Underdash LEDs and stuff

Hi ya'll I just purchased a used '07 prius. I won't get it until tuesday, but I've been reading the forums here and have found some very useful info in the maintenance and care section.

I also found a post from '08 describing a easy/cheap footwell lighting solution that I want to try out but I'm probably even less of a technician/electrician than most.

The original suggestion was by "chrisspaulding" and called for led strips, a 9volt battery, a battery harness or box, and a toggle switch. Pretty simple.
So I'm looking at superbrightleds .com and under the accent lighting section it talks a lot about 12v sources. Sure in most cases you'd be taping into the 12v source of the vehicle right? (I don't really know) Most of them are specced Operating Voltage Range (Unit: VDC) 9~15. So, would the 9v battery solution work for these?

Also, even though I don't have my car yet, I'm really excited about it and found some cheap mods on trdsparks .com (Sparks toyota scion out of south carolina I believe). I ordered a set of 4 mud flaps, a rear bumper protector and a cargo net for about $65 before shipping. I thought it was a good deal anyway and thought I'd share.

 

Yeah, it seems there are many ways to do it. I may go with the interior LEDs first, it may be all I need really. I enjoyed macmaster05's interior LED setup. It's pretty slick. But really, for only a couple bucks how could I not set up footwell lighting too.

 

I ordered the LEDs today, just swapping the doors, center map light and rear dome to red for now. Later I may do the license plate lights and white map lights. Also purchased some real cheap small accent lighting for under dash and under the rear of the front seats. Didn't want it to be super bright so I just got a single LED for each to create a subtle glow. It's totally non-functional, but fun. If I get the LEDs in by this weekend I'll be able to hook it all up and have pics for you guys by Monday, but that's probably a stretch. Not that I'm really doing anything amazingly new here.

 

Well guys here it is!

Door light LED (red), passenger door has matching red LED


Center Map Light LED and Rear Dome Light LED



And my favorite concoction, footwell lighting Front and Back



I wired the footwell lighting completely separate from the car all by myself! A little 12V battery and hooked all the lights up in parellel with a switch. I still have to get the switch into one of the rocker switch blank spots available on the dash to the left of the steering wheel and find a good way to make a connection to the wires other than taping them to the little battery. But right now it all works! Those are just a few cosmetic things that need fixed. Best part is all the wires fit pretty snuggly under the side interior molding and the other wires were able to slip under the center console to the passenger side, so the wiring is mostly hidden.

 

Hah Thanks!

LOL are you kidding me! The last time I made a circuit prior to this was pre-high school if not pre-middle school. I had to look up what color is positive what color is negative, had to research how to hook up a switch and what a parallel circuit is and what a in series circuit is. THEN I made a very tiny mock circuit to test my design to even see if I had it figured out at that point. The test circuit is where I learned the most. Techniques that worked for me for stripping the ends off wires without wire strippers and for connecting all the wires together ect. The whole thing was a learning experience. Actually I have some time tomorrow, I'll try to do a full write up on how to do it and where to place them for the complete noob as I was. As a matter of fact I still have to figure some stuff out. Like where I want to place the battery, and a better way of connecting the wires to the battery, and how to get the switch in the empty switch location I want it. (if anyone can help me out with these things, that would be awesome)

 

I'm sorry, I don't know what size the vanity light bulbs are. Also, believe it or not the footwell lights are a single LED each. Not a strip. Cool huh? I didn't want them to be too strong. They may still be too strong as it is, but being red helps keep it down some too.