DIY - Surround lighting under side mirrors - like A6 and above (NOT FOR MY2010 - YET)

[lokak]

just tried to the perform the mod, but i'm not sure if i tapped the correct cable for the ground. on motor-talk.com they refer to the brown/white line for the ground but my puddle lights aren't functioning correctly. on the diagram here is states a blue/black line but i thought that was referring to the LED cables and not the cables to the door.

when i unlock the car, the puddle light blinks for a second and then shuts offs. when i lock the car it stays lit but is very dim.

can anyone tell me which line they tapped for the ground?

[rlarsen]

I didn't use the brown cable, because I didn't have enough space in the mirror to tap into it. I have the Side Assist, and with just one cable going into the door, was enough to "kick" the Side Assist LED out of the mirror housing, therefore I needed to find a ground cable inside the mirror to tap on to, and here I found the blue/black cable, which is the one used with the LED turn signal.

The cable used in the DIY on motor-talk is not brown/white, but only brown (The German text: ..... Leitungsende kriegt Masse, Braunes kabel abgreifen in der nähe im Spiegel.)

[lokak]

tried to redo this mod by tapping the black/blue cable as the ground with no success. now when i lock/unlock nothing happens with the puddle lights.

i used a my multimeter and i'm getting a steady 0.75V from my line whenever i lock/unlock. can someone who's done the mod check what they're getting, i thought using pin 1 would get 12V? looking at the LEDs themselves says 13.5V...

[rlarsen]

I can just answer for my self - the black/blue line is ground in my mirror.

When you use your multimeter, what are you then getting when you switch on the LED turn signal?? you should get the turn signal (power switches on/off) on one of the lines.

[lokak]

well i didn't get a chance to take apart the mirror to see what i'm getting from the LED turn signal. i can say that i'm fairly certain the black/blue is a ground line since there isn't any voltage changes when I have the turn signal on.

i just don't know why i'm getting 0.75V from the power line to the puddle lights.

[rlarsen]

well i didn't get a chance to take apart the mirror to see what i'm getting from the LED turn signal. i can say that i'm fairly certain the black/blue is a ground line since there isn't any voltage changes when I have the turn signal on.

i just don't know why i'm getting 0.75V from the power line to the puddle lights.

The LEDs will only work when CH/LH is active.

[lokak]

no i understand that, that is when i get the 0.75V is when i'm performing CH/LH. i have that currently set at 30 sec and my DRLs stay on for that long, my puddle light doesn't come on but there is a voltage being sent to it. The voltage stops after 30 sec except its not strong enough or so it seems.

[lokak]

well after not working for a couple of days, the light came on after leaving work today. i honestly don't know what happened, but it looks to be working. thanks rlarsen for all your help :D

[mateush]

2x Small screws for mounting the LEDs to the trim

Anyone got a part number of this screw?

[rlarsen]

Anyone got a part number of this screw?

I just happen to have two screws when I was installing my LEDs - but I don't know the part number, the screws I've used isn't the OEM ones, but they fit perfect.

[dracolnyte]

uh would this work if i dont have light sensor or CH/LH function?

[Nison_Li]

subscribed

[dracolnyte]

i am tempted to just drill a hole under my mirrors, install an LED and the somehow just snatch power from the dome lights

[Dasquade]

Not really interested in the mirror postioned leds, but more in the BMW door handle leds. Not sure if someone attempted this yet. The front shouldn't be a problem regarding wiring, but more wondering if we could tab of electricity on the back doors (and have it work with comming home). In worst case run wires form the front door to the back.
Any info would be welcome :) . Nice find by the way...

[DavidB8]

BMW DIY for exterior lighted handles: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=926227

or is this the BMW style you mean?:

Just a quick note on this one. I have an A8 handle light coming and will be looking to see if it can be installed. TR has done some nice work with regular LED's but I'm addicted to OEM so I will be trying the A8 light to see if it can fit.

[TR464]

Just a teaser:
http://img4web.com/g/BMFZG

Wait for A8 OEM style ...

[DavidB8]

That just looks so great. I don't think I will be to upset if this is one that OEM wont work on. I have to try OEM just because it's what I do but I would be pretty happy with your end result. You got great placement of the Led's, that is a very uniform light. With the A8 using only one light I'm not sure it would give as a good of a light spread as yous.




