My Interior Illumination mod - Lighted Cup Holders

Quick question..... Can someone confirm if the light between the two maps lights is always on?.. like 24/7... I don't think an led will kill my battery but just want to make sure... Cause I installed and it is on all the time.. even after I arm the alarm and all the other int lights go off.

No, it only comes on when the side markers or headlamps are turned on. I had mine wired backwards for a bit so that it was only on when the headlamps/sidemarker lights were off. Oops.

The easiest way to install the Illumination kit is to order the puddle light kit and have the dealer install the wrong thing ie: the illumination kit, for free.

what? LOL.

No, it only comes on when the side markers or headlamps are turned on. I had mine wired backwards for a bit so that it was only on when the headlamps/sidemarker lights were off. Oops.

 

 

Thanks ... I decided to take it out, it's basically lost, cause of the cubby and footwell lights(I doubled them so they are strong).

Just did the ring light mod to my cup holders. Turned out pretty sweet as far as i can tell right now during the day. Will have to check it out tonight. I basically bought two of those stupid blue light interior lights that walmart sells in their ricer section, tore out the leds inside the two modules and wired them directly into the heated seat plugs. I was going to splice into the wires themselves but instead i stripped a decent section of the led wires and folded them over once (really thin gauge) and put one in the ground and one in the purple hot then shoved the plugs back in. I wired in two of the blue lights, one for each entrance to the glow ring. It might be too bright so i may cut one out and just go with one but we will see.

 

Pretty simple install though. Figureing out how to get the console apart was my biggest challenege but after pulling the shift boot it was simple.

 

 

Good cheap mod that looks pretty clean after.

 

 

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I was curious if anyone who has a 2011 actually went as far as ordering a 2010 cup holder to get the clear ring. I noticed that there is a $7 price difference, the 2010 cup holder being more. I called Fred Beans and they couldn't tell me for sure that the 2010 cup holders come with that clear ring.

My 2010 has the clear plastic ring for the cupholders as default...This thread is great btw. I would like to know if anyone went with the standard illumination kit and has pics so I can compare. I am not mechanically inclined and if I attempt to do this I may live to regret it haha

It's really hard to get good comparison pics.

 

Having looked at the instructions for the subaru kit, this mod is far easier. You can add a led light to the front cubby too, and have 3 out of 5 of the lights for about $10.

That's why I did this a while back. The price of the kit and the installation of that kit is crazy! Crazy price and crazy installation. You have to tear apart most of the interior of the car to put the factory kit in.

 

It's been a while since I've done this and it is still working perfectly. I've been thinking recently that maybe I do want a foot well light also. I'll need to find some power that I can steal down there too I guess so that the lights come on with the rest of the interior lights. I bought extra LED blue lights back when I did this and they have been laying there waiting.

Maybe He-Man will lend you some power.

http://powet.tv/powetblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/StyleGuideImage_Resized.jpg

Crazy price indeed! If subaru installs it, they charge 365 bucks! DIY never looked so good. I may just have them install sat radio. Anyone here had that in a 2010 legacy? I heard it sticks to windsheild. What happens when windsheild needs replacing?

I went with Minuccims suggestion and ordered the led's from

 

http://www.12vledlights.com/catalog.php/12vledlights/dt92295/pd2092466/12V_Single_5mm_Red_LED

 

but in blue. I can't see spending all of that money on the illumination kit when I paid less than $10 for 6 led's with shipping. I'm going to do the cupholders and the cubby under the HVAC controls. I found one of those long skinny glow necklaces and it looks like it may work well as a light diffuser. We shall see.

 

Thanks Chas for the write-up

I went with Minuccims suggestion and ordered the led's from

 

http://www.12vledlights.com/catalog.php/12vledlights/dt92295/pd2092466/12V_Single_5mm_Red_LED

 

but in blue. I can't see spending all of that money on the illumination kit when I paid less than $10 for 6 led's with shipping. I'm going to do the cupholders and the cubby under the HVAC controls. I found one of those long skinny glow necklaces and it looks like it may work well as a light diffuser. We shall see.

