Adding LED Dome lights in the cargo area

[PV1]

I've been thinking about adding LED lights to the back of the i-MiEV, since the back seats block light from reaching the back. After removing the center dome light to inspect the wiring, I've discovered that there is a constant 12 volt line and a controlled ground, which is hooked to the door-activated dome light control, and the ON position grounds the bulb to the chassis ground. The loop of wire above the light has a bundle of green and purple wires literally circling around the light, and going to a connector where the wires change color to red, green, and black. Does anyone know how the dome light wiring is routed? I'd like to tap the controlled ground and the 12 volt line to run to a pair of LEDs in the back, but I'm not sure which wire's which, and how they are routed.

Also, how easy is it to remove a few fasteners from the headliner and the slotted panels in the back?

 

[siai47]

The dome light wires are routed from a connector located at the base of the left "C" pillar (near the rear seat base), along the wheel well to the back, up the rear pillar to the headliner. From the rear dome lamp, the wires go forward to the front lamps. Removing the headliner is not for the faint of heart. There is no way to remove the grey push in fasteners without damaging the headliner unless you drill them out. Because of the recess the fasteners are in a tool to pull them out will not work. You must drill out the center while you hold the outer part of the fastener to keep it from turning. Use a drill stop on the bit so that it won't damage the roof panel when you cut though the fastener. All the door seals need to be removed along with the "B" and "A" pillar moldings, sun visors, and front dome/reading lamp. Although you can see the wires at the dome lamp, it would be hard to attach additional wires to them as they attach to a plug mounted on the roof panel. If it was me, I would tap the harness somewhere near the connector by the seat, then fish the wire up into the headliner (without removing it). Wrap the wires in foam tape so they won't rattle. Select where you want to mount the lamp and punch a hole in the headliner to route the wires to it. Attach the lamp to the headliner with a couple of Tinnerman style clips and screws. These are the little U-shaped clips you find on trim that have a thread part on one side of the U which slides over the headliner fabric. There are no roof bows in the area where I assume you want to attach the lamp.

BTW--you must run the wires all the way to the rear (not up the "C" pillar) as they would interfere with the side curtain airbag deployment--hopefully never needed!

 

[PV1]

I was thinking of putting the lights on the sides, below the rear parking sensor beeper, shown in these pictures. I included the link of the lights that I want to get in cool white. I was really only curious about the headliner because I was thinking to tap the lines at the middle dome light, but if the wires come up through the C pillar, I shouldn't need to touch the headliner. I might also sneak a wire up to the dash for a toggle switch to turn the lights on without opening any doors (incase a rear passenger needs to see back there at night). I'd probably just tuck this under the plastic trim running along the floor.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jba5hmymwpceg86/20140506_195131.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7b6bnm3glr9quej/20140506_195138.jpg

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-light-modules/falm-series-rectangle-flexible-accent-light-module/832/

 

[JoeS]

PV1, don't know why you're trying to make work for yourself. I use these battery-powered LED lights all over the place, screwed, glued, or Velcro'd.
http://www.harborfreight.com/long-life-wireless-led-puck-light-94253.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-3-wireless-led-puck-lights-98372.html
Just tap the face to turn it on/off, and the batteries last forever.
This one is brighter and cheaper (often free), but the button not as convenient:
http://www.harborfreight.com/27-led-portable-worklightflashlight-69567-8869.html

 

[PV1]

I'm always tinkering with stuff. Besides, I haven't told you yet that I also want to put red footwell lights up front to come on with the dash lights, as well as white footwell lights with the dome lights.

