This guide provides a comprehensive guide on installing interior LED lighting on the 2019 Ram 1500 5th gen. It covers various options for installing LED lights, including vanity lights, foot well lights, map lights, and glove box. The guide also includes a 31-minute video on installing a complete interior ambient lighting system, which includes unboxing, trimming removal, and cable splicing. Mopar’s interior ambient lighting kit is priced slightly higher for adding under-dash lights. Diode Dynamics offers LED upgrades for the 2019-2023 Ram 1500, including front turn signals, fog lights, cargo lights, license plate lights, and high beam. The guide covers the various options for installing LED lights, including the most appropriate styles, bulb types, and navigation. The installation process is simple and can be completed in about a half an hour with basic tools. Each LED interior conversion package includes a free LumaWerx ™ non-marring plastic. The guide also includes an updated list of interior LED bulbs needed. The installation process is quick and easy, with the most updated list available on autolumination.com.
📹 THE BEST INTERIOR LIGHTS: HOW TO INSTALL THE EL WIRE INTERIOR LIGHTS ON THE DODGE CHARGER
IN THIS VIDEO I DEMONSTRATE HOW TO INSTALL THE EL WIRE INTERIOR LIGHTS AS YOU ALL WERE REQUESTING.
Is ambient lighting worth it in a car?
The psychological effects of ambient lighting on drivers have been demonstrated to both enhance alertness and increase distractions. It is of the utmost importance to conduct thorough research into the optimal colors and brightness levels for a vehicle that is both comfortable and elegant. The installation of LED ambient lighting kits can transform a vehicle into an exemplar of elegance and comfort. Once the optimal selections have been identified, the vehicle can be transformed into an exemplar of elegance and comfort.
Is it safe to install ambient light in a car?
Ambient lights in cars can enhance the interior, potentially boosting safety and alertness for drivers. However, excessive light can cause distractions or glare. Car enthusiasts and manufacturers are working to improve the driving experience by adding subtle yet significant touches. Car ambient lighting is a sophisticated lighting system designed for practicality and to enhance the overall driving experience.
It involves strategically placed lights within a vehicle’s interior, creating a subtle, aesthetically pleasing glow. Understanding the roles, types, benefits, and aesthetics of ambient lighting is crucial before adding it to your car.
Is it safe to install ambient lighting in car?
The use of ambient lighting in vehicles has the potential to enhance both the safety and alertness of the interior environment. However, excessive illumination can also result in distractions or glare, which may have an adverse effect on the driver.
Can I get ambient lighting installed in my car?
Car Ambient Lighting is an app-controlled system that allows users to customize the mood inside their car. Users can choose from various colors, from fiery red to subtle blue, and even bright white light to help locate lost earring. The system was awarded runner-up in the 2022 Best Mobile Electronics Product category at SEMA. It provides a high-end car interior ambient lighting experience, making it a favorite among customers, family, and friends. The system is easy to use and can be customized to suit various moods, making it a great addition to any car.
Why are LED car lights not illegal?
NHTSA once enforced its own regulations for aftermarket headlights, but no LED aftermarket replacement bulbs now comply. A citizen researcher has published information about the Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB), which increases the use of high-beams and only switches to low-beams when detected by the ADB system. This shift is a social shift, with computers making decisions about using high beams more often. ADB does not reduce glare from low-beam headlights, as LED low-beam headlights are already too intense and too blue.
In April 2024, the Carmudgeon Show exposed “Headlightgate”, where auto engineers intentionally turned off tiny areas of LED headlights to pass inspection tests while remaining blindly bright everywhere else. This cheating scandal is similar to the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal, which resulted in a $25 billion payout by Volkswagen.
How much does it cost to install ambient lighting in a car?
The cost of ambient lighting installation varies based on labor, quantity, and location. Starting at $1000, it can go up to $10, 000. The installation duration varies based on complexity and customization options. We aim to complete the project efficiently without compromising quality. During consultation, we provide an estimated timeframe based on your unique project. You can choose colors and effects for your vehicle’s ambient lighting.
