Almost all car owners are involved in tuning their car, sometimes they don’t even know it. A tint sticker, installing a spoiler, even a banal replacement of conventional incandescent lamps with LED ones is already tuning.
All drivers try to make their car unique and different from everyone else. To achieve this goal, of course, it is necessary to change the appearance of the car. Tinting, alloy wheels, spoilers - this is all already banal and no one pays attention to such modifications. But auto lighting still inspires admiration among many. It is with the help of lighting design that you can achieve a simply unique look for your car.
DIY car interior lighting
Many motorists begin tuning their car from the interior. When you have no experience, it’s a little scary to take on external tuning, but inside the car you can try your hand at it. The car interior is simply a huge springboard for light tuning. Illumination can be installed almost everywhere: illumination of the driver’s and passengers’ feet, door handles, additional overhead lighting... you can go on and on.
Video - replacing the interior lighting of a VAZ 2110 car with LEDs:
Video - car interior lighting with LED strip:
It is worth noting that interior lighting is not only a decoration, but also a means to relax and relieve stress. For example, everyone knows that green light calms a person, so what’s stopping you from installing green leg lights? And someone is not satisfied with the standard white illumination of the instrument cluster - nothing prevents them from changing its color to the desired one and enjoying it.
Video - DIY foot lighting in the car interior:
Connection
There are several suitable options for how to make the lighting in your car yourself to ensure an original glow in your legs.
Each motorist will decide for himself how it will be more convenient and easier for him to connect the LED footlights in the car. But there are 3 main options:
- to the lighting of the interior itself;
- through the cigarette lighter;
- from dimensions.
The choice depends on the format in which the driver wants to see the backlight. After all, each scheme provides its own version of when and how the glow will be activated.
Through interior lighting
Some motorists prefer to install footwell lighting in their car by connecting to the main lighting system of the vehicle interior.
This connection method ensures that the backlight will always turn on exactly when the doors are opened or when the car interior lighting is turned on.
If you connect LED lighting for the footwell area in a car through interior lighting, then the light source will need to be connected according to the following algorithm:
- remove the interior lamp;
- connect the wires, observing polarity;
- the white wire usually goes to the plus;
- the negative wire is connected to the red wire;
- the wires are hidden under the interior trim;
- It’s most convenient to stretch them directly along the side post;
- Next, connect the wires of the installed LED strips to each other;
- connect them to a power source;
- check the system for functionality;
- if everything is functioning, perform high-quality insulation;
- return the lampshade to its place.
If you install an additional controller, the light will gradually dim rather than suddenly turn off.
If you are not sure about the polarity of the wiring, use a tester or multimeter. This will make it clear where is the plus and where is the minus. However, the wires may differ in color, depending on the car.
In this way you can connect to functioning interior lighting, but this is not the only option.
Through the cigarette lighter
You can also activate the LED strip from the cigarette lighter, which is done quite often.
By connecting the strip to the cigarette lighter, the light will turn on when the doors are opened.
Not the worst option, since most drivers do not need backlighting while driving. They use it for comfortable getting in and out of the car.
The connection itself is performed according to the following algorithm:
- plus the LED strip connects to the cigarette lighter;
- the minus must be connected to the limit switch on the door;
- the tape wiring is brought out together with the rest of the wires, connecting into a single bundle;
- All contacts are insulated and secured with a tie if necessary.
How exactly to remove and hide the wires depends on the specific car and the driver’s ideas.
Through dimensions
If you connect from the dimensions, then the backlight will function constantly, in parallel with the operation of the dimensions. That is, this is the most relevant option for many, since the system will turn on at night while traveling.
You can connect the plus from any backlight bulb. For example, the glove compartment or dashboard. The minus is thrown onto the body.
If you connect the minus to the door limit switch, then the backlight will turn on provided that the door is open and the lights are on.
Here, each motorist decides for himself how and in what situations he needs the LED strip in his legs to work. Therefore, you can choose different connection options.
By installing the tape in the legs, you can achieve the original appearance of the interior, as well as get some practicality from such a solution. Having chosen the appropriate work option, all that remains is to implement the scheme. Moreover, you can do this yourself, without having a wealth of experience and special specialized education.
