LED Footwell Light DIY Install on 2013 Camaro 2LT

[niterat]

Some help from one of you electrical types please....
I want to have an on/off switch from the constant source wired in parallel with the dome lights. The idea is to have the foot well lights always work with the dome light, but also come on with the switch when I want.

Would this work or am I going to short something out if there are two sources of power wired together?

[SummoneR]

Originally Posted by niterat

Some help from one of you electrical types please....
I want to have an on/off switch from the constant source wired in parallel with the dome lights. The idea is to have the foot well lights always work with the dome light, but also come on with the switch when I want.

Would this work or am I going to short something out if there are two sources of power wired together?

Yes it can be done, check out the other DIY threads for instructions on how to do this. Very simple to do.

[niterat]

Originally Posted by SummoneR

Yes it can be done, check out the other DIY threads for instructions on how to do this. Very simple to do.

Thanks!

[Jims Mongoose]

Originally Posted by SummoneR

Yes it can be done, check out the other DIY threads for instructions on how to do this. Very simple to do.

Hello, my name is Jim and I am new to this forum. The help and the posts are great here and I hope you guys can help me.

I would like to have the footwell lights stay on whenever the car is on. When I open the door the lights should come on and stay on till I shut the car down and get out.

I have searched the threads but I still don't know what wire to tap in to or where to find it. Please help.

I have a 2013 Camaro 2LT RS.

Thanks
Jim

[SummoneR]

Originally Posted by Jims Mongoose

Hello, my name is Jim and I am new to this forum. The help and the posts are great here and I hope you guys can help me.

I would like to have the footwell lights stay on whenever the car is on. When I open the door the lights should come on and stay on till I shut the car down and get out.

I have searched the threads but I still don't know what wire to tap in to or where to find it. Please help.

I have a 2013 Camaro 2LT RS.

Thanks
Jim

Welcome to the forums Jim. You will want to attach a relay to an ACC power line that will activate the lights with a separate 12 volt source (so that you do not draw too much power from the ACC source.) The only ACC power wire I can think of off the top of my head, is the one in the center console that powers the cigarette lighter/+12V ACC plug. I tapped into this line for my radar detector so that it is on when ever the ignition key is in the ACC/ON position. I believe there are more in the fuse box as well I thought on the earlier models there was a spare even. I'll have to look into it and get back to you, unless someone else remembers?

[niterat]

Originally Posted by Jims Mongoose

Hello, my name is Jim and I am new to this forum. The help and the posts are great here and I hope you guys can help me.

I would like to have the footwell lights stay on whenever the car is on. When I open the door the lights should come on and stay on till I shut the car down and get out.

I have searched the threads but I still don't know what wire to tap in to or where to find it. Please help.

I have a 2013 Camaro 2LT RS.

Thanks
Jim

Jim,
I ended up using a 3 way rocker switch to have them on either constant (with key on in switch position 1) or to go on and off with the dome lights (in switch position 3), and always off in mid position 2. For the dome lights I tapped into the gray wire of the gray connector above the gas pedal (thanks to many other posters of this most excellent forum). My footwell lights come on and off with the dome light with one small issue. For some reason I don't understand the dome and courtesy lighting fade slowly on and off but my LEDs come on and off immediately.
Hope that helps, Good luck!

[Jims Mongoose]

Thanks to both niterat and SummoneR.

Both ideas and methods seem fairly easy to do.

First niterat.
I have some familiarity with the gray wire under the dash up and to the right of the 'go' pedal. In fact I wired my door sills that light a nice blue with that connection. However, even though I left another connection to that gray wire available I didn't use it because that line is on a timer that fades those door sills after the door closes. Niterat you seem to be saying that the 3 way switch will allow me that option to have the footwell lights on as long as the car is on. Is that correct?

SummoneR

Your method also seems fairly easy if I can identify the wire that powers the cigarette lighter. But correct me if I am wrong but the footwell lights would not come on when I open the door.


thanks again to you both, I'm just new at this and need all the help I can get.

Jim

[Jims Mongoose]

Originally Posted by Jims Mongoose

Thanks to both niterat and SummoneR.

Both ideas and methods seem fairly easy to do.

First niterat.
I have some familiarity with the gray wire under the dash up and to the right of the 'go' pedal. In fact I wired my door sills that light a nice blue with that connection. However, even though I left another connection to that gray wire available I didn't use it because that line is on a timer that fades those door sills after the door closes. Niterat you seem to be saying that the 3 way switch will allow me that option to have the footwell lights on as long as the car is on. Is that correct?

SummoneR

Your method also seems fairly easy if I can identify the wire that powers the cigarette lighter. But correct me if I am wrong but the footwell lights would not come on when I open the door.


thanks again to you both, I'm just new at this and need all the help I can get.

Jim

I have my Camaro sitting here the lights are mounted, the wires run, so hot leads are available under the dash near the center console and also near the dashboard fuse box on the drivers side. The ground wires are run, but I still need to know what color line to tap in to. Great responses from the above two forum members but I still have questions.

Thanks

Jim

[Jims Mongoose]

Originally Posted by Jims Mongoose

I have my Camaro sitting here the lights are mounted, the wires run, so hot leads are available under the dash near the center console and also near the dashboard fuse box on the drivers side. The ground wires are run, but I still need to know what color line to tap in to. Great responses from the above two forum members but I still have questions.

Thanks

Jim

Success I found the wire to tap in to. I took off the center console and in the bigger plug that attaches to the console there is a yellow wire. I tapped into that and since the grounds were already run, it was done. The lights come on when I open the door and stay on when the car is on. Thanks all for all the help.

Jim

[niterat]

Sorry I forgot to check back on this thread. As you found, the lighter is the other source.

[Jims Mongoose]

Originally Posted by niterat

Sorry I forgot to check back on this thread. As you found, the lighter is the other source.

Nothing to be sorry about. If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't even know where to start.

Thanks again for all the help.

Next project is the black kick plates with the chevy logo and wiring through the door to put an LED strip in that logo.

Jim

[niterat]

Good Luck!

[Jims Mongoose]

Something tells me that the project with the door kick plate could be tough. Was that the intent of the 'Good Luck' to mean that is a tough project getting? LOL.


Jim

[rachelmoreaux]

Hey thanks for your post! I'm almost finish with the whole setup but a have one question. What fuse are you using in the fuse connector coming from the gray wire? 20A, 30A, etc?I'm not very good at knowing what fuse to use. Thanks! Please get back ASAP because I need to go buy it right now. Thanks!