How do you add ambient lights?
Ambient lighting is essential for creating a cozy living room atmosphere. It provides a gentle warmth that permeates the space, and can be achieved through various sources like fireplaces, candles, table lamps, wall sconces, and chandeliers. The color and brightness of lights can significantly affect the ambiance, so choose warm bulbs for a calming environment. Bright lights are suitable for reading, while dim lights are suitable for movie nights or entertaining guests. To have maximum control over lighting, consider installing a dimmer switch. This will help create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere in your living room.
Are LED lights legal inside cars?
In Idaho, interior car lighting laws may be restrictive, such as limiting red color visibility from the front, prohibiting flashing lights, limiting blue color to red, and requiring white license plate illumination. Custom interior car lights can include door lights, dome lights, trunk lights, map lights, and accent lights. It is essential to research specific state laws regarding these restrictions. Custom interior car lights can be decorative and can be used to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of your car.
In what states is it illegal to drive with interior lights on?
The myth that driving with interior car lights on is illegal is rooted in misconceptions about distracted driving laws and the belief that anything impairing visibility is unlawful. While keeping interior lights on may not lead to a citation, it can reduce visibility and distract drivers from their surroundings, increasing the risk of auto accidents. It is advisable to turn off interior lights, such as vanity and dome lights, while driving, especially at night, for safety and the safety of others. Misconceptions about traffic laws and safety concerns have led to the misconception that driving with interior lights is illegal.
Are car interior LEDs worth it?
Interior car LED lights are safer than incandescent and halogen bulbs due to their electronic circuit components, diodes that glow as they rectify AC current into DC current. LEDs produce less heat, reducing fire risk and breaking less frequently. The safety of LEDs depends on their usage. Dispersed LEDs around the floor or on seats below the driver’s sight line can make the interior safer by making it easier to see things. Bright strip lights affixed to seats, windows, or roofs can be distracting and reflect off the windshield, making it harder to see outside.
How long does it take to install ambient lighting?
The installation time for ambient and star lighting in a car can vary depending on the complexity of the lighting system chosen. A basic installation may take around an hour, while a more elaborate star sky effect may take longer. Our expert technicians can install mesmerizing glow or starry sky effects to create a captivating and immersive ambiance in your car’s interior. This innovative technology transforms your car’s interior into a relaxing and enchanting atmosphere. We offer a wide range of options to cater to your unique style and preferences, enhancing your driving experience. Get a quote and elevate your car’s interior today.
📹 NEW $15 MOD: HOW TO INSTALL EL WIRE INTERIOR LIGHTING ON THE DODGE CHALLENGER SCAT PACK
Hey everyone! In today’s video I show you how to install EL wire lighting in the interior of my 2017 Dodge Challenger 392 Hemi …
I’ve actually needed to manually splice before. For those wondering he meant you’re only removing the plastic cover around the light wire (source of power) not cutting through the wires. You use the splice to and move it clockwise and counter clockwise around it until you can see the metal wire beneath and then pull gently away from each other to expose the wire, then wrap your wire around that, secure and twist it, and tape it off with electric tape. You are moving the plastic on that light, NOT CUTTIING THE WIRE through.
A quick note on this: The distance around your dash is about 74 inches. The distance around your center console is about 54 inches. It is about 24 inches from the closest point on both of these areas to the floor near the accelerator. If you decide to use the same point he used on the center console, I would add another 18-24 inches, just to give yourself enough room. I measured these using a string, then by measuring the string. This article recommends a single EL wire. I’m thinking this might be better with two separate wires. It should be easy enough to splice them both together and then into that light housing, it might just take a little extra work. Shorter wires cost a little less than the single long one, so your overall cost shouldn’t be TOO much higher, and if one of the wires fails for some reason, you can replace one area rather than both. It might also be easier to feed the center console wire without the enormous length coming from the dash. Hope this helps. Cheers, all. Edit: I just bought the same wire at the shortest length and those were $10 each. I paid $22 after tax for two wires.