Illumination of the trunk and engine compartment
Sooner or later, the moment comes when the standard trunk lighting begins to irritate the car owner. And really, what is beautiful about this yellowish light, which even the contents of the trunk cannot illuminate? And in the engine compartment on many cars there is no lighting at all.
And here, as always, imagination and the endless desire to improve your iron friend come to the rescue. Modern car lighting, installed in the trunk or under the hood, can not only evenly illuminate the luggage compartment and engine, but also give a certain style to your car. Indeed, currently on the lighting market there is lighting of all colors of the rainbow.
Ready-made lamp sets
As you can see, when independently selecting LED lamps for the interior, you need to take into account many nuances. If you don't want to bother yourself with lumen flux indicators, markings and lamp configurations, then opt for one of the more than 100 ready-made sets of LED lamps we have, made specifically for a specific car model.
The lamps in this set exactly replicate the interior space of the interior and trunk lamps of this car, flood the lamp diffusers with light as evenly as possible, and in addition, have dimmers and a lifetime warranty! You can select a set for lighting the interior of your car in the section.
According to the requirements of the traffic rules, any changes in the configuration of the external lighting devices of the car are a direct violation and entail fines or administrative sanctions (clause 3.1). However, additional interior lighting is not directly prohibited by the rules, which makes it possible to decorate the car, increase comfort, give the opportunity to look at a map or read the text in a guidebook without stress. The most popular type of lamps are LED lamps, which are durable and do not drain the battery even after prolonged use. There are several options for installing interior lighting, which should be considered in more detail.
By default, the ceiling lamps of most passenger cars contain W5W halogen lamps. To increase the brightness of the glow, LED lamps are usually installed. RGB panels have appeared on the market, allowing you to change the color of the backlight using the control panel. Installation of such panels is simple - you need to do the following operations:
- remove the transparent cap from the lampshade;
- remove the stock halogen lamp from the sockets;
- insert a special adapter with a plug instead;
- attach the LED panel;
- attach the panel to the bottom of the lampshade using double-sided tape;
- close the lampshade.
Interesting!
The option with an RGB panel is convenient because no soldering or other connection is required; all the work consists of disassembling and assembling the lampshades themselves. The cost of the set is low, and the decorative effect is very expressive and varied - some models are capable of creating 12 color and brightness options.
Under the car
Underbody lighting is probably the most common lighting tuning option. Of course, this is a very expensive way to stand out, but the result can make a person forget about all the costs of such improvements. If the light sources are installed correctly and the vehicle's ground clearance is not too high, then the underbody lighting creates the effect of a flying car. An optical illusion is created; a person does not see the wheels of the car, since all attention is focused on the scattered light under the bottom. The most important thing when installing such lighting is to hide the light sources, since if they are visible, the entire effect will be lost.
Machine contour lighting
Contour lighting is one of the most expensive options when purchasing a new car. This type of lighting has a purely decorative effect. The appearance of the front panel, instrument panel and other interior elements, illuminated along the lines of the ribs and plane transitions, is very attractive and favorably emphasizes the interior trim. Luminous lines divide the interior into zones, separating sections of the dashboard, door trim, gearshift unit and other departments.
There are kits that can be installed in any brand of car. They are produced in the countries of Southeast Asia, so their price is affordable for any car owner. The standard kit consists of the following components:
- powerful LED;
- power driver;
- set of connecting wires;
- light guide
The LED is inserted into the end of the light guide, which fits into the joint lines of the dashboard panels or other interior trim elements. The driver power is connected to the side lights. Installation is not particularly difficult. In addition, you can choose the most preferred color of the LEDs, there are about 10 options in total. The cost of the kit depends on the length of the light guide (2-5 m), the presence of a wireless remote control and other design features. In any case, independent tuning will cost several times less than the standard option with which the car is equipped at the factory.