 

Thanks Chas for the write-up

 

Do a picture filled DIY!!!!!

Do a picture filled DIY!!!!!

 

I will, but it will pretty much be the same as Chas' write up with the addition of the cubby. I felt underneath the top section of the cubby and you can feel the hole where the led should go.

Took a chance and stopped at a Pep-Boys...sure enough, they had them. Funny the regional differences in inventory at the various auto parts stores.

 

Question on the actual install:

 

Put in the LED's and scotchloks to combine red/black wires to one red, one black.

 

Using another set of schtchloks to go from purple to purple and red, and black/silver to black/silver and black, from the passenger side heated switch wires.

 

Nothing. What did I do wrong?

 

(I tried splicing into the black/yellow as well and that didnt work either)

 

same problem as you tried scotch locks.. tried tap locks..

then did a test just put one wire in scotch lock and tested with multi-meter... the wire was held firm but no continuity.. Apparntly the coating is too hard and they are not going through well.

 

So bit the bullet and stripped the wire and soldiered as well..

 

A couple of other issues..

2010 lgt .. manual.. the shifter trim does not come all the way off which makes is more difficult (becuase of the reverse ring).. I double checked one of the subaru install .pdfs .. sure enough it says the shifter trim in a manual does not come all the way off.

 

2. i had the clear ring.. so the leds are a bit touchy to keep in position since they do not seat well with the ring in place. I used so tape and silicon and let it dry overnight. Only problem with soldiering I don't like is that you cannot use heat shrink tubing as I just stripped and did not cut the wire. Had to make due with electric tape which dries out and comes off over time.. Oh well.

 

I used purple and found the leds at pep boys.. They stock them in the stores. Also bought blue in case I did not like purple..

 

A couple of other hints.. when placing the leds.. try to get them to touch the lucite ring. Air is not as good a conducter of light.

 

second, for testing your circuit and soldiering of the two leds together a 9v battery works well.

 

I will post pict tonight when it is dark.

 

Now anyone know anywhere to tap on the right passenger footwell for the same thing.. The glove box led does not dim with the car, and I want to install the led door sills but the factory tap location in the Piller is insane as others have noted.

 

thanks for the writeup.

Maybe He-Man will lend you some power.

http://powet.tv/powetblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/StyleGuideImage_Resized.jpg

 

Came for the ballin light set ups.

Subscribed for this.

http://stage1.icentrix.com/cup.jpg

Hmmm... That purple is really kind of cool. Very-Super-Fly-Swanky-Cool actually. And probably easier on the eyes than the blue.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b362/bigcityballa65/backtolive.jpg Back from the DEAD!

 

Just want to say Thanks Chas for the write up. Did it on my 2013 Legacy this morning. Had some LEDs laying around my house didnt know they were 3.7v so when I connected them, they blew out LOL rookie mistake.

 

Anyways Pepboys had those same 3 LED kit you used and they came out great. Wish I had the clear ring but still looks good. Will use the 3rd one for the Cubby soon.

 

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b362/bigcityballa65/cupholder.jpg

 

Thanks again!

The LED I bought from checker burnt out in my cupholder and ceiling light switches already. I bought the ceiling light console from ebay that came from a model higher than mine to replace the blue LED that I put in that burnt out. I'm going to find a better solution for the cup holder LED.

Awesome write up, cant wait to do this to my 11 this weekend! Has anyone changed the overhead led to red? I plan on doing the cupholder in red and want that map light to match. My old A4 had a red map light and I feel like it would match this interior much better as well as the whole night vision thing

Is anyone able to verify that the part numbers for the cupholder in the 2010 vs 2011 (or 2012) are in fact different? Presumably one with the clear light diffuser ring, the other without.

finished doing this the other day with red LEDs... came out great. I added a switch incase they were too bright and I wanted that option. Ran it into under the shift boot so you can't see it.

 

Hopefully we can find that part # for the diffuser ring since I feel that it'll help disperse the light better and soften it up inside.

 

http://i.imgur.com/q1YIH.jpg