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Today I wired my LED's into my dimmer switches. The nice thing about this is when you turn on your lights your switches will turn on when you turn on your headlights. Also you will be able to dim your lights as well.
What you will need:
- Red and Black 18 ga wire.
- Quick Disconnects. I used a lot (like 28 total - 14 male, 14 female).
- Solder Gun.
- Electrucal Tape.
- Phillips Screw Driver
- 7mm Socket (To take switches off door panel).
- LED's (I used these)
I bought them at Advanced Auto Parts. They are 4 for $8.88 or if you would rather have the exact amount (which you will need 5), you can buy these off autolumination.com. I got the 2 - 4 packs because I might use the other 3 in other places.
- Wire Cutters
- Wire Crimpers
- Pliers
- Dremel Drill with a sanding bit and a small drill bit.
- Hole Punch (To widen a hole).
******** Running the Wires ********
You will have to start out by running wires from an interior spot where the lights turn on and dim. I was going to go from the switch by the steering wheel, but I decided on the rear defroster switch. It is easier from this point because it is in the middle of the car and I ran the wires underneath the carpet. Plus there is more room to work with.
First start off by taking off the HVAC Bezel (take off upper vents, take out the 2 screws, pop off the 4 HVAC knobs, and pull off the bezel). Also take out the Cigarette Lighter and Rear Defroster Panel. Disconnect the Wire Harnesses. Pull out the panel where the CD Changer would go under the Cigarette/Rear Defroster Panel. Also I took out the radio and center console (where your shifter is) so I would have more room and make it easier for myself. If you want to take out the center console, there are 4 screws in the pocket, 2 screws in the cup holders, and just the knob. Then just pull it out.
Next, solder in the positive wire from the rear defroster. I ran 2 sets of wires, 1 to the drivers side and one to the passengers side. Solder your positive wires (I used red in this case) from the orange wire (which is the dimmer light wire). I connected my negatives to a bolt below where the CD Changer would go. Wrap electrical tape around where you soldered the red (+) wire to the orange wire. I wrap the black (-) and red (+) wires together every 6" so they are together and look clean.
Next, I ran each sets of the wires uder the carpet to the kick panel. After the wires are ran, you can reinstall your HVAC's, Radio, and center console. Put the center console back in. 2 screws in the cup holder, 4 in the pocket. Put back in the pocket where the CD changer would go. It just pops into place. Install the Cigarette/Rear Defroster panel. 2 phillips screws hold it in place. Reinstall the radio. 4 screws are used for this. Now reinstall the HVAC Panel. It just snaps in. 2 screws go in the top where the vents go. Snap the vents back in. Put the 4 knobs back on. And you are all set.
Next, I took off each lower kick panel and ran the wires up to where the door wire harness is.
Then I removed the wire harness in between the doors. You start off by removing the rubber surround around the harness. Then you press in the 4 clips holding it in and pull it out (there is 1 clip in each corner). I then unplugged the harness so that you seperate the wires (so you will be left with a gray female and a black male harness). I pushed the gray harness back through the door so all you are left with is the hole into the car.
I then took the red + black wires that were run for the LED's through the big hole where the wire harness was, left a little slack and trimmed them (so about 3" of extra wires after they are through the hole). I put on male quick disconnects on this set of wires.
Next, I took the male end of the wire harness (black) and on one side there is a small hole. It is in the middle on the opposite side of where the gray harness plugs into. This hole is pretty small so I widened this a little with a hole punch. I then ran red + black wires through the holes and put the female end of the quick disconnects on (The quick disconnects should be on so they face the interior of the car. You want them to be able to plug into the wires run from the Rear Defroster.). The reason I did this is because if you ever have to remove the door, I didn't want to cut the wires. Make sure the hole you are using doesn't interfere with the gray female wire harness. I did mine wrong the first time. If that is the case, you used the wrong hole.
I then removed the door panel. Take out 3 screws (One behind the silver door handle, one in the arm rest, one up front in line with the side mirror). There are about 10 white clips holding the panel on. Pull these off very carefully. I didn't have a puller tool, so I just a piece of plastic to get a little space between the panel and the door and used my hands to pull them out. Remove the door handle and door lock rods. There is 2 plastic pieces that hold these in place. Unsnap the plastic and the rod comes out. Unplug all of the harnesses (4 on the drivers side, 2 on the passenger's side) and move the panel out of the way.
Next I removed the speaker to have a little more room. Take out the 4 screws holding in the speaker and mounting plate, not just the 3 screws holing in the speakers. Remove the harness from the speaker.
I ran the wires for the LED's along the stock wires taping every 4 - 6 inches. When I got to the point where the window and power lock harnesses split off, I spliced in another set of wires and soldered it at this point. Now you will have wires running to your window switches and power door lock (You will need one extra wire for the passenger and 2 extra on the driver). Tape up the solder joint very good so you don't get any shorts. I left about 2 inches of wire past each harness so that it has a little slack.
Then on each set of wires I installed male quick disconnects. This way if you ever remove a switch in the future, you can just unplug it. Now that you have the wires ran, I tested them with a LED to make sure they work.
Now that the wires are ran, reinstall the speaker.
We can move onto the switch itself.
*** FYI, the power door lock switch is attached to the door panel. I started with these first so I could put the door panel back on. The window switches you can work on anytime since the window switches can be removed without the door panel off.