I could go crazy and put LEDs in the exterior door handles to light up the ground, a la Model S. :evil:

 

[siai47]

Alright, if you want the lights down on the lower panel, you are right next to the connector you need to tap into for your dome light power. The connector is named C39 and has ten pins in it. There are two connectors at this location which is behind the black panel right were the seat back and base meet. The wires you are interested are a purple wire at position 10 and a green wire at position 9. The purple wire is full time 12 volts DC. The green wire is grounded when the computer (yes it is computer controlled---hopefully not a HAL 9000) thinks you opened a door. You could splice in your power for the lights at this point. I would use a single pole, double throw, center off switch near the LED light. Connect one terminal of the switch to ground, one to the green wire, and the center terminal to your LED light. Then connect the other side of the LED light to the purple wire. Wired like this with the switch in the center position, the LED would never come on. In the left position (or vice versa), the LED would always be on, in the opposite position, the LED would be switched by the computer. You could run additional wires around the rear floor to the other side to a second LED lamp.

BTW--the Tesla not only has LED's in the door handles, it has LED "puddle" lights in the bottom of the doors. A nice touch. But if you think the lighting in the back of the I-MiEV is bad, you haven't seen bad until you see a Tesla. I think they use one LED out of the free flashlights they give away at Harbor Freight Tools for the trunk and front trunk lighting. Unless it is really pitch black out, you would never know there is a light in there. Not only that, it is mounted on the hatch and shines on the ground behind the car instead of in the trunk. Jimmy Hoffa could be in the trunk and you would never know it with factory lighting! I replaced it with a strip of six high power Cree LED's mounted in the trunk to get some proper lighting.

 

[PV1]

I found the connector. Very easy to get to. What is the box with the wiring harness plugged into it for? It's located behind the sheet metal behind the panel, attached via a sticky pad?

Update - lights are ordered. Got 2 red LED's for footwell accent lighting, and 4 cool blue LED's for footwell and cargo area dome lights. I also got a dimmer as I guess these are quite bright.

 

[PV1]

Are there specific toggle switches to fit in the blanks, or are they supposed to be drilled/cut out to fit the switches?

I got the wires mostly run, but got cut short by a wall of rain (heavy rain) coming at the house. :shock:

 

[PV1]

The wiring is done, at least as done as it can be without the lights, which should arrive tomorrow. Here are some pictures of my work.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uighrbgk2h1sbbe/AAB5iN9zsyBceqQRop_CXegHa

As a note, there are openings in the top of the clips for the charge port release cable, but these can't be used for the wire (as shown in the picture 20140510_203053). These openings are for the plastic trim. Also, there are pictures of secret toggle switch openings by the glovebox. These are behind a 2-spot blank.

For the switches, I ended up carving openings in the blanks for the switches to fit. The bottom toggle switch is a DPST with a center off for the LED domes, down for door-activated, center off, and up for on. I tapped a ground on the bolt holding the fuse panel to the metal tubing, and brought up the 12 volts and controlled ground from the connector. The top (lighted) switch is for the red footwell accent lights. For this, I tapped into the lead for the left tail light. There are leads for each function in the connector:

1. Tail Light
2. Brake Light
3. Turn Signal
4. Reverse Light

This will automatically turn on the accent lights with the marker lights/headlights, and I have the switch wired backwards, so that the switch lights up regardless of whether or not the accent lights are on.

By the way, that box I was talking about a few posts up is the reverse sensor controller box.

Not a single store in my town has a DPST center-off rocker switch. Glad the i-MiEV is electric, since I drove almost 60 miles to find out nobody has a switch, so I had to go with a toggle instead of a rocker.

 

[siai47]

A marine supply is a good place to find the rocker switch you need. Several uses for this kind of switch on a boat---bilge pump, off, on, auto or navigation lights, off, running, anchor. There is a surplus store I visit that has switches the will fit in the switch holes to the left of the instrument panel. Maybe something you can search for after you finish your project.

 

[PV1]

Well, the lights still haven't shown up. So far, they've taken 4 days to get from Missouri to Warrendale, PA. Maybe I'll have them by Friday.

As a note to our moderators, maybe this thread should be moved to Modifications and Accessories. Sorry for the initial oversight on my part.

