Dome, map light wiring diagram?

[VonKaiser]

I'm going to attempt installing my LEDs now that my car is in the garage and I would like to see if someone has a diagram of what wire does what under the dash. OR should I just remove the headliner and splice the wire up there and run the wire back down to the passenger cabin?

My other question is do I need to increase the fuse Amps if I add half a dozen LEDs?

[Sponsor]

[norcalfocus01]

Moved to Interior Mods & Chat.

What I would do is get an add a fuse. You can pick them up at your local auto parts store and then you dont have to tap into any wiring and you'll be under the dash already. Just add it to one of the fuses that is hot when the car is running then have a switch in your dash.

[VonKaiser]

Originally Posted by norcalfocus01

Moved to Interior Mods & Chat.

What I would do is get an add a fuse. You can pick them up at your local auto parts store and then you dont have to tap into any wiring and you'll be under the dash already. Just add it to one of the fuses that is hot when the car is running then have a switch in your dash.

I choose lighting chat but found it odd that it was for the exterior subforum. :lol:

Anyway, I don't want a switch I'd like the lights to come on when the dome light (opening the doors, using the keyfob etc) or map lights come on. Adding an in-line fuse is a good idea but wouldn't it be better to just add a beefier one in the fusebox since I'm running off the existing dome light (map light) line?

[norcalfocus01]

An add a fuse isnt an inline fuse. Its a fuse that plugs into the fuse box and uses the power off it.



Do you really want it to come on everytime you turn on your dome light? Think about it your driving along turn on the dome light and your LEDs come on.

The only way to run wire off the dome itself is to put wire on the clips that hold the bulb.

[VonKaiser]

Originally Posted by norcalfocus01

An add a fuse isnt an inline fuse. Its a fuse that plugs into the fuse box and uses the power off it.

Ah, ok. :)

Do you really want it to come on everytime you turn on your dome light? Think about it your driving along turn on the dome light and your LEDs come on.

Yes. These are small 3mm and 5mm LEDs. :)

The only way to run wire off the dome itself is to put wire on the clips that hold the bulb.

Wouldn't splicing the wire work?

[norcalfocus01]

For some stupid reason it dosent. I tried doing it that way when I ran my extra dome light but it doesnt work.

Maybe find the fuse for the dome light then add the add a fuse to that socket

[VonKaiser]

Originally Posted by norcalfocus01

For some stupid reason it dosent. I tried doing it that way when I ran my extra dome light but it doesnt work.

Maybe find the fuse for the dome light then add the add a fuse to that socket

Thats odd...one would think that would work.

[flipwilly2]

I put a PT Cruiser (don't you judge me) dome light over the rear seat area in my '08 and wired into the front map lights (the interior is all black and you couldn't see anything back there). I used a straightened out coat hanger to fish the wires from the rear seat to the front lights, found the hot wires for the map lights by poking my test light through the wire's insulation, and when the test light went off when the map lights went off, I knew I had the right wire. I skinned back about 3/4" of the hot and ground wires (didn't cut them) and wrapped the wires from the rear around the skinned places and then taped them. The rear dome light comes on and goes off with the map lights and I've had no problems at all. I wouldn't think your LED's would pull anymore juice than what I did. You could be more professional than me and solder and heat shrink the splices.

[VonKaiser]

Originally Posted by flipwilly2

I skinned back about 3/4" of the hot and ground wires (didn't cut them) and wrapped the wires from the rear around the skinned places and then taped them. The rear dome light comes on and goes off with the map lights and I've had no problems at all. I wouldn't think your LED's would pull anymore juice than what I did. You could be more professional than me and solder and heat shrink the splices.

This is some what a bit like I was thinking. Removing some of the rubber wire casing and wrapping the LED wires around it and taping it off with some electrical tape and using a tiny ziptie to keep it tight. I don't have a tester and the wires are so tightly packed under the headliner I don't know what is what--which is why I need to know what wire does what before I start splicing. :D If all else fails I can just literally test each wire until I find out what is what. But generally black is ground so that part is easy to figure out right?

[norcalfocus01]

The wires are glued to the headliner, so if you wanted to get to them better you could just pull the wires and rip them off the top of the headliner. I had to do that when I took my headliner out.