Pro tip: when feeding the wire, put the coat hanger downward through the area you want the wire to come out, then attach the wire so all you have to do is pull the coat hanger back out the top so the wire comes with it. Don’t attach the wire before feeding it through the area because then you are just trying to shove something twice as large through a whole when you have no idea where that hole is going. You could easily stretch or break a wire from the shifter this way. Also, cut that connector and solder the wire in. This ensures that the wires will not come apart and don’t give direct power to something you don’t want to short out. Lol. Other than that, great article
Looks great lit up. I would consider wrapping the parts of the wire under the steering wheel in electrical tape so you don’t see the light coming from there and adding a switch in the footwell where you had done the wiring so you can disable it if you don’t want it lighting up. To make the coat hanger part easier I might feed the coat hanger down from the top and then tape the light to it and pull the coat hanger back out with the light attached. Nice work!
Wow… it looks great when lit up… and good when not lit in daylight (I agree with the other “HEMI Orange” comments). BUT… why didn’t you cut the EL wire (it’s not fiber optic BTW) at the end of the dash on the right and solder wires and run them down to the center console and reconnect the rest of the EL wire down there? Two things this adds… 1) no red light inside the dash (which drives me crazy)… and 2) easier wire to run between the dash and center console (which shouldn’t have taken more than a minute to run). I have to give props for trying this without knowing anything about EL wire. BTW – I don’t care what other YouTuber’s use… don’t ever use wire taps… solder and heat shrink… OR… good ‘ol twist and tape will always be better than that garbage. And just a tip on the “noise” it was making when it started working (after your wrap and tape method)… EL wire uses high voltage / low amperage to stimulate the wire coating and create the cool glow you like (the high frequency noise you hear is the voltage regulator inside that black brick generating the higher voltage). So…. that fancy scissor cut you made next to where your right elbow may rest while driving… may stimulate you a little more than you expect… especially if you are a little wet and touching any metal in the car. It won’t kill you… but it could make sure you “were awake”. Just food for thought 🙂 Keep learning as you go (as I always say). Trust me when I say I have blown up perfectly good “brand new” car electrical systems due do mistakes or oversight.
Nice work an other way of connecting the wires is to buy a Repin kit for what ever connector you have chosen to use remover the wire you need from the connect replace the its pin so the wire you have removed and the new wire are together until all wires are done that way it will look factory and a lot neater too
Great article. Just some advice since I use to install interior and exterior led flow lights on vehicles, if you put the wire hanger through the middle console from the top first then tape the light to it and pull through it’s easier and quicker. Also there are a few different ways you can connect the power wires. Fuse box, Stand-alone switch, and cigarette lighter. The one I always went with was a standalone switch which also gives you the option of hooking up multiple interior lights like aftermarket footing lights. Just make sure you wire in an inline fuse before splicing it to a power source or just wire it to an empty fuse port in the fuse box since most cars have non-essential ports that can be utilized. Once again great article and I’ll be perusal out for other articles of yours like this one.
