"Under Construction"

[Stickybuddz420]

Well, I have owned my 2004 Alero since Feb 9th, of this year. about 3 days after i drove it off the lot, I decided to check out some possible mod's for my vehicle, after a very brief Google search I came to this forum, and was instantly hooked. Between taking my lady to school and work, and delivering pizza, and running my son to and from babysitters, I needed a solid car, and that's what I received. So far it goes like this.....

6 Blue LED's in each strip on each side.
http://i41.tinypic.com/2czes7m.jpg

Lights on shot.
http://i40.tinypic.com/xcnk9g.jpg

As well you can see I painted the window De-frost vents gloss black as-well as the ring around the 4-way flash button, any quick ideas to add to the scheme will be appreciated.

[sfi3400]

where did u get the lights they look nice, and how you hook them up?

[Stickybuddz420]

Well, they are LED bars from Wal-mart ($12.99) and I ran power to my inline fuse for my amp and the ground to my amp, and a switch near my seat, which allows my to turn them on w/o having to turn on the key :D

[sfi3400]

you lost me after 12.99

[Stickybuddz420]

Really, then my god do not start touching you're wires....

[sfi3400]

my uncle know wiring amazingly nice. but i dont have a amp so how can i hook it up to my inline and ground amp.???

[Stickybuddz420]

Use the Search Tool.

[sfi3400]

you people make it hard its 3am i dont want to go on a treasure hunt i want the answer

[PappaSmurf]

Sfi,
If you have no amp then you can't do it the way sticky is talking about. However, there are many different ways to hook in LEDs. Take a look at NEWBIES mods thread made by me and check out my pics. I have many LEDs in my car and even a LED underbody kit on the outside (cause the underbody isn't on the inside(just thought I would say it before someone else did)).
I haven't hook mine up to an external switch because I like the fact that I can turn my car on and all the lights work. I have blue LEDS for the courtesy lights (dome lights and the ones by the feet) that light up when the door is open; LED strips under the dash that light up when the headlights are on; trunk neons that light up ONLY when the trunk is open; and more to come, just to keep my sanity. LOL

The thing is it CAN BE done, you just got to REALLY want it AND be willing to do the work, not have someone else do it for you like some people I can point out on this site.

Any questions, just ask. The people here on this site are more than willing to help and some are just loaded with information waiting to spill.
-Smurf-

[Stickybuddz420]

This man speaks insane truth. We are all willing to help, and sht u have more posts then me, but does that make me a newb? not to wiring ;) but dam smurf u haz teh wirng complicationz :p he says sanity with 100 wires going opposite ways in his floorboard :)

P.S. Props on blue interior LED's. And can I get a GLS tag? and 4 sum reason I think my car has 03' Alero rims.....

[kwhauck]

the GLS tag comes when you post count goes up....look good with the blue LED strips, now you have to do blue LED in your gauges like i did....

[PappaSmurf]

Sticky,
I have so many LEDs in my ho, it aint funny anymore. Like Kwhauck said, I also have the blue LEDs in my gauge cluster (I did a write up on the idiot-proof how to), I also have blue leds in the P R N D 3 2 1 area near the shifter.
Even with all these LEDs and the aftermarket gauges and everything else, you cant see one wire unless you get down and intentionally start looking for them. I am a master at running wires and hiding them, car audio experience. LOL
-Smurf-

[sfi3400]

well smurf you going to ASS, ill get the leds and pay you say 40 bucks to install?

[cherrington17]

sfi, click the link in my sig, go to the led section... and learn stuff.

I MADE A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THREAD FOR A REASON!!!

sticky, its a good start, but those led strips are weak sauce man. For non-diy setups... i'd highly suggest www.oznium.com they have some amazing stuff.

[Stickybuddz420]

Yea smurf you would have to start popping panels to find my wires :), And hey, Blue LED's in my dash would look nice, but i don't have that kind of time on my hand at the moment, and yes i know they are "weak sauce" And i have seen Ozmium B4, but at the moment I don't have the kind of money to do that stuff, so 12.99 was right in my price range, and shoot, I'm not trying to impress, just trying to make my car unique and comfortable! XD

[sfi3400]

sfi, click the link in my sig, go to the led section... and learn stuff.

I MADE A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THREAD FOR A REASON!!!

sticky, its a good start, but those led strips are weak sauce man. For non-diy setups... i'd highly suggest www.oznium.com they have some amazing stuff.

i went to walmart today and all there leds u plug into the cig lighter, how did u do the wireing u just cut the cord and attach it

[TdotAlero]

i went to walmart today and all there leds u plug into the cig lighter, how did u do the wireing u just cut the cord and attach it

It's a simple "cut and tap" process. If you have a rough idea of where to tap the wires and how to do so, then the whole process should take you 30 minutes. If you don't know how to, it would be safer to ask someone to do it for you. As cigarette plug is just a easy way to get power...

[alerogls001]

Ya the guys on here are great on info. But I do read up as much as possible before I attempt it, then if I run into questions I ask.
I like what y'all have done with the blue LEDs. Exactly what I'm planning. From putting in my reverse gauges today, I think I'm going to just run them to the same tap I used on the cluster harness. Guess my only question would be if it's possible to overload that tap by using it too much?

