Adding Interior Accent Lighting

[markboris]

If you can't see differences between mine configuration and yours I think I will buy your exact wires from amazon.us to try it, maybe they are special ?

Youssef, thanks for the photos in the previous post. The wires you tapped into on the lock connector are correct and they are the exact wires I used so I don't know why your EL wire shuts down that circuit. Like I said earlier, either your EL wire controller is using more power than mine or your car circuitry is different in some way.

I would like to help you try and figure out alternate wires you can tap into like the ambient lighting circuit or something but I am leaving for Italy tomorrow and really don't have much time to do this. If the new controller you are getting does't help, I have two extra controllers I'll bring and can meet up with you on Monday (14th) if you will be in Milan later in the afternoon.

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[YoTech]

Thanks, I replied you in DM!

 

[doogie63]

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.

Looks great, how many clips did you break taking panels off.

 

[markboris]

Looks great, how many clips did you break taking panels off.

I didn't break any clips. As far as the dash panel, while no clips broke, I think two came off the studs on the panel and one I retrieved while the other is somewhere in the dash. I have quite a few extra clips since the second panel came with them on it. For the door panels, no broken clips or retainers. I've had the door panels off and on quite a few times with various projects with no issues.

 

[nationofmatangi]

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.

Which bottom connector on the BCM did you tap into?

 

[markboris]

Which bottom connector on the BCM did you tap into?

This bottom connector:

 

[nationofmatangi]

This bottom connector:

You don’t have the diagram to that connector do you by chance?

 

[Kabish]

This looks so good, wish I had the ability to do it lol

 

[markboris]

You don’t have the diagram to that connector do you by chance?

 

[nationofmatangi]

And you tapped into C2280A for the Black/Yellow? Thank you for the help btw

 

[markboris]

And you tapped into C2280A (top connector if looking at the BCM as mounted in the car) for the Black/Yellow? Thank you for the help btw

No, tapped into C2280F (top connector of the BCM looking at it as mounted in the car) for the Black/Yellow. However, it is just a chassis ground so you can also just find a good grounding point if you want to.

Here is the C2280F connector diagram if you want it.

 

[nationofmatangi]

Did my best version here as well thanks for all the help

 

[markboris]

Did my best version here as well thanks for all the help

Great job Matthew! I like the extra accent you added below the upper dash one. On the upper dash panel trim, I assume you removed the panel like I did to attach the EL wire to it. Did you also hot glue it to the panel or use some other form of attaching?

 

[nationofmatangi]

Great job Matthew! I like the extra accent you added below the upper dash one. On the upper dash panel trim, I assume you removed the panel like I did to attach the EL wire to it. Did you also hot glue it to the panel or use some other form of attaching?

I did not hot glue it yet as it just fit perfectly in there after I used the trim tool to fit in there and place it back.

 

[markboris]

I did not hot glue it yet as it just fit perfectly in there after I used the trim tool to fit in there and place it back.

Then your wire must be different than mine because mine is very thin and would not stay in there at all if I just push it in. That is why on the doors I was able to just easily push it between the existing trim. Please post a link of the EL wire you used.

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