Hey Guys,

I'm looking at wiring up some under-door-card courtesy lights and wanting to know if I would be able to do the following:

Instead of cutting a hole out of the door card like Verada's have for stock lighting, I was actually going to drill some small holes and use 4 ebay under-body single LED's on each door (wired to door trigger for ON)

These lights are weather and shock proof, should be simple power+ground - Wiring is not an issue.

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/5774/8roundwhitealllw7.jpg

My question is, what kind of clearance is there between the door card and the door sill?

Provided all gos well I will do a how-to guide, cost of this mod for all 4 doors is approx $35 with all wiring, lights, and postage.

Cheers,
Dean

1000th post! woot
now for something usefull:

theres not much space under there - im im reading correctly, i assume you mean to put LEDs sticks out of the car itself, and not recessed?

theres not much space really there - i would say you wouldnt be able to get anything more than 5mm or so tall in there without destroying them the first time you shut the door.

just go the verada style door lights - looks factory and classy :)

1000th post! woot
now for something usefull:

theres not much space under there - im im reading correctly, i assume you mean to put LEDs sticks out of the car itself, and not recessed?

theres not much space really there - i would say you wouldnt be able to get anything more than 5mm or so tall in there without destroying them the first time you shut the door.

just go the verada style door lights - looks factory and classy :)

Thanks muchly.

These will work well because they put out a lot more light then Verada style, and along 4 times the space. Putting out a lot more light.

As long as there is about 4mm clearance they should be fine (only 2mm is needed, just making sure incase anything gets stuck so they dont get broken).

They will not be visible at-all, all that will be seen in the glow.

if your going to sink the LED into the door card a bit, then i think all should be fine :)

Thanks muchly.

These will work well because they put out a lot more light then Verada style, and along 4 times the space. Putting out a lot more light.

As long as there is about 4mm clearance they should be fine (only 2mm is needed, just making sure incase anything gets stuck so they dont get broken).

They will not be visible at-all, all that will be seen in the glow.

Dude they only look like one LED per globe and are probably tiny as, any dimensions? or do you know how many LED's in each one?
Or else your better off just going jaycar spending $10 and buying 30 LED's and 30 resistors

Well these are what I picked up in Melb at the wreckers, cost me nothing and will just change the bulbs to LED
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/DSCF0760.jpg

Hi Guys - had a long period of lurking as my Registration didn't quite work and I didn't know any better. All fixed now!!

IIRC, Gas-Hed had a thread about down-facing lights in the front doors. Apologies if it was another genius who did it, but Gas-Hed rings a bell in my mind.

He used a "dimple" on the internal door-pressing, where there are two bolts (must hold the window glass mechanism. Anyhooo, this "dimple" in about half-way along the door on my TJ/KJ, and is nicely obscured by Door-card trim. The thread I saw originally used 4inch CCFL tubes, which were wired to the Verada/Sports door courtesy-lights (of red-lens-replaced-with-clear-lens AMC fame).

I took myself to Jaycar, and clear/white CCFL's were sold-out/discontinued, so I got a pre-assembled LED strip, about 30cm long, and you can cut to length as desired. I found that 3-pairs of LEDS fitted into the door-dimple very nicely. Better yet, the LED strip is sold in a square plastic sleeve which (trimmed to match length) made a perfect cover over LEDS.

Just solder two wires to each set of 6-LEDS, poke into length of plastic sleeve, bog a bit of silastic in ends of tube to make watertight, and then I just silastic'd it into the dimple on the door. By pooping only a few door card clips, it was possible to pass light wires uo behind the existing courtesy lights (if u have em). and I jumpered into the back of courtesy light bulb-holder. This has the (tiny) advantage of the down-light only lights up for which ever door is open - if you don't have Sports/Verada, you may just have to wire to ordinary lights.

Have no pics yet, cos I've been months without posting privileges. The LED strip is effective, but not esp bright - your e-bay LEDS may be brighter. Anyway, its a useful mod - as a country driver its nice to avoid puddles and cow-pats when opening the doors (rear passengers, however, have to take their chances :) )
Cheers, Phil

PS: One strip of Jaycar LEDS was sawn into enuf pieces to do both my cars, and possibly enuf left over to do mum'n'dads Executive (that's on 'to-do' list). :)

Nice, I was also looking at the strips, but decided against them as adhesive isnt really the way I want to go. I think bright round LED's held in with silicon will work well.

