violet/White +, Black/White -. Both rear doors were not easy at all. I could not tap into the wires that I used for the rear door ambient lighting that I installed a few months back ( #1 ) as it was too much of a load adding this EL wire to that circuit. The rear doors get some of the electrical from the front doors and had to add a relay in both front doors to send more power to the rear doors for one of the circuits. I actually won't go into detail on this as it was quite a bit of extra work and a PITA to do. For the instrument panel trim, I removed it then hot glued the EL wire under the chrome strip on the panel trim so it would match at the same level and continue the lighting to the doors. The wiring for that I tapped into the bottom connector of the BCM, Violet/Gray for + and the top connector, Black/Yellow for -.
Since they are connected to the switch lighting circuit, they can be dimmed from the headlight panel dimmer switch.
Took these photos with my phone which is not the best at capturing the lighting like this. It does look better in person. Last two are close up of before and after on the door trim.
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