Wheels and wheel arches
This type of lighting is not so common, but still has a right to exist. The illumination of the wheel arches looks especially impressive together with the underbody illumination, but as an independent tuning element, it copes with its task quite well. Automatic arch lighting and Borbet LV5 wheels - this combination will be liked and remembered by many. Implementing such a modification is not difficult, and it does not cost much.
Video instructions - how to make wheel lights with your own hands:
Foot lights in a car
At first, illumination of the lower tier of the car interior was carried out only on premium cars. However, quite soon this option began to be used on simpler models, and some car enthusiasts began installing footlights with their own hands. There are special kits on sale that simplify the installation of this type of lighting design to a minimum. They are a set of 4 lamps and a control panel. A plug from the cigarette lighter is used for power, and the elements are fixed using pieces of double-sided tape. The wires are laid under the edges of the floor mats so that no one accidentally tears them off. There are less complex kits, consisting only of lamps of a simpler design, without a remote control. They give less effect, but are much cheaper. Among the most complex models, we can highlight sets with the ability to control via a Wi-Fi module.
Car door lighting
This tuning not only looks beautiful, but also has some functionality. Agree, it’s quite convenient to open the door at night and see the space near the car. Such lighting is usually connected in such a way that it only works when the door is open. It is easy to install, but believe me, in the dark, such lighting looks very impressive. The illuminated edge of the front door matches very well with the illuminated footwells of the same color.
Video - do-it-yourself lighting of Kia Ceed car doors:
Lamp brightness and color
In addition to the external shape and size of the LED lamp, it is also necessary to take into account its purpose, that is, where exactly the LED lamp will be installed and what it should illuminate.
Navigation light lamps are designed for reading, for example, a road map in the cabin. This means that there should be enough light in them for reading, but at the same time, the light should not be excessive so as not to blind the eyes. For reading, it is better to choose a white or naturally white glow color. The optimal luminous flux in this case is 100-150 Lm.
The central interior light creates general lighting inside the car. It is logical to install a white LED lamp with the maximum luminous flux in it, so that there are no dark corners in the cabin. But if you are not a fan of classic solutions, then you can install colored LED lamps, for example, or make blue, red, green or even pink light in your salon, which looks very unusual.
The light in cosmetic mirrors located in sun visors should not be too bright, because when using the mirror the lamp will shine directly into your eyes. Comfortable luminous flux in this case is 25-70 Lm. In this case, the lamps should illuminate the face well, which means the light should be pure white.
The lighting of the footwell area, glove box and trunk should be such that not a single detail gets lost in the depths of the car. Here you can not skimp on the light and put the brightest LED lamps in these usually small lamps:
The bright light of these LED lamps will be especially useful when searching for a dropped phone or lipstick in the glove compartment.
LED lighting for doors or thresholds
performs two important functions. Firstly, it illuminates the space in front of you when you get out of the car, and secondly, it indicates an open door in the dark, making it more visible to other road users. In the lamps located in the doors, you can install LED lamps of any color and brightness to suit your taste.
Types of backlight
Currently, mainly two types of lighting are used to illuminate various parts of the car: LED and neon. Each light source, of course, has its pros and cons. In order to make the right choice before purchasing any backlight, you need to study their properties and technical characteristics. It is also useful to compare desires with financial capabilities.
Neon
Many people probably watched the famous movie “Fast and Furious,” where neon lighting was installed on the cars. This backlight is a gas-discharge lamp enclosed in a special protective shell. Such lamps consume little electricity and practically do not heat up, but in order for such illumination to start glowing, a special ignition unit is required. Since the lamps are in a special tube, the risk of damage to the backlight from stones flying from under the wheels is minimal.
Neon car lighting emits a fairly bright and at the same time soft light. The price for such lamps is quite reasonable. But of course, this light source also has disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the rather short service life; usually a neon lighting kit lasts a maximum of two seasons. Despite the protective coating, the lamps are quite fragile and there are cases of premature lamp failure.
Neon lighting is good in cases where it is installed only for one season and a large budget is not provided for this event. But not everything is as bad as it seems at first glance; at their cost, neon lamps do an excellent job.