Here is a picture of the LED on an A8


Your placement of the lights is more along the line of the BMW but still project really onto the ground, I don't think the A8 light will illuminate the handle opening as well.

[linet90]

Are the links of the pictures not working of the original post or is it just me?

[NPuter]

Are the links of the pictures not working of the original post or is it just me?

not just you - they're gone.

[linet90]

ok, does anyone have pictures of how it came out?

[rlarsen]

ok, does anyone have pictures of how it came out?

Yeah, the photos disappeared when the server that hosted them, was changed in its file structure...

BUT- if you click on the link to motor-talk.de in my first post you'll see photos in the first post there (7 pieces).

[DavidB8]

If anyone on a 09 or pre wants to do the mirror one let me know. I have almost everything to do them except maybe one part I think. I was going to see if I could modify it to fit the my10 but no such luck.

[linet90]

If anyone on a 09 or pre wants to do the mirror one let me know. I have almost everything to do them except maybe one part I think. I was going to see if I could modify it to fit the my10 but no such luck.

I have a 09, how much would cost be?

[linet90]

If anyone on a 09 or pre wants to do the mirror one let me know. I have almost everything to do them except maybe one part I think. I was going to see if I could modify it to fit the my10 but no such luck.

I have a 09, how much would cost be?

[rlarsen]

Yeah, the photos disappeared when the server that hosted them, was changed in its file structure...

BUT- if you click on the link to motor-talk.de in my first post you'll see photos in the first post there (7 pieces).

And here are some more photos: http://www.motor-talk.de/blogs/das-l...-t2735640.html - where this photo is important if you want the LEDs to work (it is the 2-pin connect plan):

[linet90]

^ I see, thank you very much.

[DavidB8]

I have a 09, how much would cost be?

I'll have to get it all together and get back to you. I've had it sitting around for a little while but it's all new.

[Nison_Li]

I also have the parts from an A6, but it seems impossible to run any extra wires as I've got side assist, auto dimming and folding, there's no more room to run any wire...

I'll have to get it all together and get back to you. I've had it sitting around for a little while but it's all new.

[DavidB8]

Quitter

I have all the same features and I got my wires in. I used a very small fishtape wire and worked it through, then pulled the wires back. But there was never a 2010 option so now I'm going the door handle route. Very very tight though and took me a good amount of time to feed them threw.

[Nison_Li]

i was thinking about split the dimming wires and tap the ground to the one in the mirror...

Quitter

I have all the same features and I got my wires in. I used a very small fishtape wire and worked it through, then pulled the wires back. But there was never a 2010 option so now I'm going the door handle route. Very very tight though and took me a good amount of time to feed them threw.

[DavidB8]

Yeah that would work. That's being creative.

[linet90]

I'll have to get it all together and get back to you. I've had it sitting around for a little while but it's all new.

ok, even if you give me a rough estimate it would be fine juat so I know what I would be getting myself into.

[linet90]

I dont really understand what the coming home feature is? or even if I have that. Is that the only way it will work?

[DavidB8]

Oh.. Do you have Auto Headlights? I don't recall the exact pricing but I think it was about $100 or less maybe?

[linet90]

Oh.. Do you have Auto Headlights? I don't recall the exact pricing but I think it was about $100 or less maybe?

Well price sounds good but I dont have auto headlights. I am waiting for the harness to come in so I can install the feature.

[DavidB8]

Ok, once you have that feature you will have CH/LH.

[linet90]

What exactly does CH/LH do?

[DavidB8]

It turns your light on for a preset amount of time when it's dark. It works when Coming Home CH and Leaving Home, so when you turn off the car or unlock the car.

[linet90]

I was thinking that its some kind of connection between the house and car sorta like the home link. You have also said about the LED in door handle, any word on that?

[DavidB8]

I should be receiving my 1 led this week I hope. I didn't order a full set because although they aren't expensive your looking at about $30 a door with plus and wire. The catch is the LED part will require custom work unless someone wants to date about $400 to get an A8 door handle and have it painted then see if it fits.... I do like the mirror one because it uses all factory parts but there just isn't a solution for the 2010 and up.