 

[JoeS]

As a note to our moderators, maybe this thread should be moved to Modifications and Accessories. Sorry for the initial oversight on my part.

Done!
Here's a rocker switch that might work for you, but I didn't check its dimensions:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Pin-DPDT-...521?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e825d8b81

 

[PV1]

Thanks, Joe. I have a switch identical to that on my electric bicycle. I think it isn't high enough to snap into place. I didn't feel like dismantling the bike to check it. I probably will now just to see.

 

[PV1]

According to USPS tracking, my lights finally arrived at the house! Hopefully I'll get them in tonight.

 

[PV1]

Lights are installed! They are bright and give off good quality light. The interior is much brighter now.

I'll have pictures up tomorrow morning.

 

[PV1]

As promised, here are pictures of my install. Sorry that some of the pictures are blurry, my camera's not that great at night. Some of the shots are done twice, once with regular settings, and once with low-light enabled.

One slight problem, though. The lighted rocker switch is almost too bright.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uighrbgk2h1sbbe/AAB5iN9zsyBceqQRop_CXegHa

 

[MLucas]

Where did you get your parts? Looks like you have a color selector. Very nice setup. I like to tinker with this car, its very fun to modify. I just completed a project that added in the reverse sensors, they are very cheap now days. Just had to remember to add a relay so they only work when the car is in revers mode.

 

[PV1]

Thank you. Here are links to the lights and dimmer.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-accent-lighting/falm-series-rectangle-flexible-accent-light-module/832/
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/dimmers-and-switches/ldk-8a-12-24-volt-dc-single-color-led-dimmer/62/365/

I bought 4 cool white modules and 2 red modules. The two red modules are hooked to an on/off rocker switch and a dimmer. I tapped the power for these from the tail light lead (purple wire on car-side of the connector) and used a bolt up front for ground. The red lights come on when I turn on the parking/marker lights. Also under the dash are 2 of the cool white modules. These are wired to a DPST (double pole single throw) switch. One lead comes up from the dome light connector behind the panel of the left C pillar (where the factory parking sensor beeper is). This is a controlled ground for door-activated domes. From this same connector, I also brought a 12 volt lead up. I also re-used the same ground for the red lights for the ON position of the white LEDs. From this switch, I can control all 4 white LEDs to either come on with the doors, stay off, or turn them on anytime. The thought crossed my mind when I was wiring up the last light that I could've made the switch control all the dome lights, but I decided against it. The LEDs on their own nearly light up the whole interior of the car, and I haven't tried them yet with the back seats folded down.

I may draw up a wiring diagram to make sense of some of the pictures.

The box on the floor by my seat is a dimmer for the red LEDs. They even include a small, straight screwdriver for the terminal block. I had to use rubbing alcohol on the plastic in the back to get the lights to stick. Last fall the car was cleaned with Armor-all and the lights wouldn't stick to it.

This car is fairly easy to modify with little stuff like this. The only tool I needed to install the wiring was a socket and wrench for the bolt I tapped the ground from. Everything else is pop tabs.

 

[PV1]

As promised, here are pictures of my install. Sorry that some of the pictures are blurry, my camera's not that great at night. Some of the shots are done twice, once with regular settings, and once with low-light enabled.

One slight problem, though. The lighted rocker switch is almost too bright.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uighrbgk2h1sbbe/AAB5iN9zsyBceqQRop_CXegHa

Wiring Diagram available at the Dropbox link. I tried the lights earlier with the back seats folded down. They light up nearly the entire interior of the car.

 

[PV1]

I could go crazy and put LEDs in the exterior door handles to light up the ground, a la Model S. :evil:

Just ordered more lights to do this. Also putting dome and accent lights in the back seat footwells. Looking back at the first page of the cold weather thread:
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=694
maybe someone can explain the process of removing the door panels, breaking as few of the plastic clips as possible. While I'm in there, I probably will also insulate the doors and fix the rattle in the fronts. My napkin trick isn't working anymore.

From superbrightleds.com: