Running a wire - int. to engine bay for LEDs

[seasick]

So I'm considering putting some blue LED strips behind my upper and lower grille, and maybe within my CAI intake box since the top is clear plexiglass. Easy enough.

I'd like to wire it to my footwell ABL lights, with a flush-mount LED switch in place, so that the grille LEDs come on when the doors are open (dim in/out). This way, I can also control all of the lights with the dome light switch.

Anyway, I know how to do all of that. The question is, what is the best way to run a wire from the inside of the car to the engine bay? There has to be a better way than drilling through the firewall and fishing around for the wire.

[camaro_RS]

There is a hole you can push through on the Driver's side footwell. Those with the JDP halos used it to run wires from the engine bay to the cabin. It's behind the carpet in the footwell so it's easier to push the wires through from the engine bay.

[sjmautoprod]

Looking from the engine bay, it's just above the battery cable on the firewall.

[OHIOSS]

I came across these fuse taps, what a great thing! I bought 3 and have already used them in 2 of my vehicles. I hooked up my front LED's by using the fuse tap. It's so easy, all you have to do is pull the fuse out, push the tap in and then put the fuse into the tap. You can find them on other sites that eBay, just do a search for "fuse tap".

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200904184012...#ht_2192wt_706

I hooked my front LED's using a fuse tap:

[camaro_RS]

Originally Posted by OHIOSS

I came across these fuse taps, what a great thing! I bought 3 and have already used them in 2 of my vehicles. I hooked up my front LED's by using the fuse tap. It's so easy, all you have to do is pull the fuse out, push the tap in and them put the fuse into the tap. You can find them on other sites that eBay, just do a search for "fuse tap".

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200904184012...#ht_2192wt_706

I hooked my front LED's using a fuse tap:

That's awesome! Those are pretty much the same fuse taps the JDP halos came with.

Where did you get your LED strips for your front splitter? Hard to hook up/install? Any RGB LED strips like that? Haha. Sorry for all the questions.

[Ryanbabz71]

What fuse did you tap into?

[OHIOSS]

The lights in the front are part of my Razzi ground effects. I wanted something different so I found a member that had the same idea I had and told me where to find the lights. The lights are LED's for an Audi A6 that I bought on eBay. The guy that installed the Razzi kit did the lights also, I think it turned out great....but that is just my opinion. The lights had to be modified some to get them to fit but the guy that did it said it took him about 90 minutes to install the lights. The back of the lights have threaded holes so he cut an aluminum strip longer than the cutout and drilled a couple of holes in it. He then pushed a screw through the plate holes and into the threaded holes of the LED light. The guy that told me where to get the lights used 2 sided tape and caulk/glue to mount them but I much prefer the way they are mounted.

The LED's are specifically for an Audi A6 and I didn't see them available in any other color, but then again I wasn't really looking for another color.

What fuse did you tap into?

The way the fuse tap is made it will only fit in certain places so I simply put it where I could get it to fit. I put the original fuse back into the fuse tap and since the LED's don't pull much power I didn't have to take the risk of upsizing the fuse.

Russ

[seasick]

Great ideas all around. I'll look into pushing the wire through the firewall so that I have internal control of the lighting via switch. I suppose maybe I could hook up an arduino or something that operates them wirelessly. That'd allow me to use a fuse tap from the engine bay.

[skuttduck]

Originally Posted by seasick

Great ideas all around. I'll look into pushing the wire through the firewall so that I have internal control of the lighting via switch. I suppose maybe I could hook up an arduino or something that operates them wirelessly. That'd allow me to use a fuse tap from the engine bay.

Which side do you want?

I discovered the path on the passenger side of the firewall.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80843

[camaro_RS]

Originally Posted by OHIOSS

The LED's are specifically for an Audi A6 and I didn't see them available in any other color, but then again I wasn't really looking for another color.



Russ

Thanks a lot for the info, Russ. I appreciate it. The way you had the LED's mounted seems much more stable and reliable than the other way (not that the other way couldn't be done) and you probably feel more comfortable with it I'm sure. I'm really liking the idea of having those....even more so in white than RGB now. I've seen a couple others with the Razzi kit do the same thing...I'm going to look into it. Your car looks awesome with it.

[OHIOSS]

Originally Posted by camaro_RS

Thanks a lot for the info, Russ. I appreciate it. The way you had the LED's mounted seems much more stable and reliable than the other way (not that the other way couldn't be done) and you probably feel more comfortable with it I'm sure. I'm really liking the idea of having those....even more so in white than RGB now. I've seen a couple others with the Razzi kit do the same thing...I'm going to look into it. Your car looks awesome with it.

Compliments are always appreciated, thank.

If you don't want to tap into a fuse in your engine bay there is another fuse block on the drivers side. When you open the drivers door there is an access panel at the end of the dash board. I am going to run a fuse tap off of that block and install a switch so I can turn my LED's on or off. There are 2 fuses marked ACCES which I think are the 12V lighter plugs so that will be where I will tap off of.

Russ