I would love to see some pictures of those LED's you've used! (and how it sits in etc etc)

I really like this idea, think I might try myself just I'll probley pay someone to do it as my wiring skills are less than nil.

IIRC, Gas-Hed had a thread about down-facing lights in the front doors. Apologies if it was another genius who did it, but Gas-Hed rings a bell in my mind.

http://www.aussiemagna.com//forums/showthread.php?t=52486

Bam!

http://www.aussiemagna.com//forums/showthread.php?t=52486

Bam!

I took a look at your DIY, but personally for me it looks like there isnt enough light output, if I was to use high powered LED's along the whole door, the light spread should be substancially better.

I guess only time will tell, I will be ordering the parts wednesday, and getting the wiring on friday. I will also be using blue lights (to match my theme), not white.

I really like this idea, think I might try myself just I'll probley pay someone to do it as my wiring skills are less than nil.
After I do mine, I can do it for you one weekend. You'll just need to grab supplies.

A case of V will keep me happy (approx $11 :)).

Life get two sets of the gear and I'll do mine too, we can do them together up at my place dood. Got prices on the LED's yet or gunna go eBay?

Life get two sets of the gear and I'll do mine too, we can do them together up at my place dood. Got prices on the LED's yet or gunna go eBay?

eBay, and done :) Should cost approx $35 for all 4 doors. What colour are you looking for?

I took a look at your DIY, but personally for me it looks like there isnt enough light output, if I was to use high powered LED's along the whole door, the light spread should be substancially better.

I guess only time will tell, I will be ordering the parts wednesday, and getting the wiring on friday. I will also be using blue lights (to match my theme), not white.

The problem with LED's is

A) light output

B) degree of light output

Yes there are super bright LED's, and now torches come with LED's, however they also have a silver-esque backing behind them to improve the direction/spread of light.

The issue is more so in general, the brighter the LED, the more narrow spread of light it has.

Gas-Hed's efforts are quite good, and I think it may be hard to better it with LED's without a lot of work, and expensive LED's, some fabrication work (like reflector material found in torch's) behind the LED's etc....

however, goodluck :-)

Ebay has lots of LED kits, which you can cut to size (length)....

The problem with LED's is

A) light output

B) degree of light output

Yes there are super bright LED's, and now torches come with LED's, however they also have a silver-esque backing behind them to improve the direction/spread of light.

The issue is more so in general, the brighter the LED, the more narrow spread of light it has.

Gas-Hed's efforts are quite good, and I think it may be hard to better it with LED's without a lot of work, and expensive LED's, some fabrication work (like reflector material found in torch's) behind the LED's etc....

however, goodluck :-)

Ebay has lots of LED kits, which you can cut to size (length)....

I agree...
These look like one LED per globe, which at a space of 20-30cm from the ground wont really light up much. Although i am still keen to see how it turns out overall

']I agree...
These look like one LED per globe, which at a space of 20-30cm from the ground wont really light up much. Although i am still keen to see how it turns out overall
Well if it is as bright as the $2 keyring torches you buy from golo, it will provide quite a good output for its purpose. Lighting up the ground at night doesnt require too much.

Something like this: http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ZD0280&CATID=&keywords=LED+light&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID= would put a CCFL tube to shame, I shined one in my eye once :P it hurt and I seen a white dot for about 20 minutes.

Well if it is as bright as the $2 keyring torches you buy from golo, it will provide quite a good output for its purpose. Lighting up the ground at night doesnt require too much.

Something like this: http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ZD0280&CATID=&keywords=LED+light&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID= would put a CCFL tube to shame, I shined one in my eye once :P it hurt and I seen a white dot for about 20 minutes.

Its got a View angle of 15 degree's, tis bugger all......

Gas Head's CCFL tube has a spread of about 30 degree's by the looks of it.

Buy a 15degree, 30degree and 60 degree LED light, dummy fit it, and see which one works best :)

I have decided to go the DIY route, I went to Jaycar today and picked up 16 LED's, 4 resistors, wiring, solder, a break-apart PCB, inline fuse holder, and fuses.

Cost: Approx $68.50 or $17 per door.

I will solder it all up and see how she gos on the weekend.