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How to convert / make home leds for car

2K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Nero Energy 
#1 · (Edited)
Been a minute Since Ive posted but Ive been busy. Want to do a quick write up on how to add underglow to the interior of the car.
- soldering iron, small diameter rosin core solder, heatshrink, 6 (3 pin) quick disconnects , or spade disconnects, crimpers/strippers, a 2 amp inline fuse holder, and I got a 100ft bundle of 20 gauge wire (got on amazon for like $12)

The set up
First
- This is a huge time cache that has to be invested into this. Took me 3 full days from 8am to 12 midnight to do this so, if you are going to do this make sure to get the bbestand newest rgb leds.
I personally got these govee ones because of the massive configurations it can do, the rgbic for crisper lighting, and that it has a bluetooth connected app. Dont get a wifi connected app or youll hate that you cant fuck with it at car meets
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Second
- most importantly, make sure the leds output 12v. dont get the ones that output 5v or24v unless you want to add a power converter brick. You can confirm 12v output by doing research or looking at the power plug and seeinf the output


Lastly before starting project
- this is an good novice electrician job that requires that you know at least how to solder, crimp, heat shirk, and crimp. The hardest part is cutting the strips and adding solder to the small connects and the most time consuming part iscutting the right length of wire and crimping terminal ends to all of them. You could do it as a full wire but I want to be able to work on my car without having to cut wires. Id also suggest getting GOOD terminal plugs b/c you need 6 for each pair you.

Ps. To do it properly, I took out both front seats, drivers foot well, and the whole center console

The Project
You made it this far so you must be ready and okay with all the sasacrifice so lets get started.
First, Plug them into the wall and start messing with the setting (app) turn off gradient and change the colors of each segment (if your leds allow you to) get them to the length at which the colors change. Ex.first 5 leds are green and 6th is yellow, cut strips 5 leds long. After you id the segment change, cut all the led strips to length (I used 7 maybe 8)
THE LEDS ARE IN A SPECIFIC SEQUENCE SO LABEL THEM 1,2,3 ETC. or your shit is going to piss you off over time and the end product will not be as satisfing. Also, make sure to keep track of the leds direction, usually there are directional and wont work if arrows and going towarda eachother. You are putting all this time in, make it right.

The box comes with a control box that connects to the first led and a detachable power cord (which is awesome) on the detachable power cord end, cut the plug off and throw it in the trash, you dont need it.
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There only 2 wire powering it (power and ground wire that run to the quick disconnect); this is were we start. Strip the power and ground, leaving a good amount of wire incase you need it. For the power wire, solder it into one side of the inline fuse and the otherside wire it to a 12v ACCESSORY wire. I used the 12v wire for the cigarette lighter (wire color blue yellow). Find a ground and wire that. I used a bolt underneath the footwell
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So now you have power and ground. Now the product will come with a control box that conncets to all or the leds strip in the role. I had to cut the wire leading to the leds and extend it. Each led strip needs 3 wires (power, ground, neutral) so make sure to keep your colors correct. I would stagger the length of the neutral wire to not confuse it with the other and have wire that labels red and black (power and ground)

This is were it gets time consuming and shit. Find where you want the leds, i put mine on the drivers footwell pannel, under both seats, and passanger only could fit 1 led strip SAFELY.

This is going to be the process for all leds strips, find placment, test fit, test fit, test fit, cut wires to length, solder wires to leds strip, add quick disconnects for leaving the location. Heres how I did mine, make sure to drill holes and add zipties to fully secure area.

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Next, run 3 wires to the driver seat and do the same you did for fron pannel to both seats. I ran the wire through the center console on the side, under the carpet, and cut a hole under the seat to wire them there. Heres a pic
Do the same, heres how I did the drivers seat, passanger is the same just change the direction of the leds
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Take notice that the direction of the leds, how adding shirk wrap is very needed to add rigidity it specifc areas to create a natural bend, and the staggerd quick disconnect terminals. I fucking hate these terminals and STRONGLY advice using the 3 pin quick disconnects like oems use.

For both seats, make sure to leave long enough wire under seats so seat can have full movment, I used the driver seat belt warning wire under the seat as a length guide.

So you got the drivers side done, great, create the same thing for the passanger side and run the connecting wire between them over the center console, under the carpet and airbag box sitting there. I put my center console back on so cant get good pics.

You are now at the home stretch. Final connecting wire is from the passanger seat to the passanger footwell. I ran the wire back under the centerconrol and back up the front under the radio. I then ran the wire to the passanger side footwell. Add disconnects, prep a leds strip with the same and slap the final strip youd like it. I found a little concave spot that was perfect. I maxed pictures os will put in next post. And wabam you have car leds that are bluetooth configurable and look fucking awesome. I still need to do the final passanger side led but I will show how it looks now with and without interior.

Things to keep in mind, I wrap all of my wires is interior tesa tape, its fuze, add rigidity to the weak 20 guage wires, eliminates vibrations/noise from wires, and adds a great oem look to it. I also added 3m velcro to the contol box so I can remove it for repair work. Othe tips, if you fucked up soldering the leds and added to much solder to the terminals, clean you iron, add some flux and just tap it once or twice, clean iron and repeat. I could not have done this project without knowing how and when to use flux, hes a video i used that really helped.


Other then that let me know if you do it and if you have any troubles, juat make sure to take your time double, triple, quadruple checking led strip fitment and wire length. Huge pain but the results are wonderful, photos dont do it justice
 

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#2 ·
There is so many configurations and light options for this device that just cant be showed without video, but these are just the most basic ones to compare. Mad worth it. Im in love.
 

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#3 ·
Nice work but a word of advice regarding LEDs powered from vehicle electrics.
12V IS NOT 12V. A vehicle electrical system is actually 13.8V, 14+V when charging. This can easily over-voltage LEDs and shorten their lift span. Usually you will see individual LEDs stop working and create a gap in the LED string.

I use a small Buck/boost circuit between the vehicle electrical power and any LED string. This has the buffering effect of boosting the low volts upto 12V during engine cranking as well as limiting the normal 13.8V down to 12V. You'll need to find out the current your LED string draw to select the correct circuit. Following are some examples...
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#6 ·
You can get LED strips for interiors of cars that plug into the 12v outlet in the car. I got one for about $10 when I worked at Burlington. I threw it away when I gutted my car.
 
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