[Sixpointtwoliter]

Hey all. I've burned through Google looking for an answer, I can't find it.

I added LEDs to the footwells and they're currently on ACC power with an add-a-circuit on interior space #45. I don't really like this because they're on whenever the car is on, and because they don't turn on when the door opens. Optimal was always going to be tying them to dash lights or headlights, but them being on all the time is fine as long as I can get them working with the doors too.

I was hoping when I got them that I could just "add a circuit" to an interior light fuse, but the 18+ Accord seems to work mainly with module devices, and there aren't really too many "singular" fuses, especially in the interior fuse box. If I want them to trip with the doors, I know I need to relay it to something that comes on with the doors and also to a constant.

I pulled down the dome light to see the wire colors, and it's red/white. Too generic to find them at the other end by the fuse box, and I don't want to fish a wire up the A pillar just for footwell lights.

What I need to know is:

Does someone know where the dome light negative is at the fuse box?

Is there another easier "door trigger" source to get to?

Or is there a fuse slot I can move to that comes on with the headlights (since the headlights always come on when you unlock or open door), and I can skip relaying entirely?

I was thinking of using "Back Up" under the hood, but it seems too many systems run through that fuse and I'm not confident it'll run how I think if I jump on it.

 

[Samuelx]

You might be able to find an answer in the installation instructions for the ambient lighting kit -

Ambient Lighting Kit

Check out the deal on Ambient Lighting Kit at College Hills Honda

www.collegehillshonda.com

 

[Sixpointtwoliter]

You might be able to find an answer in the installation instructions for the ambient lighting kit -

Ambient Lighting Kit

Check out the deal on Ambient Lighting Kit at College Hills Honda

www.collegehillshonda.com

That ambient light kit just uses the accessory port that the puddle light, heated steering wheel, etc. all plug into.

I'm not saying it couldn't work, I just wouldn't know which wire to work off of from the pins

 

[Vegashybrid]

You could wire it like this to the convenience lights in the doors. Try pos to pos and neg to neg first without the relay. I can pop the door panel and check which color is negative

How to add LED strips to any light in the car with or...

I ran into some problems with the ECU seeing a short with my initial setup of adding led strip to the trunk. This caused the all interior lights not to function. https://www.accordxclub.com/threads/what-did-you-do-to-your-honda-accord-today.1006/post-38041 So how do you upgrade the lighting...

www.accordxclub.com

 

[Sixpointtwoliter]

You could wire it like this to the convenience lights in the doors. Try pos to pos and neg to neg first without the relay. I can pop the door panel and check which color is negative

How to add LED strips to any light in the car with or...

I ran into some problems with the ECU seeing a short with my initial setup of adding led strip to the trunk. This caused the all interior lights not to function. https://www.accordxclub.com/threads/what-did-you-do-to-your-honda-accord-today.1006/post-38041 So how do you upgrade the lighting...

www.accordxclub.com

Ah, I have a Sport. As far as I know, I don't even have the wiring harness for the door courtesy lights. Appreciate the idea though, because it's exactly what I'm trying to get at.

I'd have to use a relay though, because when the courtesy lights turn off when the door closes (via the control ground), the LEDs would turn off. They'd have to jump to ignition power once you closed the doors

 

[Vegashybrid]

Ah, I have a Sport. As far as I know, I don't even have the wiring harness for the door courtesy lights. Appreciate the idea though, because it's exactly what I'm trying to get at.

I'd have to use a relay though, because when the courtesy lights turn off when the door closes (via the control ground), the LEDs would turn off. They'd have to jump to ignition power once you closed the doors

If you want the ability to turn them on independent of the doors as well, then yes you would need a relay. Not just to turn on and off with the door lights which I believe it does from factory (has to be touring spec only). From my base model experience, you probably don't have the wire harnesses in the door.

 

[Sixpointtwoliter]

If you want the ability to turn them on independent of the doors as well, then yes you would need a relay. Not just to turn on and off with the door lights which I believe it does from factory (has to be touring spec only). From my base model experience, you probably don't have the wire harnesses in the door.

Yes, I want them to come on either with the headlights as well, or at worst, be on with ignition.

These aren't the ambiance lights from Honda, these are aftermarket LED strips for the footwells. Sport doesn't come with footwell lights. I don't know if that's what you're referring to but I want to clear confusion if there is any.

But you see with my Sport how finding wires I can jump into that work with the door switch is proving difficult unless I want to run a wire up the A Pillar to the dome light

 

[Vegashybrid]

Yes, I want them to come on either with the headlights as well, or at worst, be on with ignition.

These aren't the ambiance lights from Honda, these are aftermarket LED strips for the footwells. Sport doesn't come with footwell lights. I don't know if that's what you're referring to but I want to clear confusion if there is any.

