LED Strip Wiring

spyder_013 · 05-26-2011, 07:27 PM

Ok, so I read up on LED Wiring, and have some experience with it from Guitar Pedals.

I have a few questions.
First: I want to remove my trunk light and replace it instead with a LED Strip on my Subwoofer Box. Could I just cut the wires from the trunk light and splice them to their respective leads on the LED strip? I think it will work, but just want to cover bases.

Second: I want to add a few LED strips under the dash on each the passenger and driver side. I want them to turn on automatically when the car is on, where do I get a hot lead for that? (I am also going to install a toggle switch so that if i WANT to turn them off, I can, I just want them to auto turn off with the car for safety from draining the batt.).

I used a "Power Constant" wire from my Kenwood Deck to my Amp, would it be possible to splice the LED strip into that, since then when the radio is on, so is the LED?

What fuse would I wire it to (if I dont wire it to the radio) to always have it on when the car is on? And how do you wire to a fuse?

Thanks! New here, this is a great forum! Its a 2003 Alero, 2.2eco if you are curious.

robalero · 05-26-2011, 07:35 PM

1 - yes it will work
2 - personally I would just use the toggle switch myself, run the wires and such but use the switch if you want to turn them on and if you drain your battery from using LED's you need a new battery lol

spyder_013 · 05-26-2011, 07:39 PM

So just run a power wire to the battery and run the toggle switch on that? I thought of that at first, and It shouldn't drain the battery, lol. I have a guitar pedal wired with 5 LED's that I happen to leave on overnight a lot, and the battery is still fine (just a 9v that only runs the LEDs).

What guage wire should I use? Does it really matter (the wire from the battery) could I just use speaker wire?

spyder_013 · 05-26-2011, 07:41 PM

Also, anyone have any opinions on what color LEDS to use? My Alero is the Darker Red/Maroon color.

robalero · 05-26-2011, 07:48 PM

use speaker wire its fine but I would use the power from the current lights that are supose to be for your feet and then a wire to the battery with an inline fuse so it doesn't explode ( safety more then anything esle )

if its that color either, green, white, or red dont do blue

spyder_013 · 05-26-2011, 08:08 PM

I actually dont have any lights for my feet. Could I run the LED strip off of the small dome light used for illuminating the area under the radio? I plan to also replace that light with an LED.

And what do you mean when you say and then wire it to the battery with a fuse? (I understand the fuse part, but if I wired it to another light's hot wire, then how would I also wire that to the battery?)

robalero · 05-26-2011, 08:14 PM

double wireing, really all you need to do is wire one side to the negative....wait yea I see where im failing on this part lol .

your car should have lights in the feet if not your bulbs are probably burnt

spyder_013 · 05-26-2011, 08:17 PM

I cant find any bulbs down there, and I dont remember ever having lights there

So, would it be fine to use the dome light under the radio?

And just to be clear, if I removed that light, I would just connect the two wires from the LED strip to that, right? and wouldn't have to worry about going to the battery?

robalero · 05-26-2011, 08:19 PM

you shouldn't have to worry about it

spyder_013 · 05-26-2011, 08:20 PM

Alright, thank you so much! I guess if I try it and it doesn't work, its always reversible.

Im going with White, incase anybody was interested.

robalero · 05-26-2011, 08:22 PM

were always interested

jhubbz · 05-26-2011, 08:32 PM

I spliced into the cubby hole light for my vent LEDs and hooked it up to one of these:

Basically just a junction box. You could splice in a toggle switch from that if you wanted. Mine just turn on when the headlights come on.

Christato71 · 05-26-2011, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robalero

your car should have lights in the feet if not your bulbs are probably burnt

Yes, you definitely should have lights down there. Superbright LEDs has replacement bulbs in many colors. Check here.

jhubbz · 05-26-2011, 10:46 PM

Can someone take a pic of where this footwell light is located? I'm pretty sure some aleros do and some don't. I'm almost positive mine doesn't, but would be very delighted if I found out I do

cherrington17 · 05-26-2011, 11:08 PM

My car definitely NEVER had any footwell lights.... (from factory)

...so I added my own.

TdotAlero · 05-26-2011, 11:51 PM

On the driver's side it's next to the hood release handle. On the passenger side it's next to the 'chime box' under the glove compartment.

spyder_013 · 05-27-2011, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhubbz

I spliced into the cubby hole light for my vent LEDs and hooked it up to one of these:

Basically just a junction box. You could splice in a toggle switch from that if you wanted. Mine just turn on when the headlights come on.

Interesting. So, do you just put an LED in each set of holes?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhubbz

Can someone take a pic of where this footwell light is located? I'm pretty sure some aleros do and some don't. I'm almost positive mine doesn't, but would be very delighted if I found out I do

Same here, I bought my car used in 2008, and have never seen a light there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherrington17

My car definitely NEVER had any footwell lights.... (from factory)

...so I added my own.

Thats my plan

Quote:

Originally Posted by TdotAlero

On the driver's side it's next to the hood release handle. On the passenger side it's next to the 'chime box' under the glove compartment.

I will check in a few minutes before work, thanks!

Although, I have a feeling the Alero changed. You speak of a chime, well, mine had the chime activate through the radio, which is why on the 03/04 Alero you need the Metra GMRC01 stereo adapter to change the factory radio, since the Metra has a chime box on it. So, there is also no chime box on mine, I don't know what year they got rid of that...

Redog · 05-27-2011, 06:02 AM

As for the power for you LEDs.

the trunk light one was already answered, as for under the dash. Yes you def want them to be turned on and off when you want, so good idea wiring a switch into that. You have 2 wire choices here.

If you want it in with the headlight controls, pull out the radio and find the brown wire. The brown wire is from the parking lights and will power up when the lights are on. I would run a wire from that, to your switch, your lights. The second choice behind the radio is the yellow ingtion wire. Will light with ONLY the ing on. There is a 3rd option which would be the orange wire, but that is clock/hot at all times, which will be, hot at all times

spyder_013 · 05-27-2011, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redog

As for the power for you LEDs.

the trunk light one was already answered, as for under the dash. Yes you def want them to be turned on and off when you want, so good idea wiring a switch into that. You have 2 wire choices here.

If you want it in with the headlight controls, pull out the radio and find the brown wire. The brown wire is from the parking lights and will power up when the lights are on. I would run a wire from that, to your switch, your lights. The second choice behind the radio is the yellow ingtion wire. Will light with ONLY the ing on. There is a 3rd option which would be the orange wire, but that is clock/hot at all times, which will be, hot at all times

So, with the Brown wire, my lights would only be on when my headlights are on? (makes sense anyways, since the lights would only really be visible at night, lol).

Then the 3rd option, so that would mean, even if I turned my car off, the lights would stay on (assuming I left the switch on?).