Do you see those fancy cars with colorful interior led light decor around and would love to have the same display for your car? The good news is that you can actually do-it-yourself (DIY) and at cheaper cost. At Clear Light Tech we are passionate about everything car lights and restoration which is why this guide is compiled and simplified to help you know how to install LED light strip in a car
What are car LED light
“LED,” which is the short form of “Light emitting diodes,” are light generating semiconductor devices. These semiconductors are electronic components which are made up of silicon and materials that allow electrical current to flow in towards different directions. However, the Diodes are “one-way-valves.” Meaning they can only allow the in-flow of current towards one direction.
What are LED strips
LED light strips are simply strips of LEDs. These fancy lights come in different designs. For example, some have adhesive backs that help them stay in place while others need support items like zip ties to hold them in place. LED light strips unlike the LED lighting bulbs can be placed on various surfaces in/on your car. Because LED light strips are programmable, you can install them and select any color of your choice to illuminate your surroundings.
Another amazing feature of these lights are their very low power consumption abilities. These 12v LED strip devices when installed in your car can make your car look like it’s straight out of a sports car movie. While they don’t cost much to buy, they are a great tool for customization.
How are LED strips installed in a car
- Locate a convenient mounting space
Once you buy your car LED strip lights, the first thing you want to do is to locate a visible and convenient spot for the mount. You can start by looking underneath your car if you would like the lights to display below your car seats or foot area. If you are decorating all four sides of your car interior, you can mount the strip at the front, back, and sides. It’s popularly recommended to use a zip tie for every 12 inches of LED strip at minimum. Although there are openings or visible bolts in your car that you can attach the strip to, using a zip tie would secure the strips better irrespective of whether or not the LED strip came with an adhesive back.
- Mount your LED strips
After locating the various spots you can mount your LED strips, Line up your wires in the best display position by mounting them on those various spots you have located. Now, route the wires to your engine bay and connect them to your module box while ensuring they are firmly in place with the help of a zip tie. If you don’t have enough wires from your rear bumper, you can solder additional wires, or make use of extensions which might come as an adds-on in the package.
- Connect to the battery
Now that all your car LED light strip wires are in place and mounted correctly, connect your LED to the battery. Although not all LED light strip support battery and module box mount, If yours comes with a car USB connection head, then it’s best you wire your strip down to your car’s nearest USB port and plug it in.
- Place the module somewhere safe
For LED strips with module boxes, after ensuring all the LED wires are mounted and zip tied properly, the next thing you want to do is to secure the module box somewhere safe. A spot will be anywhere away from heat like the radiator or engine area. This is because heat can cause the module box to melt and get spoilt or malfunction. In the same vein, you shouldn’t store your module box where it can get wet easily. The best place to secure your module box should be the headlight fuse area or inside the dashboard. Another thing you might want to consider is making sure that wherever the module box is secured is open to signal.
- Test your car LED strip
Once you have followed our steps and have successfully mounted and connected your LED strips, the next move should be you testing your LED strips, choosing your preferred color and enjoying your car interior. NB: LED can be used for different purposes like replacing car light bulbs from Halogen to LED or HID factory headlights. So, if you are like me who decided to upgrade to LED lights, I would recommend you also restore your car headlight lenses using a dedicated headlight restoration wipe.
