Mav 3000
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Registered: 16th Aug 01
Location: Leicestershire
User status: Offline
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Hi,
A few months ago I had the idea of putting LED's in my door pockets to illuminate my speakers. After getting my electric windows put in, I used the switch's live feeds and earths to wire up the LED's:
Door Pockets:
And:
Then, once they were hooked up to the switches power supply, they looked like this switched off, and switched on respectively:
Passenger Side:
Drivers Side:
I'm really pleased with the results - thats with only 2 LED's! There is now light leakage out into the car - once the door card is back on the only thing that lights up is the speaker - at night (the pictures were taken in the day in my garage (with and without flash) they look even better!
Hope you all like them. There both switched (each side) so if I get sick of them I can turn them off (switch is hidden in door pocket). Looks really cool opening the door with a lit-up speaker on show!
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Kris TD
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Registered: 25th Mar 02
Location: Ware, Hertfordshire
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looking good rich 
i just got a load of red neons for the inside of my car. u gotta love lights 
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corb
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Registered: 24th Apr 02
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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looks good mate 
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andypsgwide
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Registered: 13th Mar 03
Location: newcastle
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look good just puy some behind heater control's
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IntaCepta
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Registered: 25th Mar 02
Location: Mill Hill East, Greater London
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its quite bright for 2 leds
very impressed.
might have to try this out
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Mav 3000
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Registered: 16th Aug 01
Location: Leicestershire
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I can't believe how bright ist is forjust two led's!
Thanks for the positive comments people - like I say they've got switches in the door pocket so if I get annoyed with them i can turn them off.
theres a red LED in each door pocket too, but you can't really see it - but i don't mind
I really want to do all my controls, MFD and centre console, but to be honest I'm currently scared of losing screws into my heating, snapping vents, breaking my air con switch etc! Ideally I'd pray the MFD and Centre surround silver, and have blue knobs, but dunno if the air con one will come off - at all!
I got my cobra material today, but the evo-stick stuff I got to stick it went throguh on the sample bit I tried, so think before I buy more LED's I'm gonna pay £50 to get my cards re-trimmed by professionals.
Thanks for the comments folks. I was gonna toy with UV LED's but I think i'll quit while infront on that one! Had to move the LED's up btw from the top two pics as the speakers were smaller than i thought!
Oh, and it looks much better at night!
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Richie
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Registered: 3rd Dec 02
Location: Newport, Wales
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mav where u get the leds mate? If u got em from maplins whats the order code?
Cheers matey, i ran some spare cables thru ma door plugs n i think ill give it a go, credit goes to u acourse 
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Mav 3000
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Registered: 16th Aug 01
Location: Leicestershire
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I'm not the first person, but bo be honest I did get the idea before I saw that it had been done before (honest ) Anyway, yes I got the LED's from Maplins. the red ones are 12v but the blue ones have little resistors wired into the leve before they are powered. I can't remember the order code, but there the 'Ultra Bright Blue' ones from page 128 or there abouts You'll see them when you find the LED section. I got a guy in the shop to get me the right resistors - I know pretty much nothing about electronics!
Hope this helps.
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jm960326
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Registered: 24th Aug 02
Location: Rob Cheshire
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Looking good!! Think I might have to change mine to LED's, I got dark blue bulbs behind there at the moment wired into a spare fog light switch. But as Mav says at night they do look, good.
I did my MFD as well, only problem with blue LED's in that is during the day you cannot read the thing at all its really dim, at night is fine looks really good.
to you for the LED's
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t44rnt
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Registered: 6th Mar 03
Location: London/Essex
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looks sweet mate
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Corsa_Mel
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Registered: 15th Oct 01
Location: Sale, Greater Manchester
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How much were the leds?
looks good matey!
regarding the blue leds in the mfd... I have the same problem during the day.. just can't see the display at all. I've not added another 2 leds into it and put silver foil inside the lighted area. I now have 4 leds in my mfd. Still got to try it in the daylight though.
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Mav 3000
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Registered: 16th Aug 01
Location: Leicestershire
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The LED's were about £1.99 for the 12v ones and less for the blue ones, but they needed resistors, which of course cost extra. Switches for them were £1.99. The total cost I think for both doors is about £10.
Thanks for the positive comments!
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willay
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Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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looking good, motiviation for me to get off my arse and to finish off my little glovebox neon light project  keep up the nice work
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IntaCepta
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Registered: 25th Mar 02
Location: Mill Hill East, Greater London
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ok i bought 8 leds and rocker switch.
where have u got ur live feed from?
how did u do the wiring exactly?
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jm960326
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Registered: 24th Aug 02
Location: Rob Cheshire
User status: Offline
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I got my live feed from my central locking module which is permenant live, depends if you want them to be able to operate regardless of ignition??
Anyway wiring is easy,
Live - switch - Led's - ground
Basically wire in that order. Your switch interupts the live feed to the Led's and then attach the other end of the Led's to the car body. Led's are polarity sensitive so if they do not come on at first try plugging the live onto the other leg of the Led.
There is a pic somewhere when Mav was doing his see if it can be found.
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jm960326
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Registered: 24th Aug 02
Location: Rob Cheshire
User status: Offline
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Here ya go see this thread that was done couple of months back.
http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/viewthread.php?tid=59238
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IntaCepta
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Registered: 25th Mar 02
Location: Mill Hill East, Greater London
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cheers for the link, helped me alot!
i originally wanted to have 1 switch to on the the leds.
but this would mean i would need to route the live out from the door into the cabin and into the other door?
i don't see any other way.
it will be much easier to have a switch on each door.
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Mav 3000
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Registered: 16th Aug 01
Location: Leicestershire
User status: Offline
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S'up homies,
The questions have pretty much been answered but I'll write some stuff anyway !
I wired mine up in the same order as JM suggests above, but 'cos my bluey's needed resisitors, mine went:
live->switch->(then in parrelel to each LED) resistor->LED->Earth
I used the earth wires from the window switches for my earth points, but the car door metal will do.
Mine only come on when the ignition is on 
I was gonna have once switch in the drivers door which controlled both sides, but the wiring from door to door and getting through the muliplugs was gonna prove to be too hard, so each door now has its own switch. In the day you can't see the cones lit up, just the LED's, so mine stay on all the time - I don't mind.
I think the shortest LED 'stick' is the positive one, but if they don't light up then you can just swap them over.
I tested my circuit by pressing the wiring i made to the battery terminals.
Good luck!
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M2RTY
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Registered: 25th May 01
User status: Offline
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looks good, am impressed mate!!
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Mav 3000
Member
Registered: 16th Aug 01
Location: Leicestershire
User status: Offline
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Thanks! I'm now very tempted to blue-LED my dash!
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