What you will need:
- Red and Black 18 ga wire.
- Quick Disconnects. I used a lot (like 28 total - 14 male, 14 female).
- Solder Gun.
- Electrucal Tape.
- Phillips Screw Driver
- 7mm Socket (To take switches off door panel).
- LED's (I used these)

I bought them at Advanced Auto Parts. They are 4 for $8.88 or if you would rather have the exact amount (which you will need 5), you can buy these off autolumination.com. I got the 2 - 4 packs because I might use the other 3 in other places.
- Wire Cutters
- Wire Crimpers
- Pliers
- Dremel Drill with a sanding bit and a small drill bit.
- Hole Punch (To widen a hole).
******** Running the Wires ********
You will have to start out by running wires from an interior spot where the lights turn on and dim. I was going to go from the switch by the steering wheel, but I decided on the rear defroster switch. It is easier from this point because it is in the middle of the car and I ran the wires underneath the carpet. Plus there is more room to work with.
First start off by taking off the HVAC Bezel (take off upper vents, take out the 2 screws, pop off the 4 HVAC knobs, and pull off the bezel). Also take out the Cigarette Lighter and Rear Defroster Panel. Disconnect the Wire Harnesses. Pull out the panel where the CD Changer would go under the Cigarette/Rear Defroster Panel. Also I took out the radio and center console (where your shifter is) so I would have more room and make it easier for myself. If you want to take out the center console, there are 4 screws in the pocket, 2 screws in the cup holders, and just the knob. Then just pull it out.
Next, solder in the positive wire from the rear defroster. I ran 2 sets of wires, 1 to the drivers side and one to the passengers side. Solder your positive wires (I used red in this case) from the orange wire (which is the dimmer light wire). I connected my negatives to a bolt below where the CD Changer would go. Wrap electrical tape around where you soldered the red (+) wire to the orange wire. I wrap the black (-) and red (+) wires together every 6" so they are together and look clean.

Next, I ran each sets of the wires uder the carpet to the kick panel. After the wires are ran, you can reinstall your HVAC's, Radio, and center console. Put the center console back in. 2 screws in the cup holder, 4 in the pocket. Put back in the pocket where the CD changer would go. It just pops into place. Install the Cigarette/Rear Defroster panel. 2 phillips screws hold it in place. Reinstall the radio. 4 screws are used for this. Now reinstall the HVAC Panel. It just snaps in. 2 screws go in the top where the vents go. Snap the vents back in. Put the 4 knobs back on. And you are all set.
Next, I took off each lower kick panel and ran the wires up to where the door wire harness is.

Then I removed the wire harness in between the doors. You start off by removing the rubber surround around the harness. Then you press in the 4 clips holding it in and pull it out (there is 1 clip in each corner). I then unplugged the harness so that you seperate the wires (so you will be left with a gray female and a black male harness). I pushed the gray harness back through the door so all you are left with is the hole into the car.
I then took the red + black wires that were run for the LED's through the big hole where the wire harness was, left a little slack and trimmed them (so about 3" of extra wires after they are through the hole). I put on male quick disconnects on this set of wires.
Next, I took the male end of the wire harness (black) and on one side there is a small hole. It is in the middle on the opposite side of where the gray harness plugs into. This hole is pretty small so I widened this a little with a hole punch. I then ran red + black wires through the holes and put the female end of the quick disconnects on (The quick disconnects should be on so they face the interior of the car. You want them to be able to plug into the wires run from the Rear Defroster.). The reason I did this is because if you ever have to remove the door, I didn't want to cut the wires. Make sure the hole you are using doesn't interfere with the gray female wire harness. I did mine wrong the first time. If that is the case, you used the wrong hole.

I then removed the door panel. Take out 3 screws (One behind the silver door handle, one in the arm rest, one up front in line with the side mirror). There are about 10 white clips holding the panel on. Pull these off very carefully. I didn't have a puller tool, so I just a piece of plastic to get a little space between the panel and the door and used my hands to pull them out. Remove the door handle and door lock rods. There is 2 plastic pieces that hold these in place. Unsnap the plastic and the rod comes out. Unplug all of the harnesses (4 on the drivers side, 2 on the passenger's side) and move the panel out of the way.
Next I removed the speaker to have a little more room. Take out the 4 screws holding in the speaker and mounting plate, not just the 3 screws holing in the speakers. Remove the harness from the speaker.
I ran the wires for the LED's along the stock wires taping every 4 - 6 inches. When I got to the point where the window and power lock harnesses split off, I spliced in another set of wires and soldered it at this point. Now you will have wires running to your window switches and power door lock (You will need one extra wire for the passenger and 2 extra on the driver). Tape up the solder joint very good so you don't get any shorts. I left about 2 inches of wire past each harness so that it has a little slack.
Then on each set of wires I installed male quick disconnects. This way if you ever remove a switch in the future, you can just unplug it. Now that you have the wires ran, I tested them with a LED to make sure they work.

Now that the wires are ran, reinstall the speaker.
We can move onto the switch itself.
*** FYI, the power door lock switch is attached to the door panel. I started with these first so I could put the door panel back on. The window switches you can work on anytime since the window switches can be removed without the door panel off.