wiring led's inside door

[vegeta4ss]

I know it has been done before, but I am looking to put an led behind the speaker grill and into the door pocket. If you've done this before and have some tips on how to make it a quick wiring job let me know. When i installed my components and crossover I just tapped the factory wiring at the floor and reused all the stuff in the door because I couldn't manage to run wires thru the loom.

I couldn't just branch two wires off of my positive connection of the crossover could I? And what would be the easiest way to wire in a switch to this ( i know this is going to be the hardest pain trying to run a switch wire into the door from the dash.

[dfdrummer1]

you know what i always thought would be cool is to put some led's in the pockets in the door to illuminate that. as far as the wiring goes im not sure....just throwin some ideas around

[dfdrummer1]

ahh sorry i didnt realize that you already said that sorry. actually apc makes those led buttons with double stick tape that are prewired and resisted for 12v

[vegeta4ss]

my led's are already prewired for 12 volts. I just wanna know if i can tap into the crossover for power, and the easiest way to snake a wire out to the dash for the switch.

[vegeta4ss]

does anyone know if there are unused spots in the door jamb connector? So i could widen out the area that has no wire and just slide a wire thru and hope to squeeze it in there. Otherwise i think its going to look like there is a loose wire coming from somewhere.


i dunno, I'm at work just wasting time trying to figure out the easiest way to do this later today.

[SickCelica696]

The best way would be to run the wire through the stock boot... its not that hard..

[SLVR Stealth]

The best way would be to run the wire through the stock boot... its not that hard..

I've had to run many wires through tight spaces. I normally use a copper wire that can bend like a hanger but not a as strong because it will need to flex easily around corners without damaging other components in the boot or the boot itself. It's like snaking a house pipe.

You have a few options...

1. Remove the door.
2. Remove the fender.
3. Open the door as wide as you can

I used to have lambo doors welded onto my ride before I hacked them off. If you've ever taken off the door you'll have easier access to the boot. It was neccessary to extend the wiring to the door.

But if you don't want to take the door off. Remove the kick panels find the boot behind the dash board. Remember get a wire that is strong not flimbsy and flexible enough to poke through the boot and run that wire out the other end. Now with the wire out the other end it's common sense you'll have to fish the wires through it. Fishing the wires through the boot is the hardest part. If you pull and the wire you tied the other wires you want to pull slips you have to start over again. It may be easier if you removed the sway arm from the door. After you've removed it open the door as far as you can becareful you don't want to bend your fenders. Run the wires through door and tie them to the wire you fished through the boot. Pull the end of the wire behind the dashboard and your should have all your wiring inside the cabin now.

Hopefully you get it to work your way.

[vegeta4ss]

I've had to run many wires through tight spaces. I normally use a copper wire that can bend like a hanger but not a as strong because it will need to flex easily around corners without damaging other components in the boot or the boot itself. It's like snaking a house pipe.

You have a few options...

1. Remove the door.
2. Remove the fender.
3. Open the door as wide as you can

I used to have lambo doors welded onto my ride before I hacked them off. If you've ever taken off the door you'll have easier access to the boot. It was neccessary to extend the wiring to the door.

But if you don't want to take the door off. Remove the kick panels find the boot behind the dash board. Remember get a wire that is strong not flimbsy and flexible enough to poke through the boot and run that wire out the other end. Now with the wire out the other end it's common sense you'll have to fish the wires through it. Fishing the wires through the boot is the hardest part. If you pull and the wire you tied the other wires you want to pull slips you have to start over again. It may be easier if you removed the sway arm from the door. After you've removed it open the door as far as you can becareful you don't want to bend your fenders. Run the wires through door and tie them to the wire you fished through the boot. Pull the end of the wire behind the dashboard and your should have all your wiring inside the cabin now.

Hopefully you get it to work your way.

this sounds like a good plan. I'm gonna try this. Thanks!

[dfdrummer1]

personally..i would run them through the rubber boot, then run the wires to the ground and a switch somewhere near the drivers seat and through the firewall for the positive. hide all the wires nice and it should work out fine

[Mackitraz]

I'd run through the boot too. I had to get it through to install my speakers and crossover. It's a little bit of pain in the posterior, but I just ended up pulling the boot out at both ends (it's still attached, but it's rubber and will stretch enough for you to slip the wiring in one end and retrieve it easily) and slipping the wire through. Once I figured out to do this (you really need to still remove the kick panels to get the wiring in) a half hour of swearing and fishing turned into five minutes of easy work and the boot ends pop right back into place. Just an idea.

[Swing Fixer]

I have this mod done....LED's in speaker grill. I ran all of my interior LED's and lighting to a single switch located down under steering wheel. I didn't unbolt the door completely, but I did unbolt a little bracket that is there that allowed the door to open up further. I pulled the boot out of the door and out of the side of the car (basically compressing it). That made it easier to get the wiring through the door.

[vegeta4ss]

what did you do to keep the door from opening to far once teh stopper was removed? I dont want to wrinkle my fenders or damage my doors.

[Swing Fixer]

I was basically just really careful....I think I used something like a chair to block it from opening too far. Use a few towels so that the chair doesn't scratch your paint or anything.

[vegeta4ss]

Use a few towels so that the chair doesn't scratch your paint or anything.

lol. My celly is so scratched and dented up, I have to get a whole new paintjob anyways, but I'll try to be careful.

so once you get the rubber grommet loose, on the dash side of it, is there anything else that needs to be unclipped? I had the boot loose, but couldn't find my wire under the dash, but then again it might not have ever popped thru to begin with while I was working on it for a couple minutes.

[Swing Fixer]

I removed the rubber hose from the door side first, ran my wire through the hole and into the rubber hose. Using a larger flexible wire for threading purposes helps. I actually soldered my smaller LED wire to the larger wire so that I had a slim but tight connection to pull on. basically you just have to keep working it until it gets the whole way through the boot.

Under the dash make sure to remove the kick panels on both side, the glove box, and plastic piece under the steering column. When you get down and look up at the side of the door you'll see a hole where the wires come into the cabin. Ususally there is foam blocking the hole partially. this is where your wire will come down through. You have to grab it and pull it through.

Hope all that helps.