Hi all.

I have a 2004 MCS. I think it was the 2006 model year that introduced some additional lighting in the car, such as amber lights in the inside door handle area.

I thought it would be cool to add such lights to my car, and was just wondering if anyone has done so. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

A couple pf people have asked me about doing this, since I've added some lighting to my door interiors, and here's my take on it - it should be easily do-able. The main issue will be electrical power, since in your model there isn't a power lead (that I know of) inside the door that's switched on along with your parking lights or main headlights. The first thing you need to do is get power into the door - since the door handle lights are on ALL THE TIME in my car once the headlights are switched on (not just when the door is open), tapping into the OEM door sill lamp, assuming you have one, won't work.

How *I* would do it is identify a hot wire leading to your dash lighting (which come one when the parking lights are switched on - someone with a service manual should be a big help here) and use a $3 wire tap from Radio Shack to splice into there. Run the wire through the existing wiring bundle that bridges the space between the body and the door (its covered in rubber rubber tubing) and use that to power the LEDs.

You can get 5MM, pre-wired amber LEDs (just hook them to a 12v power source and you're done - no soldering resistors required since Oznium does all the work for you) for about a buck apeice from Oznium.com here:

http://www.oznium.com/prewired-leds

And you can use these nice LED holders to clip in the LED lamps themselves - these install into 1/4" holes and are quite secure:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

To actually do the installation, you'll need to pull off the door panel - unfasten the torx screws holding the panel on the door and thenstart prying the panel away starting on the BOTTOM EDGE of the panel - it will pop right off. The actual door handle assembly remains on the door after you pull off the panel, but this should expose enough of it to allow you to either remove the entire assembly or drill a hole for the LED with the handle still attached.

A NOTE ON LED LIGHTS: The OEM LEDs in the MINI have such a nice, diffuse glow because the engineers took the time to polish the (usually rounded) top edge of the LED flat - grinding the LED flat causes the light to be more of a diffuse "glow". When you get your LEDs, take a file to the curved, upper tip of the LED lens and grind that curved part flat (don't worry about breaking them - the part that actually illuminates is a few millimeters from the BASE of the LED). This will make the LED light much softed and more OEM-looking.

If you get stuck anywhere send me a PM or post in here, and please do take pics as you work - I think this is one of those MODs that many owners of older models will like to know how to do.

 

ImagoX - Just wanted to thank you for all your effort in these many light mod threads

I know the effort required in giving a detailed response and one only has to look at this one, the puddle light thread and the boot light thread to see your talents.

If I can ever find my rattle and solve it I might tackle these light mods

 

NOTE: the LED holders I linked to actually install into holes that are just a tad larger than 1/4" - you need a bit of extra wiggle room to slip the LED into the hole. What I'd do is use a 1/4" drill bit to make the initial hole, then use files and/or a Dremel grinding tip to SLOWLY enlarge the hole until you can slip the mounted LED into the hole. The trick is keeping the hole small eough to make it tight while allowing the LED to go into the housing.

Thanks, Smokey for all your kind words. I just see it as paying this place back for all of the great help I've received from other NAM members over the last few months. You guys inspire me, what can I say?

Glad to be of help!