Interior Floorboard Lights

[komodo]

Zak (EcianIce) and me finished up the work el presidente and me started last night. There are now blue neon lights in each of my floorboards that activate with a switch mounted in the console. Looks very sexy at night. I'll take pics tomorrow, too tired tonight.

So yes El Presidente, we did figure it out. We basically ended up starting from scratch and rewiring everything to find that one of the boxes was dead. We took the dead box out and spliced the two tubes together and connected them to one box. Works like a charm.

Quick question though, when I had them on for a while, I noticed they began to grow dimmer. I turned them off and back on again, still dim. I waited about 2 minutes and tried again and they were at full brightness (power). My thoughts are the battery is being drained to almost dead and after running for a few minutes, it recharges enough to run the lights. But the thing is when the car is running, it shouldn't use the battery at all, right? Just the alternator. Or is the cig lighter (where we tapped power from) connected directly to the battery for whatever reason? =/ Any ideas?

[El Presidente]

could be the batt, but doubtful More likely the one box inst designed to light two tubes, so they will be dimmer if you wired in series.

[EcianIce]

Another thing i might add. <.<

When the key is out of the ignition, the power still runs to the cig lighter. >.>

I accidentally touched the wrong wires, and got a quick spark from the lighter, which at that point i had been fiddling around with the wires, bare-handed mind you, for about an hour.

good times. haha.

[komodo]

Originally posted by El Presidente@Aug 21 2004, 12:18 AM
could be the batt, but doubtful More likely the one box inst designed to light two tubes, so they will be dimmer if you wired in series.

No, it's not the wiring. I mean like I flick them on, flick them off, flick them on, wait a minute, flick them on and they're really dim. Flick them off and wait a minute, then flick them back on and they're at full brightness. That make sense?

[El Presidente]

I think. Got word on the speakers too. He'll have to look up the pword, which may take a few days.

[komodo]

Originally posted by El Presidente@Aug 21 2004, 01:16 AM
I think. Got word on the speakers too. He'll have to look up the pword, which may take a few days.

Hum, time is getting pretty tight...

[buuhh99]

pics!

[komodo]

Originally posted by buuhh99@Aug 21 2004, 10:11 AM
pics!

Coming later tonight when it gets dark.

I was being really careful not to cross over into rice, and I think it turned out perfect. Not bold and flashy, but a calm, subtle, blue glow in the floorboard (not visible from outside the car).

I'll post pics in about 12 hours. :P

[DeefNDorf]

Hmm...Yea..if it still has fire after you take the key out it is running off the battry...Hmm.Constant I beleive they call it...anyway...try and find one that only has fire when you turn the key on..unless you want to be able to cut em on with the key out...easiest way is to..take a volt reader..or somthen like it...leave the key out..find all yr constants..mark them..then turn key on and find the others...12volts on any other make...dont kow about BMW..havnt tore mine apart to find out...but this is easiest way I have found to wire up anything...from stereo to lights that run up and down yr dash...

[El Presidente]

There is a toggle switch on them to to turn them on and off.

[komodo]

Here be pics.

That is all.

[El Presidente]

I remembered something else that was funny.

These are supposed to be sound activated. The engine would make them light up fully. Then, sitting in the car, my subs made the lights go off and the subs were barely audible and in my closed trunk about 10 feet away.

[komodo]

Originally posted by El Presidente@Aug 22 2004, 02:19 AM
I remembered something else that was funny.

These are supposed to be sound activated. The engine would make them light up fully. Then, sitting in the car, my subs made the lights go off and the subs were barely audible and in my closed trunk about 10 feet away.

Ha, then when you went all the way downstairs to the basement to drill the hole in the mount... but forgot and left the mount in the car.

[jrhaile]

Hey just a suggestion and maybe this might be overkill, but I'd add some of these to your door sill...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=33705

that'd look pimp with the blue lighting...

[BLACKBMW]

Those blue sills look P.I.M.P. - I like them a lot!

That neon blue looks good on anything

J