Bro … I just finished this on my scat pack and you weren’t kidding. It looks amazing but damn what a chore. Also some comments for those that are looking to do it. YOU DON’T NEED ANY OF THE ADDITIONAL STUFF HE SAYS IN THE BEGINNING BESIDES THE EL WIRE KIT. Just use the wiring from the cigarette lighter, like he does, and save your money. Although this article is amazing and very helpful, there were a few things he didn’t mention that I feel are important when doing this. 1. Like I just stated, don’t buy the extra crap he mentions at the beginning, you wont need it. 2. When hard wiring the light, I used wire butt connectors. Working in that small area with little to no wiring is a mother fucker. 3. Strip back the stupid carpet on the wires to the light under the drivers side. that way you can really get your hands on the wires and separate them, as well as expose enough of the copper wiring to be able to work with. 4. I disconnected my battery when working with the wiring because I didn’t want to get electrocuted, so idk if he did or not, all I know is I wasn’t gonna risk it haha. 5. I saw some people commenting on him using scotch tape, I tried duct tape because I figured it would be better, DON’T DO THIS! It is too thick and you won’t be able to fish it through, it will get stuck. So use the scotch tape and secure it at multiple points to the wire. 5. AND FINALLY he doesn’t mention it and I figured it out on my own after the fact, but before pulling the wire through the center console or even messing with that, make sure you run your wiring down through the steering wheel center so you don’t have to pull it all back out through the center console after spending forever fishing it through to do so, like i did haha.
Use the type s lighting system It’s the exact same thing except it’s clear except when it lights up and it’s much more premium and it’s app control and you can change the colors of it it looks so dope at night and when you turn off during the daytime you won’t even see it it blends in because it’s clear It’s expensive it’s like $70 but it’s worth it
Personally, I remove dash panels or center console plastics etc, rather than using a hanger or wire fishers. Plastic panels are mostly held on by clips, and you can more diligently route wires and reduce risk of damaging them if they get caught on anything under the panels..and if you do it this way, you can better cut wires to correct lengths edit: i would also suggest using a fuse-tap and connecting to the cabin fusebox…you can jump off other 12V wires, but a fuse-tap isolates the extra wires, and gives them their own fuse to protect the lights/car from damage, and you dont have to cut into any OEM wires etc…
First, thank you for this very informative article! I really enjoyed seeing ya do the entire process thoroughly. I was wondering if you Can you do a article on how you took apart the 12v adapter prior to hooking up the wires ? I tried looking up articles but I’m more interested as to how you did it. Thanks in advance !
I would have to say, in my honest opinion and the fact that if this were me and this was my car. I would have to say that it is NOT worth it. During the daylight, it looks cheap and the color is slightly off, and to add something to your car that is cheap in quality when the car itself is a perfectly engineered piece of machinery . Well tht, to some would be considered dumb. But one thing is, it looks freakin awesome at night and adds elegance to the beautifully crafted interior. So it really depends on who you are and what you like… Beautiful car and interior!!! I like!!!
I remember I bought this wire back in the 90’s from VARAD industry. It’s nothing new it just got a lot cheaper it used to be $25-40 per foot back then. That transformer is 400watts AC and if the end is bare it will shock you. It’s not fiber optic it’s a phosphorus wire with a thin copper wire loosely wrapped. It does give a cool effect that’s why I also bought back then.
User error, don’t knock a product if you don’t know how to correctly use it, those quick connects are great and the only time I’ve seen them fail to work is on exterior applications where they get corroded over years of water and dirt, I work with them everyday at my job and they work great, quick and easy
Tried this with blue EL wire, looked trash, too many inconsistencies that don’t show up on camera but are super noticeable irl. Wonky lines – even when it runs along with the trim gaps, it’s not straight, and then the parts where the wire starts and end look DIY as f*ck, which in turn makes the car look tacky and gives ricermobile vibes.
a better way would of been just using “add a fuse” kits and tapping onto a existing fuse in the inner fuse box rather then messing up the wires in your car an degrading the value further. but if you own your car fully and don’t care then just ignore me and it looks nice 🙂 cant wait to do to my challenger.
One word of advice AKA constructive criticism (is how I hope you will perceive this comment); *stop yelling At the camera, & just speak Towards it*… As though you were speaking to your/a girlfriend in close proximity. It’s just that I constantly have to turn ‘Down… / Up… / Down…’ the volume throughout your “how-to / product-review” article. Best of luck, all together a cool Set up 👍
C’mon Bro Please don’t tell people that? I’m only saying I had ABSOLUTELY no problem with the whole installation process and I Love it every time I see it! In fact I have another kit that when I do what I have planned for that kit it will be my own design and model that I have not seen before on any other car but I’m SURE once other people see my custom model idea others will copy!( obviously whynI am not saying the exact thing that I have intended to do with the wire)
If you consider this a “medium to difficult” job, you probably shouldn’t be doing things like this. It shouldn’t take any more than 30 minutes and for god’s sake we’re only talking about two wires here. Some people can make the easiest of tasks entirely too difficult, and this article is proof positive. Looks good though.