LED based
Such lighting is more expensive than neon lighting, but its resource is much greater. The design of the backlight is similar to the analogue, except that the protective tube contains not lamps, but LEDs. The light source, based on LEDs, does not have any fragile parts in its design, so this lighting is not at all afraid of stones.
Another feature of the LED is a huge selection of shades of light. The LED lamp can work either in single color mode or change the shade using a special unit. It is worth noting that the control unit is only needed to adjust the light, and you can even light the LED lamp using a battery.
In terms of brightness, LED lighting outperforms neon, but the glow of the diodes is directional, and not diffused like neon. Many are not satisfied with this fact, and such people purchase cheaper and less durable neon lighting.
The advantage of neon lighting
The process of installing neon is a pleasant experience. You will not be able to make such lamps yourself, but their cost is lower than purchasing a system of similar technical characteristics and method of application. Such lighting is produced in a different color palette, shapes and sizes, which allows you to realize any design ideas.
In addition to its innovative aesthetic appearance, neon has a long service life - up to 15 years. Neon, which emits light in pipes, is an inert gas, and therefore absolutely safe and non-toxic. It cannot explode or catch fire. Installation of the system does not affect the technical qualities of the car and serves only an aesthetic function. Neon tubes allow you to create continuous lighting around the entire perimeter, which guarantees a consistent glow. This system is comfortable to use, the lamps do not overheat and do not create additional noise. It is universal for any vehicle and you can even make neon lighting for a bicycle.
Such tuning will cost about several thousand in a maintenance shop, but using the above tips on how to install neon lighting on a car, you can create the car of your dreams.
LED headlights – a sophisticated look
In order to create a full-fledged image of a car, in addition to the original body painting, headlight decoration is often used (due to additional lighting). Moreover, with the correct construction of such a system, LED lighting can also be used from a practical point of view, as a source of DRLs (daytime running lights). Considering the energy savings of LEDs, this is a significant unloading of the power supply system, which will contribute to its longer and more reliable operation, as well as reduced fuel consumption.
You can get high-quality headlight illumination at a tuning studio or yourself by purchasing special kits. It is not difficult, but beautiful and unusual.
Design of additional lighting from LEDs
Interior lighting using LEDs begins with the preparation of materials. The two most commonly used types of tape are RGB or SMD. The second option will be a little more expensive, but easier to work with. Additionally, you can select single LEDs for dedicated zones, but more meticulous car owners are already working with them.
To replace standard lamps, LED analogues with the same base designs are suitable. In other places the tape is applied. Before installation, you need to measure the required length of the strip and cut the required piece of tape at fixed points. There are usually hard spots in the belt for the chain to break. It is by them that the length must be divided. If you do not cut according to the specified marks, then there will be no contacts to which wires are soldered for further wiring.
The tape is usually distributed along the dashboard, along the entire perimeter of the roof and down the pillars of the doorways. Fixation is carried out using double-sided tape attached to the LED line on the reverse side and covered with a protective strip. We tear it off and fix the LED strip.
You need to know that when working with LEDs, you must strictly observe polarity, otherwise they can be damaged.
We solder wires to the open ends of the LED strip and cover the connection with heat shrink film. After heating the soldered area covered with film using an industrial or household hair dryer, we close the contacts from oxidation. Next, we bring out the ends of the wires in the same way as with a neon connection.
When using RGB tape, you can assemble the circuit using an RGB controller.
Power supply for car lighting
You can power the backlight in different ways. Someone uses a door panel for this, and in this case the lighting will not only be a decorative element, but also a reminder that the door is not closed, because it will only light up when the doors are opened. However, this method is not suitable for illuminating the rims and the underbody of the car, because there the backlight should always be on when we want it.
Which feeding method should you choose?
The simplest power connection option for a car is the cigarette lighter. It just produces 12 V, so this power is quite enough for us to connect all the lighting of our car. To do this, you can simply remake the charger for a mobile phone and connect the wires in a circuit to a stabilizer, which lowers the voltage to 4 V. To do this, just disassemble the charger for a mobile phone, which works from the cigarette lighter and solder one wire to ground, and the other – in front of the stabilizer. This will be enough to ensure the lighting works, and if necessary, the charger is simply pulled out of the cigarette lighter.
