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Purchased some El Wire lights with a USB plug from eBay. Extended the wire so it would reach the groove underneath the center console that's meant for factory LED ambiance lighting. Didn't even have to drill, just tucked the wiring out the center compartment and followed the groove to the bottom of the center console to the lighted area (see attached picture). Fyi, when you close the door without locking, the USB plug will stay powered for a few minutes, but will eventually turn off.
Nice! I’ve been wanting to do this forvever didn’t think there was a clean way of installing without a lot of hassle. Is the wire visible during the day or does it look clean?
Can you post the link to the lights or describe the exact product, thx...
Last edited by jrjunior31; 01-10-2018 at 12:52 AM.
I first purchased this item, the lights and wiring that splits in 2 were correct, but I chose the cigarette lighter controller which was a mistake, it has a button that changes from constant to blinking, but with that you have to press the button for the lights to turn on. If you choose the USB controller, you have the complete set up. Shipping takes a while(2-3 weeks), if you find a US seller it will ship faster. I ended up ordering the USB controller from the next link which shipped in a week. I connected extra black wire (1 ft) to each of the lights from where it splits. I drew the path of the wire on the picture, just tuck it in from the center compartment, underneath the edge of the compartment, down the break to the bottom of the center console. The wire is complete hidden from the outside. If you open the center compartment, you'll see the USB controller with wires leading to the side of the compartment.
Thanks!! Yes, I bought a small spool of black wire from Fry's and used connector tubes to crimp the wires together. Another tip, you can cut the light wires to any length. I decided to bend the light wire(so 2 strands running the length of the groove, and just tucked the tube into the groove, which holds it in place. It was still a bit long, so I cut about 3 inches off of the end. Not sure if it matters in terms of brightness, but there's a small clear cap at the end which I pulled off of the cut portion and attached it to the end. It's a thin light wire, so if you don't bend, you'll need double sided tape to hold it in place.
Nicely done, any reason you didn't consider connecting up to the interior ambient lights? I've been meaning to do this for some time but appreciate the effort and the write up. I hope to be able to add to the work already done.
First time using the El Wires, so I was just looking for the easiest way to test them out. You can probably wire them in the other direction and splice them into the ambient light under the glove compartment, but I think you need to order with a different controller/inverter. I have some more ambitious ideas for ambient lighting which I will share after implementing. Good luck!
I love this mod. My concern is having something plugged into the USB port constantly. Wonder if it will "burn out" the port? I wonder if there is a way to hard wire in? Can you show pictures of how you spliced into the wire to extend it? NOt sure how you get the wire down to the carpet withut it showing and then how do you get it on the other side as there are two sides?
Thank you for sharing this
To everyone else: if you find good product on Amazon or an actual USA reseller, can you post the link? I heard "fiber" is better than "EL" wire but need people's input to get educated on this
Last edited by Diamond Dog; 01-15-2018 at 06:24 PM.
First time using the El Wires, so I was just looking for the easiest way to test them out. You can probably wire them in the other direction and splice them into the ambient light under the glove compartment, but I think you need to order with a different controller/inverter. I have some more ambitious ideas for ambient lighting which I will share after implementing. Good luck!
I disconnected the USB to show you how I spliced it. I connected the extra wire using the blue connector tubes between the split and the light wire. I tucked the connector tubes on the other end as well as the wires in between the carpet and the console, so there's no wire showing. From the picture, you can see the 2 wires (top left), that's where they exit the center compartment, and they are tucked underneath that cushion and along the route I showed in the previous picture. Hope this helps. As for your concern about the outlet burning out, I had a USB thumb drive with music connected to the same port for months without any issue(the port switches off when you turn off your engine-stays on for a few minutes if you don't lock your doors). If you want to hard wire it, I suggest connecting it to the ambient lighting under the dash on each side. There are certainly many other ways to connect, but I was just looking for the most hassle free way.. took me 10 min.
Did some research. Looks like laser wire is the way to go. More expensive , but still reasonable. Figure we should Put the higher quality products in these expensive cars. No current along the wire, no fading. Check it out at this site. Videos of how bright is is, along with how to use the power module.
It's powered by a battery pack that lasts 24 hours. It recharges via USB. You get a special cable they sell and put it in "install" mode and your USB will turn it off and on. I just need to call them to see if the USB will charge it while it is lit up and on
Last edited by Diamond Dog; 01-15-2018 at 09:59 PM.
That's great if it's brighter, definitely share your results! Few concerns... When you call, check to make sure when it powers on that it turns on and stays constant; I originally used a cigarette lighter controller that had different modes, but when powered on, you had to press a button everytime for it to light up. Also, it's seems like you'll need to order the Masters kit ($200.. Quite pricy) to adjust the length.
Also, don't forget you'll need one on each since they don't have a 2 wire version as well as a USB adapter to plug in more than one USB. The cost is actually significantly higher.. I spent around $10.. 2 laser wires~$200. I don't mind spending the extra money to replace if it's significantly brighter, but if it's only a slight difference, El wire is the better choice.
01-09-2018, 08:03 PM