The only way to make the quick snap connectors work is to use wire pliers to smash the blade down over the wires, then close the plastic snap over it. Didn’t know if you tried that or not. Most people think you push the plastic flap over the blade with your fingers to make the connection. That doesn’t work.
Maybe it’s just me but I think the coat hanger is a lot of extra work. I’m getting the ice blue EL Wire for my RAV4 and I will not be using a coat hanger. It just adds more time. I’m going to pry the center console up more so that I can squeeze my hand in and just pull the wire up that way. Saves time and effort. Just have to be careful of the wires that are connected to the panel. I’m also going to do the doors in the front and install LEDs under the dash.
Sounds like it WAS worth it. It’s just the tutorial he followed was harder than it needed to be and he bought extra parts he didn’t need that just caused more frustration. But he liked the mod. I think this should be considered a easy-intermittent mod. It’s just splicing wires and threading them behind panels. I think he put himself through a lot of extra frustration and pain that was not necessary by following a crappy tutorial and buying unnecessary parts. But it was good for me because now I know what NOT to do when I will start this mod in 2 days when my parts get here. 😂😂
Not sure why the quick connects didn’t work for you, I ran several systems off these when I twin turbo’d my Mustang and flawless. Maybe different grade connecters or different company produced. Not trying to be a smartass, but did you use a pair of pliers and crush the metal flanges into the wires before you closed the plastic cover? You have to put pressure for it to closed and cut through the sheathing to make contact with the wires. I am sure you did, just a thought. On a side note, not my cup of tea, but good for guys to experiment with mods.
Looks like you wasted a ton of EL wire there, more than half of it. You probably could have run it through your doors also, instead of cutting off so much. I bought mine on ebay, and sometimes the power packs are faulty. I also don’t like the noise the power pack makes when you have the light on. It’s a super high pitched whine, and I can still hear it even though it sits in the centre console compartment and my music is on.
You should buy the tube style LED lights, not the EL wire style. @ledallthethings made a good one, but the guy apparently scammed a bunch of folks and kept their money and never sent them product. What a shame because his kit was solid and ran off a battery powered self contained switch that did not need to tap into any of your wiring or be an eyesore plugged into the cigarette lighter plug.
Looks to me simple wiring. But I dunno why your wire crimps didn’t work. I’ve used piggybacks a ton of times you have to make sure the host wire is in one slot the other on the other and make sure you squeeze it kinda hard so it’s puncturing the plastic to be metal on metal and it will then feed of the host wire. But for people that haven’t used them before. Definitely easier to piggyback off the existing. I still liked your article and it looks way better than the fake red not a light at night light. Plus I appreciate your honesty with the issues vrs someone taking 4 hrs and saying they did it in ten. Makes it more realistic for the avid person. #atlightnight
Easiest way is on fuse box that is connected to anything that turns on e.g. door opening, headlights, mine were powered on when I put lights on, seen as I woudnt be using it in day anyway, and went around cup holders inside imo looked good there, cup holders required slight modification where a hole on sides allowed strip to go in and out, then around etc but imo it didn’t look all that, looked good but cheap overall and if doing again would consider other options but that’s just my opinion on it 👍😎
You can buy something called fish tape to feed the wire easily thru the center instead of using that coat hanger. I’m an electrician and when we pull wire thorough conduit, if the wire is being difficult, we feed the fish tape through the conduit, tape it using electrical tape and then pull the fish tape back and it allows us to pull the wire easily. Fish tape is basically like a plastic wire idk how to explain it but you can just look it up.
