DEFENDER2.NET - View topic - Footwell and puddle lights

↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home · FAQ · New Posts · My Posts · PMs · Search · Members · Map · Calendar · Profile · Donate · Register · Log In

Home > Technical > Footwell and puddle lights

Page 1 of 2

Print this entire topic ·

LR90XS2011

Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3650

2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Galway Green

Footwell and puddle lights

Id like to fit some foot well lights and some puddle lights, can anyone tell me the closest place to these areas to pick up the supply to the interior lights that I can piggy back off

thanks in advance DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy

12th Aug 2012 8:33pm

JWL

Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

What about the door switches?

12th Aug 2012 8:55pm

LR90XS2011

Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3650

JWL wrote:
What about the door switches?

thanks but I would like them to come on/off with the central locking and then dim in and out like the interior lights do. I have contemplated picking up straight from the interior light fittings and running the cables back down behind the trim, but assume the dimming supply must come from somewhere closer, perhaps behind the dash. DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy

12th Aug 2012 9:41pm

JWL

Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

Why not run a feed up the door pillars to the roof lining and join to the interior lights themselves, using led's all round you'll be hard pressed to reach the same wattage as the original feed had.

12th Aug 2012 9:50pm

LR90XS2011

Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3650

JWL wrote:
Why not run a feed up the door pillars to the roof lining and join to the interior lights themselves, using led's all round you'll be hard pressed to reach the same wattage as the original feed had.

Thanks thats pretty much the plan unless someone knows a closer spot to get to the correct wires, Ive got the 6 led replacements in the original fittings and was planning on using some Maplin leds in the footwells and perhaps in the bottom of the mirror arms so current as you say shouldnt be an issue DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy

12th Aug 2012 9:58pm

Dobby

Member Since: 23 May 2012
Location: East Seaxe
Posts: 187

If your putting a dim delay in be careful it doesn't interfere with the central locking or alarm, if one is fitted.. I had a similar problem wiring a dimmer into the door switch, which then wouldn't let the lock or alarm activate because they it thought the door was still open.

12th Aug 2012 10:13pm

LR90XS2011

Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3650

Dobby wrote:
If your putting a dim delay in be careful it doesn't interfere with the central locking or alarm, if one is fitted.. I had a similar problem wiring a dimmer into the door switch, which then wouldn't let the lock or alarm activate because they it thought the door was still open.

Dobby thanks the interior lights already dim down and up when locking / unlocking so plan to just piggyback off the interior lighting circuit, this will result in the footwell and puddle lights working at the same time but that is when I want them DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy

13th Aug 2012 5:15am

Glynparry25

Member Since: 16 Feb 2009
Location: Miserable Midlands
Posts: 3015

2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS DCPU Tonga Green

Have you tried taking it off the back of the fuse box?

- I am in work at the moment so don't have access to the diagrams....... but would have thought it would be somewhere on that line?

Will check later if no-one else knows before then.

Glyn

13th Aug 2012 6:54am

Glynparry25

Member Since: 16 Feb 2009
Location: Miserable Midlands
Posts: 3015

Just had a look..... (sod work!!). |The system seems to work in this way:

12v from battery goes through the 10amp fuse in the main fuse box through to the intereor lamp- this a permanent 12v. From the light it goes to the Alarm ECU which is what will do the dimming (connects it to earth)......

Best way to wire the new lights up would be either:

A. Have the 12v supply coming from wherever you want and then wire the neg end of the LED lights to the return line to the Alarm ECU

or (probably easier)

B. Follow the wires from the intereor light down the windscreen frame and then wire your LED lights in parallel with the two wires as close to the fuse box/ Alarm ECU as possible. This way ALL your intereor lights have one supply, earth and fuse.

Just as a side note: Probably best off changing the origional intereor light for a LED replacement as this will lower the current required from aditional lighting.

HTH,
Glyn

13th Aug 2012 7:12am

DarrenJ

Member Since: 07 May 2012
Location: North Beds
Posts: 312

2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

Sounds a sensible mod, let us know what it ends up like

Darren

13th Aug 2012 7:54am

Go Beyond

Member Since: 30 Jan 2012
Location: Headcorn, Kent
Posts: 6678

I wouldn't have thought you could dim LEDS ????

Let us know how you get on

13th Aug 2012 8:44am

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

I've got LEDs in my interior lights and the dimming function works perfectly

Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

13th Aug 2012 9:26am

LR90XS2011

Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3650

Glynparry25 wrote:
Just had a look..... (sod work!!). |The system seems to work in this way:

12v from battery goes through the 10amp fuse in the main fuse box through to the intereor lamp- this a permanent 12v. From the light it goes to the Alarm ECU which is what will do the dimming (connects it to earth)......

Best way to wire the new lights up would be either:

A. Have the 12v supply coming from wherever you want and then wire the neg end of the LED lights to the return line to the Alarm ECU

or (probably easier)

B. Follow the wires from the intereor light down the windscreen frame and then wire your LED lights in parallel with the two wires as close to the fuse box/ Alarm ECU as possible. This way ALL your intereor lights have one supply, earth and fuse.

Just as a side note: Probably best off changing the origional intereor light for a LED replacement as this will lower the current required from aditional lighting.

HTH,
Glyn

thanks Glynn
that makes sense already got the 6 LED replacements in the interior lights and they dim out fine so I will progress along these lines and let you all know how it goes will be handy having footwell light when stuff gets dropped on the floor, just got to pop back into maplin for some suitable LEDs think I might go for Blue as for the puddle lights I will put some nice female connectors in the footwell light circuit and save that for the future as I cant decide where to put them, I am considering in the door handles (ala BMW etc and done in one of the landy mags) under the mirror arms there is a nice cut out (and could do the heated mirror bit at the same time Im drilling the hinges etc) or under the cills (but prone to getting dirty)
all the best Rob DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy

13th Aug 2012 3:47pm

Likeomg

Member Since: 29 Jun 2012
Location: Lake District / Newcastle
Posts: 2651

2010 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Stornoway Grey

apparently theres now a land rover part for this? don't know if its from another car and adapted to fit the defender?

someone suggested 'xdc 500070' ??

3rd Feb 2016 10:16pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20552

If you fit LED's try and get as close a draw of current as the standard fixture you could get.
Think it's about 0.8A.

If you change the fixture to LED you'll then be drawing only about 120mA giving you approx 0.6A to play with taking into account voltage difference and voltage spikes etc.

The closer the draw to the standard fixture the more original the dimming will look and the slower it should be.

If the draw is much less the dimming will likely still work but quicker.

I'm using about 640mA which is roughly 200mA less than standard and I'm happy with the dimming speed, slightly faster than standard but I'm happy.

If you have a rear light fixture fitted you have the same again to play with so you will have enough current to have nearly anything you would want sensibly in a Defender.

Currently I'm running 2x 30cm 5050 SMD LED strips in footwells, 2x 30cm strips on bulkhead lip. (HT 90)
LED door handle recesses 2x singular LED's each and an LED panel in the light fixture it's self.
@ approx 640mA.

It's worth testing anything you want to fit to find out it's draw to calculate it up.
It's also worth bearing in mind when testing and calculating that at rest voltage is around 12.2v - 12.4v.
Engine running up to around. 14.2v.

3rd Feb 2016 11:41pm

Page 1 of 2

All times are GMT

Jump to

< Previous Topic | Next Topic >

Posting Rules

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum