Center console storage LED lighting

I tapped into the driver front foot-well power and installed a blue LED to illuminate underneath the center console. I used a NEO5-B twist lock instrument cluster LED from superbrightLEDs.com, the lens housing of which fit perfectly into the hole that exists in the bottom of the shifter housing. I did shave off one side of the twist lock base to fit flush with the plastic guide that holds the two halves of the instrument housing together. I ran the wiring through the dash and over to the foot-well connector on the driver's side.

I am pretty happy with the result. The lighting reflects more off the tray insert I have, so it appears brighter in the pic, although it is the same brightness as the foot-wells. Same color, too, plus they they all dim out when the timer goes out. I drove around tonight and the lighting is not distracting --- more light is coming out from the NAV display than anything else. I'm not so happy with the fact that I dinged the armrest and scratched the illuminated door sill because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing while working on the car.

I also swapped out the glove box LED with the same NEO5-B blue LED. (I know it's only a matter of time before I go after the center console, A/C display, etc., lights and swap them out with blue as well. )

The last pic also shows the rear foot-well lighting I installed using the same LEDs and tapping into the foot-well connectors up front.

 

I attached them right at the edge SofTex seat material. There actually is a small cutout of the SofTex at the center line of the seat, and the LED fit nicely in that slot. I used a small binder clip to attach the LED to the SofTex material --- clipped right on the edge and works well.

Routing the wiring was just as easy. You can tuck the wiring up under the lower edge of the center console trim, right where it meets the carpeting. Once you run that to under the dash then you can jog over to the foot-well lighting connector. I exited the console about half way under the seat, to allow for enough play for adjusting the seat all the way forward & backward. Make sure you move the seat back all the way before measuring / cutting the wiring to length. I left about an inch of additional length so the wiring isn't stressed when the seat moves all the way back.

Let me know if you'd like me to take pics of what I just described.

 

Here are some pics of what I did for wiring for the rear foot-wells.

 

Sorry for not responding sooner. Yes, I did the wiring myself. I found a jacketed two wire cable which made for easy routing of the wiring and a much cleaner installation.


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I will try to take some more pics to better explain the wiring. It is a very simple set-up, with the most difficult part being trying to fish the wire from the driver's side footwell through the lower dash cluster and over to the shifter housing. Not anywhere near as bad as the flasher relay swap out or the noise maker disconnect.


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I used NEOx instrument panel LEDs from superbrightLEDs:

NEOx LED Bulb - Instrument Panel LED | Instrument Cluster and Gauge | LED Car Bulbs | Super Bright LEDs

I used blue 5mm bulbs which would be part number NEO5-B.


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