But you see with my Sport how finding wires I can jump into that work with the door switch is proving difficult unless I want to run a wire up the A Pillar to the dome light

Yes I was under the impression you were using a footwell kit. Most come with a harness adapter that plug in somewhere. So you will need a test light/amp meter and to probe some wires or to find a wiring diagram. You may be able to buy one off all data. You may not need a relay for this one. You may want to try just tapping the positive from the headlights and wiring it to the LEDs. Since the headlights are basically always on from the moment you open the doors, this would satisfy your requirements and be less wiring. Probably just one wire to the cabin at that point. I would test it first before running it into the cabin though make sure you get no errors. Just wire it in the engine bay and leave it there overnight. Should be fairly easy to find the positive for the headlights.

 

[Sixpointtwoliter]

Yes I was under the impression you were using a footwell kit. Most come with a harness adapter that plug in somewhere. So you will need a test light/amp meter and to probe some wires or to find a wiring diagram. You may be able to buy one off all data. You may not need a relay for this one. You may want to try just tapping the positive from the headlights and wiring it to the LEDs. Since the headlights are basically always on from the moment you open the doors, this would satisfy your requirements and be less wiring. Probably just one wire to the cabin at that point. I would test it first before running it into the cabin though make sure you get no errors. Just wire it in the engine bay and leave it there overnight. Should be fairly easy to find the positive for the headlights.

I agree. If I tap on the headlights, I'm set. They flash when the doors open, so it'll do everything I'm expecting.

You think I should splice in directly from the hot at the left headlight. Should I take a meter to the headlight plug and test the pins or would someone happen to already know which is the hot wire on the headlight connector? I suppose there's only so many lines on the headlight connector, probably not difficult to just run a test light flipping them on/off

 

[Vegashybrid]

I haven't looked but should be red and black then just run a t-tap from the red with a line to the compartment. Not saying it might not trigger a cel or error or something but worth a shot.

 

[Sixpointtwoliter]

I haven't looked but should be red and black then just run a t-tap from the red with a line to the compartment. Not saying it might not trigger a cel or error or something but worth a shot.

Have it figured out. I'm going to splice into the parking lights to avoid any low beam/ high beam/ DRL voodoo. The parking lights come on with the doors, so they'll be perfect.

After metering the headlight connector, for a '21 Accord, the parking light hot is the GREEN wire on the top row (for any googlers who search for this in the future). I tested the connector for the DRLs first, and then turned on the parking lights. The only wire to go hot after flipping the switch was green.

So, t-tapping green, running the wire inside to the hot line of the LEDs and I'm good to go.

Appreciate helping me thought-experiment my way through this. A door switch relay would've been too intrusive when you helped me come to the realization I can just do this instead.

 

[Vegashybrid]

Have it figured out. I'm going to splice into the parking lights to avoid any low beam/ high beam/ DRL voodoo. The parking lights come on with the doors, so they'll be perfect.

After metering the headlight connector, for a '21 Accord, the parking light hot is the GREEN wire on the top row (for any googlers who search for this in the future). I tested the connector for the DRLs first, and then turned on the parking lights. The only wire to go hot after flipping the switch was green.

So, t-tapping green, running the wire inside to the hot line of the LEDs and I'm good to go.

Appreciate helping me thought-experiment my way through this. A door switch relay would've been too intrusive when you helped me come to the realization I can just do this instead.

That should work well. Yeah I'm about to clean up the relays and stuff there. I also don't like it how I have it wired now. Ordered some stuff from superbrightled. The way I have it now is doing something weird I'm trying to figure out still. I'll probably wind up with the color LEDs the side switch and some normal bright white led bars in the trunk and footwell that activate with the t trunk/doors. I still have to hardwire my detector too. Glad I could help. Cheers

 

[Sixpointtwoliter]

That should work well. Yeah I'm about to clean up the relays and stuff there. I also don't like it how I have it wired now. Ordered some stuff from superbrightled. The way I have it now is doing something weird I'm trying to figure out still. I'll probably wind up with the color LEDs the side switch and some normal bright white led bars in the trunk and footwell that activate with the t trunk/doors. I still have to hardwire my detector too. Glad I could help. Cheers

What's going on with your light setup that's making it weird?

 

[Vegashybrid]

What's going on with your light setup that's making it weird?

So it's not tripping the fuse like the full error and making you pull it to turn on the interior lights. Instead it will time out the interior lights after a time until you power cycle the vehicle. It's very strange, and since you don't have to pull the fuse like the usual error, I did not notice it at first. That made me decide to loose the relay and try a car led bar with a resistor. This way I can just wire pos to pos ect to my door lights trunk ect as I was saying above.

 

[Vegashybrid]

You ever get the sub installed?