How to: Aftermarket footwell lighting

[Chickenmuffn]

NOTE: This was done on a Euro 2011 Ford Focus MK3

My Focus didn't come with footwells so I decided to install them today. Took me about 2 hours.

First I located the fuse box which, for my car, was in the left footwell. To access the fuse box there are 2 plastic bolts that hold up a stiff piece of cloth that covers the fuse box. Squeeze and twist them off.



The indicated fuse is a fuse that is activated when the key is in the "ON" position. There should be a 10amp fuse is there, I forgot to put it back in for the picture. I'm using a add-a-circuit fuse tap so that the footwells turn on only when the key is in the ON position



I then threaded some wires behind the center console. I zip tied a twig to the wire and threaded it though the back.


By chickenmuffn at 2012-09-08

Here is the left side LED strip, I soldered the add a fuse to the positive of the LED and soldered some black wire to the GND just to extend it


By chickenmuffn at 2012-09-08

This is the right side LED strip soldered to the wires I threaded eariler


By chickenmuffn at 2012-09-08

Mounted the LED's using double sided tape to underneath the dash, making sure the glove box would clear the strips.


By chickenmuffn at 2012-09-08

Connected the left and right GND wires using a ring connector, and bolted that connector to a metal screw I found underneath the glove box.


By chickenmuffn

The positive wires were solder together and then connect to the add-a-circuit which was theninserted into the above indicated fuse slot.



Cleaned up the wires, reattached the stiff cloth piece and turned the key to the ON position. This was taken in broad daylight. Will take another one tonight.


By chickenmuffn at 2012-09-08

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[MotorcityJAX]

Nice write, great job

[BLarson]

Looks rad. Great write up.

[dpando1]

right on!

[Rownan]

Great write up, and nice Onitukas!

I'm planning something similar, already got my LEDs from onzium. But I also want them to come on with the fob, door unlock etc.. I'm hoping to piggyback on the interior dome circuit for that, using diodes so I don't bridge circuits. This of course requires the dome circuit to be positively switched. I HOPE HOPE HOPE it's not negatively switched. But I'm not sure, since I haven't put a multimeter on it yet.

Any clue if our dome is negatively switched?

[Chickenmuffn]

Have you thought about wiring them directly to the sidelights/sidemarkers?

[Rownan]

interesting thought. Are those controlled by a light sensor or are they always on when the car is on?

I was hoping to tap into something in the interior fuse panel like you did, using an add-a-circuit. I'm guessing sidemarkers are powered from the under hood panel. Hoping to avoid running wire through the firewall.

[Chickenmuffn]

Originally Posted by Rownan

interesting thought. Are those controlled by a light sensor or are they always on when the car is on?

I was hoping to tap into something in the interior fuse panel like you did, using an add-a-circuit. I'm guessing sidemarkers are powered from the under hood panel. Hoping to avoid running wire through the firewall.

At least for my Euro focus, my sidelights turn on when I unlock my car and stay on until I open and close my door. Then of course I can control them when I'm driving.

I don't think its possible to fuse tap the sidelights because they are controlled by a computer... You would have to directly tap the wire near the headlights :/

Or you can pull down the dome lights whip out the multimeter.

[Rownan]

Yeah I'll be putting a multimeter on it this this weekend. I'll probably check the OEM footwell lighting, as it seems to be running on the same circuit as the dome.