OK I installed it in my ’16 Challenge and I am quite the perfectionist so believe it or not I thought it out before my.plan of attack I started to run wires around the shifter console then without cutting any wires made the transition to the dash guage cluster and it actually was a perfect size in length now if for any reason you’re going to say you think it wasn’t worth the time? I took maybe 30 minutes and the time to make it all in 1 piece and I LOVE IT AND TOTALLY ENJOY IT AND WORTH THE EFFORT TO INSTALL AND THE PRICE IS SO WORTH IT!!!🤗
Hi, just bought some of this EL wire to put in my car but when you cut the wire and joined it up again can you use the part you cut off again…meaning if there is two ends can I use the other end on the other side, will it light up? Because I’m wondering if I need to connect a connector of some sort but seeing your article and how you did it you didn’t use any connectors and it came on with you turned it on. Hope you can understand what I’m trying to explain.! Can you get back to me because at the moment the EL wire is waiting to be fitted into my car lol. Your car looks really good and you did a fab job. Thanks for sharing.
Way easier to use something like a ruler to pry open the gaps and feed the wire right behind it. You can just run the ruler and wire along the gaps and it’d be done in just a few minutes. Also, those “easy” snap clips are meant to go on a much thicker (feeder) wire than the ones your were trying to snap them to. If the instructions don’t clearly show that then they’ve been miss-sold to you, an easy way for the seller to make a few more quick bucks.
Personally I wouldn’t have installed this to the foot well lighting at all!! NOW when you drive you to have the EL Wire on, you are driving around with your dome lights on!! I would have just tapped into an empty fuse slot, installed an inline fuse tap, and a separate switch to turn the lights on and off at random!! Kids today make things more difficult than they need to at times!!! And besides if you are driving around with your dome lights on (interior lights) cops WILL notice you and might even stop you to ask why you are driving with your interior lights on!! At least in my area cops can be kind of “weird” about those things!!!
Sometimes I see these kinds of projects and think, I’d like to try that. Then I see all the wiring and stuff and backtrack hella hard, lol. Glad my top trim Impala already has a type of interior lighting just standard; a blue light that turns on beneath the chrome trimming at night all across the front, from door to door. Holds me over until I find an idea where I don’t think I’ll ruin the car myself, lol. But I will say, if you’ve wired a sub to an old car before, makes this job seem quite a bit easier. Stuffs harder on these newer more technically advanced cars but this one seems easy enough, and actually gives me an idea on how to wire under seat lightning. I just used the cigarette lighter on my old car but being able to draw power from one of those same standard foot lights will be a major upgrade to how I hide the wires underneath
Thanks for the informative article! Although I wish someone made a article for the light installation for a civic 2013, I can’t for the life of mine find any article or forums that show an installation article and definitely would be needing a prying tool for it. Hopefully this article can give me better insight for my civic.
Great article, thanks. I installed a different brand of LED’s back in 2018 in my Challenger and the LED’s are now very dim. Sad looking now…LOL. Yours look significantly brighter than mine. Yeah, the hardest part was feeding it through the center console for me too. Gonna try these wires, thanks again.
Huh. When i saw you wire it up to the light I thought whats the point. After you close the door the light goes out and no power to the El wire. Saw in the comment section you mentioned that light stays on. I haven’t noticed that. 19′ scat pack. Guess I’ll find out in a hour when i get in my car. If so that makes for a easy install.
Bro. Great vid. Lovin it. Do you have any advice on how to hardwire a USB adapter? I want to hardwire into the brake pedal just like you but I don’t know how to hardwire a USB cable. It’s not the thick USB cord which means the 2 cables that make it up are both black and not red/black. Got any advice? I ordered the 12 v connector for backup to hardwire that in if I can’t make this work. But it’s like 99% done and I’m chomping at the but with this lil pain in the a$$ install lol but worth the effect