However, the most correct option would still be to connect the backlight power to the battery through the fuses. In addition, this option will allow you not to violate the integrity of the car's factory wiring, which is extremely important.
We check and test
We take the remote control in our hands and turn on the backlight. If you did everything correctly, you will be able to enjoy the ability to change color modes and even shades of the glow, and you can even set up programs for smooth transitions and changing the colors of the glow.
This is what you should end up with if you do everything right:
Instrument panel lighting
The instrument panel is also very often the subject of design in a car. Some people are not satisfied with the standard backlight color, others think the brightness of certain icons is insufficient, others want to make the dashboard multi-colored, for example making the speedometer area above a certain speed red. Upgrading the instrument panel has now become much easier. To do this, just order a set consisting of 40 LEDs of different colors, and the instrument cluster of your car will sparkle with new colors.
The LEDs already have a corresponding base, so you don’t need a soldering iron to install them in the instrument panel. You will only need to remove the corresponding light bulb and insert a new light source in its place. However, it should be borne in mind that before putting the instrument panel in place, you need to make sure that the LEDs are lit.
If they are inserted incorrectly, that is, the polarity is not observed, they will not burn. Although they are light-emitting, they are still diodes, and a diode only passes current in one direction. The set costs about 500 rubles.
Flexible neon in car design
It's no secret that many car enthusiasts want to make their car stand out from the crowd of other cars.
Today there are quite a lot of ways to do this. In this article we will look at one of the most popular methods today - flexible neon. The advantages of flexible neon are its low energy consumption, high strength and durability. In addition, you do not need special knowledge to use flexible neon. It is easy to cut and bend, so you can create almost any composition. Neon is easy to install anywhere; it does not break or fade. Flexible neon is widely used to decorate the interior of a car: The most important stage in the design is the selection of color combinations. It is necessary to carefully select the color scheme specifically for your car. The most commonly used colors. In addition, before you start decorating, you need to decide on the lighting method; you can run neon along the contours of doors or dashboards; you can create interesting compositions, ignoring the peculiarities of the curves of the interior. It all depends on your imagination. The interior lighting of almost any car often does not meet the specific requirements, so by installing flexible neon inside the cabin, you can achieve the required level of comfort. To do this, it is recommended to install flexible neon on the instrument panel, door handles, glove box, and pedals. In addition, you can completely replace the standard backlight by installing neon. Installing the neon cord is quite simple. All you need is to use glue to secure the neon cord in the way you want and power it. You will also have to consider where to install the power cord. Let's look at the example of door lighting. First, we disassemble the door, remove the trim and drill a hole for the power cord.
All that remains is to install flexible neon under the sheathing elements.
If you wish, you can completely abandon dismantling the door and trim, and simply glue the neon along the contour, but in this case, it will stick out more and, accordingly, will be less protected from mechanical influences. Similarly, lighting is installed throughout the vehicle interior.
In order to connect power to the neon cord, we will use the connection diagram from the car’s on-board network or 12V network adapter
By decorating your car with flexible neon, you achieve not only beauty, but also other useful properties. Flexible neon, unlike any other type of lighting, does not dazzle or distract the driver at all. At the same time, neon glow provides measured, rich light. In the dark, you won’t have to look for the handle on the door trim; you can comfortably get out of the car without fear of getting caught on something. Illumination of the car increases its safety. Thus, with the help of flexible neon, you can change the interior to your taste. The beauty and originality of your car now depends only on the imagination of its owner.
Many car owners are interested in the possibility of installing footlights. After all, such lighting can not only decorate, but completely transform even the most ordinary car. The right color and well-installed lighting will give your car a completely new look, will not only please you, but also attract the views of others. Many tuning salons and auto repair shops today offer their services for installing lighting. However, you don’t always want to pay extra money. After all, the installation process itself is quite simple; almost anyone can do it themselves.
Let's look at how to highlight the legs.
Making footwell lights in a car is easy. There are several ways to carry out this procedure
