Every car owner wants their ride to be in tip-top shape. One such way to change the aesthetics of your ride is by using car interior led lights. Installing them in your car’s interior can be a simple and inexpensive way to give your vehicle an updated look and feel. The installation is generally easy and doesn’t require any major modifications.
Hiring professionals for this job can be quite expensive. Luckily, installing led lights yourself is not that tough and you save a lot of money. This article will take you through 2 easy methods for how to install led lights in car interior?
Before starting the guide, the first step is to determine what types of lights you want inside your car. Do you want accent lighting for the dashboard, reading lights, or ambient lighting? Once you decide, it’s just a matter of measuring and installing.
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What are LEDs?
LED stands for light-emitting diode and they are a semiconductor that is used to convert an electric current into photons of light. LEDs were invented by the American engineer, Nick Holonyak Jr., in 1962. They were originally used as indicators such as on/off buttons and clocks, but there are now so many uses for them today.
LEDs are fast becoming the most popular form of lighting because of their many advantages. LEDs can last for up to 50,000 hours or more and use only a tiny fraction of the power that incandescent bulbs need, making them an eco-friendly way to save energy.
In addition, LEDs use less power, last longer, and emit more light than the other types of bulbs.
LEDs are a new technology that is being used in every aspect of our lives. They are used in televisions, mobile phones, headlights, traffic lights, exit signs, reading lamps, and more.
These tiny light-emitting diodes have been touted as the future of lighting and for good reason. They are more efficient than traditional bulbs and provide a more natural-looking light, with an almost incandescent appearance.
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Benefits of LED Lights in Your Car Interior:
The interior of your car is the hardest place on the planet to see at night. Now you can install led lights in the car interior, to illuminate it at night time. LED lights are more energy-efficient, stylish, and fit more easily into the design of a car’s environment. It’s time to up your game.
Efficiency: Do you want to save money and energy? If so, then the car interior led lights are for you. LED lights use the least amount of energy out of all other types in order to give off an abundant amount of light. This means that in addition to being safer and more efficient than other types, they also have a longer lifespan.
So if you want to conserve energy and save money, make the switch to using car interior led lights today!
Longevity: Every day, humans are making the earth greener with the use of LED lights. For many years now LED lights have been popping up in more and more places. One of the main reasons is the longevity these lights offer.
The lifespan of LED lights is one of the most debated subjects in the world of technology. However, It is estimated that LEDs have an average life of 50,000 to 100,000 hours before it burns out.
Brightness: LED lights on the market are becoming more and more popular as they are brighter than other types of lights. They also make your car interior look brighter. Due to the many curves, compartments, and nooks inside the car, you can install LEDs at different places to improve the visibility of the interior.
Affordability: The growing popularity of LED technology in places such as cars and homes has led to a decrease in the price of these lights, making them more affordable than ever before. For those who are looking to replace their conventional light source, LED is a great choice for many reasons.
Other Reasons To Install Car Interior LED Lights:
Other than the pros of car interior led lights, there are several other reasons as well to install led lights in the car interior. Have a look at them:
Colors: Once you install led lights in the car interior, you won’t be left with the only color option. With LEDs, you get various color options along with different options such as changing colors with your car stereo music rhythm.
Clarity: As discussed earlier, with led lights you can get a much brighter interior. They produce bright light using which you can achieve excellent clarity inside the interior. Therefore upgrading from conventional lights to LEDs to get a brighter interior is a wise decision.
In addition to safety benefits, car interior led lights also come with other advantages such as increased productivity and decreased stress.
Innovation: Talking about innovations in LEDs, the sky is the limit. Modern LED lights come with various features. Now you can get RGB led lights with remote control enabled, brightness adjustment, and sound-activated functions. Flexibility and water resistance. On a budget, you get a bundle of options to play with. Not only for the interior, but you can also install LED lights outside the car to give your car an instantly innovative appearance.
Let’s have a look at the 2 easy methods using which you will know how to install led lights in car interior.
How to Install LED Lights In Car Interior:
Not all cars come with LED lights on the interior. Because of this, Installing LED lights in the car’s interior has become a new trend. The initial installation process can seem daunting, but it is much easier than you think.
If you know what you’re doing the process can be completed in about an hour, depending on the size of the car’s interior.
If the led lights have a USB plug, all you need is to install the car interior led lights, plug the USB port and enjoy the new fascinating look of your car interior.
Whereas if your led lights don’t have a USB port, you can still install led lights using the following two methods. Depending on your convenience, you can opt for either of them, both of the methods are safe and easy.
Before jumping right into the methods, determine where you want to install led lights in the car interior. Usually, people install led lights under the dash and under the seats. Still, the final decision will be yours. After finalizing the place gather the following things:
- Several led lights you want to install. Usually, 4 is adequate, but you can always buy more as per your choice.
- Purchase a light kit, you are going to need it to install led lights in the car interior. You may need a separate fuse adapter to be bought.
- Double-sided tape (if led lights don’t come with an adhesive) and black electrical tape
- Multimeter
- 5-10ft of red and black 16-18 gauge automotive wiring
Once you have all the items, we can now proceed to the methods to install car interior led lights.
How to Install LED Lights In Car Interior | 2 Easy Methods:
Method-1) Using The Fuse Box:
The first method to install led lights in the car interior is using the fuse box. Find the fuse box inside the car interior, you can find that in your owner’s manual. Mostly, the fuse box is located near the steering or under the dash near the pedals. Sometimes it can be located on the passenger’s side or inside the glove box.