[PappaSmurf]

Sticky,
You have a real nice start and I LOVE the fact you did it by yourself and also the fact that you did it by YOURSELF! Most people wouldn't do it cause they don't know how and there are so many members on here that post their opinion on the way it should be done or NOT DONE AT ALL!
I compliment you on your anticipation of doing something YOU want on the fact that you aren't doing it to impress others. Everything I do is to impress me and NOONE else! Keep it that way and you will never get enough. LOL
-Smurf-

[PappaSmurf]

Alerogls001,
The quick answer is NO, but the truth is YES. Let me explain, you can NOT overload the wire you are tapping into, but you CAN overload the circut (or fuse) that the wire is attached too. That is why I used many different places for taps.
-Smurf-

[alerogls001]

I see what you're saying so I'll keep that in mind as I expand lol. Thanks.

[XanderWiFi]

you people make it hard its 3am i dont want to go on a treasure hunt i want the answer

I know this pain...ROFL

[XanderWiFi]

"The thing is it CAN BE done, you just got to REALLY want it AND be willing to do the work, not have someone else do it for you like some people I can point out on this site."

...I fear I am one of these people...

Any questions, just ask. The people here on this site are more than willing to help and some are just loaded with information waiting to spill.
-Smurf-[/QUOTE]

It's a simple "cut and tap" process. If you have a rough idea of where to tap the wires and how to do so, then the whole process should take you 30 minutes. If you don't know how to, it would be safer to ask someone to do it for you. As cigarette plug is just a easy way to get power...

This is what throws me too. I've looked at Cherri's led how-tos and it all looks relatively easy to make. But I am terrified of the "maybe this goes here..." Sphzzt!! Car-cablooie.

Looks like they set the mood real nicely though. Something like this is on my list but very groovy indeed.

[sfi3400]

Yea i'm slowly getting my car to where it should be, im going in the wrong way i think, adding clear corners then HID's,grill mesh,exhaust system, belltronics radar, then work on the rust:rolleyes2:

[MotorCity]

Learning is a fun experience. if you do it wrong once, trust me you won't again lol

[Stickybuddz420]

Thanx for the props, I will keep updating while it is under construction, It is my daily driver so it will take time, and yeah as to doing it myself, I would much rather learn off my own mistakes than others, and with a little common sense of electricity and urn to learn a little then hey, why not? besides, makes me feel proud knowing I did it all myself, of course suggestions are always welcome, in the end it will be unique to me.

[PappaSmurf]

Xanderwifi,
You are NOT one of the ones I was referring too.
It really is easy and TRUST ME, once yall learn what goes where and what DOESN't goe there AND WHY (blown fuses, "shocking" ooutcomes) then yall will have the jist of things and not need to ask anymore, cause yall will be doing it yourselves. It just takes yall to get over the, "I dont wanna blow up my car" phase to actually get in there and learn. This was also a problem for ME, when I first started.

Sfi,
Yeah I would say that you are going about it backwards, LOL. If I was you and knowing your situation, this is what I would do
1. adding clear corners (done)
2. then HID's (will improve light output and also give your car a luxurious look)
3. Warm air intake (the more air in the faster acceleration)
4. exhaust system (more air in needs = more air out)
5. then work on the rust (can be done while still being a daily driver, talk to bdyman for more on this)

This is ONLY MY OPINION, and what I would do in and SHOULD NOT be taken in ANY way that this is what you have to do in order to be cool in my book or whatever. LOL
-Smurf-

[PappaSmurf]

Motorcity.
I know of this atrocity you speak of. LMAO

Sticky,
You are more than welcome and PLEASE keep us updated. I am always wanting to see what people have done to their ho.
-Smurf-

[colonel6632]

pappasmurf i have to agree with you. but it does depend on what you want to do wih your car.

if you want to go only performance.
then intake, headers, exhaust. then get the parts for turbo if thats what you want, or cams and such.

if you want overall everything (like alot of us) pappa has it right.

personally i did things in the wrong order in my opinion.
what i wish i would of done is
intake, then exhuast. then i wish i would of installed my stereo. my car currently needs the bumpers repainted. so i'm going to wait and save up for a body kit, and just paint that.

i dont get alot done. but i feel like i'm saving money. i have parts for my exhaust, but i figure wait, and do it right the first time. look at what you want to do long term, and no alot short term.

hopefully this makes as much sense in text as it did in my head.
just trying to help.

[cherrington17]

This is what throws me too. I've looked at Cherri's led how-tos and it all looks relatively easy to make. But I am terrified of the "maybe this goes here..." Sphzzt!! Car-cablooie.


if you wire something wrong, it blows a fuse. no big deal. replace fuse, do over.


the only time you "short" something... is when you connect a positive lead, to a negative. If your paranoid, use tape and label the wires. It makes everything fool proof.

ontop of that, all you need is a good DIGITAL multimeter and a power supply to bench test your setup first.