Chevy Cobalt Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

06 LS LED Radio and Footwell Lights?

13K views 21 replies 6 participants last post by  EricTheNerd 
#1 · (Edited)
I just picked up an '06 LS coupe over the weekend, I already put in a DDM Tuning 600k Bi-Xenon HID kit and swapped all the 194 bulbs to LED as well as an LED dome light.

My next goals are red LED lights on the interior. First I'm going to put in red 5050 SMD strips over the footwells, where's the best place to tap into the parking light circuit for this? I know there is a brown wire by the fuse panel I can use but that won't make them dimmable, correct? My second question is about the bulbs in the radio. On the upper left corner it looks like I have a blown bulb, how hard is it to switch this out, and what type of bulb is it? While I'm in there should I just go ahead and do a full red LED swap? Which then poses the question, what kind of red LED's do I order for both the radio and HVAC?

Thanks in advance guys, I have a lot of experience with automotive wiring, soldering etc but I haven't had the chance to play with this car much yet and figured I would ask the experts! :cheesy:
 
#2 ·
I've got about the same project here but some what more elaborate
And doing some research myself I wouldn't recommending tapping into any of the factory power supply.. Read but not for sure you can start a electrical head ache down the road..
One thing goes leads to other things going out...
Read that if you take out a bulb in the rear tail light your dash, cruise control, an something else goes with it..
I luckly ran a separate fuse box (5)in the trunk from the battery or should say batteries..
So I'm staying away from any factory taping...
 
#3 ·
Alright, well if I should avoid tapping into the wire for my lights like that, is there an easy way to get a source inside the cabin that's only on when the parking lights are on? I haven't been able to check- is the parking light fuse hot all the time or only when the lights are on? If it's switched, it would be easy to tap into with an add-a-fuse and add the LEDs from there.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Okay, Wish I was sure as to what you want to do and when you want your footwells lit. In the BCM connector "C3" there's a pin "B12" that has dimmer voltage out. It has 2 gray wires crimped to the same pin. One lights the instrument panel the other lights the hazard switch's bulb and continues on to the shifter bulb if you have an automatic.



It is very easy to tap into if you're comfortable with wiring. This source is already fused.



---------- Post added at 06:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:05 PM ----------

 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Awesome, thank you Coby7, that is exactly what I needed! My plan is to tap into that to power a set of LEDs over the footwells.
Now, about my second question, sorry If I'm supposed to create a new thread, but how hard is it to change a blown bulb in the radio? I've read the how-to's about removing the trim and the radio, but is it worth it to pull apart the unit just for one dead bulb? And while I'm in there is it just as easy to do a red LED swap?
 
#6 ·
I never had a Cobalt radio apart but did a ton of 03-07 truck radios. The hardest part is pulling the radio out. the rest is just unsoldering and resoldering.
 
#8 ·
diffused lens. Don't know if they are 3mm or 5mm though.

12 Volt LED
 
#9 ·
Now I havent seen anyone else do this, but do you think if I just left the stock bulbs alone and put a red LED strip across the bottom of the head unit that it would illuminate the buttons? Or across the top and bottom? Is there room? Sorry for all the questions but I'm away at college and my car is at home so I can't just go out and check. :cheesy:
 
#10 ·
Wtf!!
I was just looking into this(wish I could remember the post) couple of weeks ago
Seen one that said you start tapping into wiring your may start a whole new problem.. Gremlin may start..and how everything's link together...
Nope I'm sticking with a fuse box I installed in the trunk..connected to the batteries back there...and switches in the center console...
 
#13 ·
Speedy - Is that also true for the earlier radios? I thought that was only 07-up and my radio had the little incandescents in it, if they're SMD's I'm shocked one would be blown...
Megatron - The draw on the circuit from even the four 30cm LED strips I'm going to be running is the equivalent of less than one mini incandescent. As this plug is a fused power source, if the draw exceeded what the circuit could handle then it would just blow a fuse before any "Gremlins" start.
 
#15 ·
Just saying read one here the guys dash lights went out just because of a rear lights burnt out or was it removed( I forget) and lead him into a nice check list..
I'm keeping it safe an leaving factory wires alone with these new cars..and added mine..
 
#16 · (Edited)
Rrob, that looks awesome! That's my goal for when I go home this weekend!

Megaton- You're right, it's a good idea to keep your wiring seperate from stock for projects and resale, but for this I specifically want the lights on with the parking lights, and dimmable. It wouldn't make sense to run a seperate power wire because I would have to run a relay off the stock harness anyway, and then I wouldn't be able to easily dim them with the gauges. When I get to my more serious wiring projects (I'm a volunteer firefighter and have a permit for emergency lighting in my car) I will be running a line straight from the battery into a fuse box like what you have done. It just doesn't make sense for this small project.

This leads me to my next question, though. Can you guys think of a good spot to mount a siren controller so it's easily accessible in the center console? The unit I have is 2" tall x 6" wide x 6" deep...I have access to a parts car so I'm thinking I'll get a spare center console and cut a 6x2 piece out underneath the HVAC and possibly just remove the cigarette plug? Is there 6" of free space behind that part of the console so that the box will fit? Like I said I would just pull it up and check but my car is at home during the week while I'm at college. Thanks for all your help guys!
 
#17 ·
if your tail lights go out then your dash lights will go out, thats how its designed and it don't matter if you did anything to it or not.. replace the bulb thats blown and the gauge lights will come back on. Nothing wrong with added precautions though. And thanks, i still gotta do it for the back seat... still got about 9 meters of the red LED strips.
 
#18 ·
Yeah I did the same in my old car, I stuck them right to the underside of the front seats and had them shine on the rear footwells. Don't forget to leave enough slack so that wires don't break if someone adjusts the seats! I've seen that one happen!

By the way, this is the box I need to find a home for:
Siren Controller
 
#19 ·
No room where the lighter outlet is for sure. I had a hard time fitting a USB port in that spot. This is as far to the right I could put it.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Aww man, that's too bad! I was hoping with some cutting and hacking I could squeeze it in there. Any ideas on where it might fit then? It's got to be somewhere pretty handy so I can get to it between shifts when I'm responding. Does anyone have a picture of what it looks like behind that trim?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top