Step-2) Choose When To ON The Lights:
The under-dash lights can have various settings of when they are turned on. Either you can have the lights on with parking lights/headlights or when your car is started. The wiring is similar in both situations.
- Setting To ON LED Lights With Headlights:
It could be tricky to locate the fuse on this setting. You need to find a fuse, that is already being used to control the interior lights. The fuse could have things labeled such as lights, interior lamps, dash, gauges, etc.
Look for that resembles the following.
- Setting To ON LED Lights When The Car In ON:
This setting is more straightforward compared to the one mentioned above. There are various options to choose from. Either you can put it in the same fuse as the radio, this will turn on the LEDs with the radio on. Or, you can put it in the same fuse as the ignition, this will turn on the LEDs every time the key is turned on.
After choosing the desired option, join the wire to the selected fuse. Find the hot side of the fuse using a multi-meter. Stick the black probe to the grounding part and red to the fuse. Use a red probe to detect voltage on either side of the fuse.
Whichever side doesn’t have voltage, that is the side that you will join into.
Note: The key must be in the on position during this procedure. To add an extra layer of fire protection, find the backside of the fuse box. Likewise, search for the wire that is coming out from the side of the box. Now connect both the wires using a connector.
Step-3) Search a Grounding Point Under The Dash:
Grounding is vital for your safety. Grounding is a metal part that separates the interior and the engine bay. You will find various spots on it where different parts will be bolted. To form a ground, remove one of the bolts and slide the wire under the bolt. Tight the bolt securely just like before.
You can find a grounding point under the dash.
Step-4) Add The Inline Fuse:
You can always use an incline fuse to enhance your safety. Add another fuse to the red wire connected to the fuse. Connect the fuse closest to the fusebox. It works by automatically breaking the connection in case of an emergency.
Step-5) Connect Wires To Car Interior LED Lights and Examine:
Connect the wire that you recently connected to the fusebox and the wire connected as a ground to the led strips.
Before making the final adjustment, make sure to test the led lights. Use the given features and ensure their proper functionality.
Step-6) Troubleshoot:
If the lights are not working, inspect the fuse and all the connections for tightness.
In case, only one light is working, check that strip connection and inspect if that strip is still good by wiring from the battery.
Method-2) Using The Cigarette Lighter:
To install led lights in the car interior using the cigarette lighter, you won’t have to struggle a lot. This is the most used and straightforward method.
Start by locating the 12-volt power outlet within the interior. Use the wire cutter to strip the black and red power wires, make sure to expose the wires. Connect the wires to the butt connectors and crimp the connectors sp they are secured. At last, connect the butt connectors to the cigarette charger adapter and plug the cigarette charger adapter into the 12-volt outlet.
Examine and make sure that the car interior led lights are functioning properly.
Organize The Interior:
Regardless of the method, you use to install led lights in the car interior, once the led lights start working properly, start organizing the interior.
Start routing your wires in a place such as under the dash or between the center console so that they are not visible. Mount the led strips under your decided location. You can also use the tape to place the strips if they don’t come with adhesive. This will prevent the strips from falling.
Examine the lights at the end to look at the final interior look. Set the color according to your mood and enjoy the vibe that lights add to your car interior.
Frequently Asked Questions:
LEDs Are Not Glowing?
As discussed earlier, in case the lights are not working, inspect the connections and tighten the loose ones. Also, make sure that the keys are on. Otherwise, the current won’t be able to flow within the car circuits and the cigarette lighter.
What To Do If a Few Strips Are Glowing In Different Colors?
In such a situation, ensure that you have not connected the wrong wires with the wrong ones. Make sure that red connects with the red, blue with blue, and so forth.
Why Some Colors Don’t Glow In a Few Strips?
To inspect if the wiring is perfect, make the white LED glow. If all LEDs glow it shows that all wiring is perfect. If it doesn’t glow check the Red, Blue, and Green LEDs separately. The color which doesn’t glow is faulty or soldering might be the actual problem.
While Wiring Something Got Short and Some Functions Are Not Working?
If you follow the methods given above in the same manner, nothing will go wrong. In case you missed any steps and are facing the issue, check for a blown fuse. Because there is a safety mechanism in your car that protects car wiring. If things are not properly connected to each other, it draws more or less amps to different parts, thus blowing the fuse to protect the wiring. And hence some functions stop working.
To be on the safer side, consult a professional in such a case to prevent any future damages.
If The Car Voltages Are Beyond The 12V Will It Burns The LED or Wiring?
Modern LEDs come equipped with resistors for the protection against volts for up to 15v. To be on the safer side, you can also use voltage regulators or resistors. Another way is to lower the brightness of LEDs using a controller, this way fewer volts are sent to LEDs which will decrease the brightness of LEDs subsequently.
Are Our Interior Car LEDs Illegal?
There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific laws and regulations of each state or country. However, in general, the use of LED lights inside a car is not illegal. Many drivers choose car interior led lights as they are brighter and more visible than traditional lightbulbs, making them safer to drive with.
At The End:
In conclusion, if you are looking to revamp the interior of your car, then installing some LED lights might be a good idea. They are easy to find and install, and they create an exciting new atmosphere in the car with their vibrant colors.
This is a great DIY project for advanced do-it-yourselfers, so there should be no excuse to give them a try.
Before making the final purchase make sure to check with local law enforcement agencies. Many states and countries don’t allow car interior led lights. Always remember the important points in how to install led lights in car interior.
While you install led lights in the car interior using the fuse box method, make sure to follow the safety measures.
Thank you for taking the time in reading this article. This was all from this topic, hope you learned something.
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