Audio & Visual Section > Interior Modifications
Ambient Lighting project
RichardCX5:
I've decided to continue my ramblings over on the 'what did you do to your car today' thread over here instead so as not to take it over! Up until this point I had sourced the JDM OEM overhead console with ambient LED but had to kludge it together since the UK/JDM overhead consoles are not a straight swap. I'd found that the JDM overhead light was way too bright and very distracting at night, plus I wasn't a huge fan of having a white light anyway, so I've decided to start my own ambient lighting project!
I much preferred the red overhead ambient lighting my old Audi had so I wanted to replicate that in the CX-5. I'd fitted the JDM ambient lighting loom already with standard electrical connectors so can swap easily whilst I work out the best way to go about this.
12v 5mm wide-angle flat-top LEDs picked up from eBay
As I'd already messed up this trim piece from the overhead console fitting the JDM LED I don't have to worry too much about being neat. Two 5mm holes drilled and the LEDs glued in place.
Finished and ready to fit. I would have liked to have recessed the LEDs with a nice taper but the plastic piece is only about 3mm thick, perhaps for version 2 I'll work out a way to do that unless anyone has any bright ideas?
Fitted and testing! As I said it'd be nice not to be able to see the LEDs but luckily they're not too distracting. This is on the first fit and at first I thought they were too bright, like the JDM light (which in this picture is the oval at the front being lit up by the red LED). I had a look online and saw a great tip to scuff the surface of the LED with sandpaper to diffuse/dim the light which worked like a treat!
Very difficult to picture but you get the idea. I much prefer the red light to the white of the JDM, more in keeping with the orange LEDs of the pre-facelift models and more suited to the idea of warm-coloured 'comfort' lighting.
Today I might try out another LED in the compartment forward of the gearlever depending on how easy the trim pieces around there are to remove, another JDM accessory I'm going to rip off! :)
(EDIT - link to my JDM posts if you want to read up on that first) http://mazdacx5forums.co.uk/index.php?topic=337.msg3730#msg3730 starts there and about ten posts afterwards
BigAl:
My previous Subaru Forester had a similar setup with a single blue LED in the overhead panel. It was slightly recessed in a tube, so it wasn't visible itself unless you got under it and looked straight up (no chance of doing that accidentally). Could you do something similar?
Alan
RichardCX5:
--- Quote from: BigAl on September 03, 2016, 11:57:04 am ---My previous Subaru Forester had a similar setup with a single blue LED in the overhead panel. It was slightly recessed in a tube, so it wasn't visible itself unless you got under it and looked straight up (no chance of doing that accidentally). Could you do something similar?
Alan
--- End quote ---
I had a hunt around yesterday whilst I was doing this but couldn't find anything suitable. I think you'd have to be careful about the choice of material as the light could bounce off it creating just as bright a light source as the light reflects off the tube.
Ant:
This is a really interesting topic - I've been thinking about ambient lighting in the sunroof switch blanking panel like this for ages. Thanks Richard for doing all this development and prototyping work! ????
Can I ask please, where are you powering the LEDs from? Does the JDM loom run back to the fuse box on the passenger side and if so, is it easy to remove the A pillar trim, given there's an airbag under there? (I ran a dash cam cable down there but tucked it under the trim rather than removing it.)
Thanks
RichardCX5:
--- Quote from: Ant on September 03, 2016, 01:56:57 pm ---This is a really interesting topic - I've been thinking about ambient lighting in the sunroof switch blanking panel like this for ages. Thanks Richard for doing all this development and prototyping work! ????
Can I ask please, where are you powering the LEDs from? Does the JDM loom run back to the fuse box on the passenger side and if so, is it easy to remove the A pillar trim, given there's an airbag under there? (I ran a dash cam cable down there but tucked it under the trim rather than removing it.)
Thanks
--- End quote ---
No worries, this silly sort of stuff makes me happy :)
The JDM loom is very handy in that it's sheathed in soft plastic, and foam in the section above the headlining to avoid rattles. It also has an inline fuse and ring attachment for an earth. Strangely, the kit doesn't include any form of installation instructions so it's up to you to figure it out yourself.
I attached the positive wire to the feed to the glovebox light using the supplied blade tap - US owners don't have a glovebox light so they've generally tapped into the dimming control at the back of the stereo which is also switched 12v with the parking/headlights. I didn't want to start messing with the stereo loom so thought the glovebox light was a less risky option (plus it's much closer to where the wiring comes out).
The earth I attached to an existing earth point next to the passenger footwell fusebox.
The other benefit of the official loom is that it includes a new strap for the A-pillar trim. The trim is attached to the car using standard clips as well as a strap that has to be cut when removing the trim. To remove the trim, pull the weatherstrip off the door frame along the length of the A-pillar, then the A-pillar trim unclips at the top before sliding up towards the roof. My CX-5 doesn't have a sunroof so there was a handy set of clips running down the A-pillar where the drain tube would be. It's very important to run any cabling above the airbag to avoid fouling it, and to replace the strap when refitting the trim.
Hope that helps!
p.s. I haven't got time to upload the pictures now, but later I'll go into detail how to fit an LED in the compartment in front of the gearlever, it looks great! :)
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