watchdevil

Forget buying Ford's add-on ambient lighting package! Optix makes these LED light pods that fit perfectly in the little spaces under the dash where there factory and dealer installed units go. I picked mine up at Advance Auto Parts.

Since I have My Color, I use blue all of the time for my gauges and will likely not change the color to anything else, so I decided to use the blue Optix LED pods and wire them into my dash lamp circuit. The LED's will dim with the dimmer switch and operate with the dash lights when you turn on the parking/headlamp switch.They will operate when you unlock the car with the remote. When you turn the ignition key they will dim just like the dome lighting...

No sense paying the high bucks for Ford's dealer installed accessory unless you cannot live without lighted cup holders and the ability to change the colors if you want...

Two LED light pods cost me just less than $20. The flood the footwells with light very wellwhile maintaining the same brightness ratio as the gauge lights... The blue light matches the guages perfectly!

The LED pods are also available in at least red, green and white as stocking items in the store I bought them...

2k5GTC

Sorry, but I gotta do it...

Railrider

+1, I have considered this myself but was unsure if it would look good.....

Mumeye

Since the weather is going to be nice today i was thinking about adding footwell lights. I was going to use sidemarker lamps(which i saw in another thread) but now I'm condisering getting some white LEDs instead. I imagine they would be safer than the regular bulbs, wouldnt want anyone to get burned(including myself).

frdtch05gt

I'm actually going to add footwell lamps using a few light housings I have on hand. They are the puddle lamps from the exterior mirrors of an Explorer. I haven't figured out how to secure them under the dash yet, but that shouldn't be too hard. I bought a few new sockets to go with them from Murray's.

I'll keep that Optix idea in mind, sounds like a pretty slick setup.

sound wave

i just did my trunk lighting so i have built up a little confidence. hehe. i have been wanting to give this mod a shot too.

which wires do you tap into? can you post some pics? thanks.

watchdevil

While I was doing my automatic shift boot and bezel install I tapped into the wiring for the PRND321 indicator. You can access it easily by removing the top of the center console which is only held by two screws at the back under the armrest lid. The rest just snaps in place with clips. This seems to be the easiest area to access the voltage on the instrument lamp circuit. It is also very easy to run extra lenghs of wire on either side of the console along the underside of the dash which you can secure to the existing wiring harnesses running along those areas.

By the way I tested for voltage in the four pin wire plug under the dash which I assume is used to plug in the ambient lighting and there is no voltage there at all, no matter of the lights are on or the key is on.

I did try to take pictures of the footwells illuminated but it did not show up in the pictures. It seems impossible for the camera to pick up the blue light against the black interior. However there is plenty of light there and they match the color, brightness and intensity of the blue in the MyColor gauges perfectly. I have not posted pics at the moment because of the camera issue. When I get my next day off I will take pics during the day of the actual light pods installed.

watchdevil

I actually prefer the LED's... They match the intensity of the gauge lamps which do not look like incadenscent light.

My footwell LED's are set to run all the time when the park/headlamps are on. You can add an on-off switch in the curcuit of you want to, but I like them on all the time the lamps are on.

I remember a frieind of mine bought a 2007 Honda Civic and had the genuine Honda ambient lighting installed. The ones I put on my car have the same light quality and effect for a whole lot less money. I believe the Honda ambient lighting was something like $250 installed. Ford charges a hefty amount as well for the kit with the only benefit is being able to change the color which I wont do at all.

Tungsten Bullitt

Where under the dash is this at? I have a 07 that was built late in the year and I have the plug under the cup holder.

Just wondering.

watchdevil

If you look on the lower dash panels, right in the center on either side of the car is molded in mounting tabs to secure the factory ambient lighting fixture. Near those tabs in the wiring harness that runs along the underside of the dash panels are four pin wiring plugs that are unused. There is no voltage whatsoever to these plugs. I was going to use the wiring in the plugs of they had proper voltage to do so.

I took my entire console out so I could remove the automatic shift bezel there was absolutely no extra harnesses underneath the cupholders or in the console area. I knew to look for them but it appears they were not included in the build of my car. No big deal, I just tapped into the PRND321 light wire while I had the console apart.

watchdevil

Here are the installed pics!







NOTICE THE FACTORY TAB BRACKETS AND CUT OUTS ALREADY INSTALLED AT THE LOWER DASH!! This was not something I cut, added or modified. The pod lights stick right to the tabs and seem as if they were made the exact shape to accept them. Keep in mind ambient lighting was not an option on Mustangs before 2008 so the tabs may not be there on pre-08 models.

Clark Kent

ne night shots?

Fryguy

Night shots would be cool to see.

watchdevil

I have tried night shots and my camera will not pick up the blue lighting against the black interior. If you think about it thats why filmakers use a blue background to film special effects. However there is plenty of light there with the nekid eye.

watchdevil

Oh yeah and in cas anyone didn't notice, Ford does a horrible job routing wiring so that it is not exposed. On my car, it runs above the carpet line in the passenger footwell and then they had the nerve to run it OUTSIDE of the carpet while making the 90 degree turn towards the console. They didn't even cover the wire completely with black tape or loom.

06GT4RAD

Night shots would be nice and how are they wired in? What colors they come in?

watchdevil

Advance Auto Parts carries the lighting in stock in four colors: Blue, Green, Red and White. I am not sure if they come in other colors. I checked out Optx by StreetGlow's website and I could not find this paticular product listed. However they sell single LED's which come in other colors like orange, purple and yellow. I have no idea if the pods come in other colors too.

I posted earlier that I tapped into the PRND321 indicator light wiring in the console where the automatic shifter is located. That is the easiest location to get to. I am not sure if manual transmision cars have the wire there unused in the harness in he console. However if you remove the center stack trim place around the Audio and HVAC controls you can access night illumination wiring there.

I made another attempt to capture the LED pods lit up. It's really difficult but I did find a setting on my camera that takes pictures in "candlelight" or dark settings. They are kinda blurry but it was the best I can do. It's still hard to get the lighting to show against the all black interior. However they do look MUCH MUCH better in person.

Tungsten Bullitt

cool! I have a manual trans so that wire is not available to splice into. At the bottom under the cup holder part I have some plug and it has about 4-5 wires. I don't know if it has power to that.

StangMahn

looks good!

watchdevil

Using a test meter or small test light, check in the wire connector under the cupholder for 12V+ that comes on and off with the headlamp switch. I am not sure what options are on your car, but some peole have said there is a wiring harness tucked away for the facory install ambiant lighting. However my 2008 does not have any wires tucked away for this. I am not even sure how ambieant lighting is retrofitted as a dealer accessory. The lighting for the PRND321 indicator is simply two wires, a blue one for + and black for -. The negative wire is common for the ignition-shift interlock switch on automatics.

If anyone has a manual transmission and cannot find a wire tucked away unused for automatic transmission vehicles, them simply go the extra steps and remove the trim plate around the stereo and climate controls. Only a few screws hold it on and it comes out. The removal follows the same procedure for installing the start switch in the 12V power port at the top of the centerstack. All the buttons arranged on either side of the power point have nighttime illumination and you will be able to tap into the wiring that supplies these switches illumination at night. Anyone needing a ground can tap into the ground for the 12V power outlet or ground to any screw at the lower edge of the dash on either side. The screws go through the metal frame that supports the dash.

Remember if anyone needs to remove the lower console or trim around teh stereo/HVAC controls you need to remove the vertical trim on either side of the sidestack. It snaps in. You remove them by pulling the panels straight towards the rear of the car, not sideways. No worries about breaking anything that snaps in. Everything snaps out of place easily with no effort and goes back in place securely just like it was originall installed.