Map Lights on with Dome light Mod

Great mod, thanks for the walk-through! I guess you soldered the two wires back together in the pic below, but the possibility of dripping hot metal onto my console scared me, so if anyone else has this phobia, I would recommend using crimp-on butt connectors - very easy! Like these: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103510&cp=2032058.2032231.2032283&pg=2&parentPage=search&kw=butt&parentPage=family

Or, if you don't want to cut the wires at all, just swap their positions in the connector

Now that I've had a chance to think about it, my only concern is the ability of the "body integrated module" (which provides the ground for the theatre dimming) to take the additional current of the two maplight bulbs. Time will tell if the little chip inside can handle triple the nominal current flow of the single dome light...

mine has been holding up for let's see....I did this to my dad's car 2 months ago. So I mine has been holding up for at least 4-5 months

I did the mod, used 1N4005 diodes, soldered to the switch terminals not the metal strip... and switches still work great. My 06 2.5i wagon no sunroof did not have brown routed via map lights so I had to fish from the dome.

 

Now, my question.. With the mod, when a door is open all interior lights are at their brightest and when the door shuts all lights immediately dim to about 50% and stay like that for 30 seconds until the dimmer brings them to zero. Opening the door or using the dome or map switch during the waiting time immediately brings the light/s back to 100%.

 

Berfore I did the mod, I did not pay attention if the center dome did this 50% dim when door shuts. Can somebody check a stock 06 and tell me if that is normal? Wondering if the extra load of the mod of having all lights wired to the same circuit is causing the dim.

 

Thanks

Scott

Damn! I have to try this.

 

So, the changes to the original walk-through (I have a wagon with a sunroof) are to just swap the wires in the connector instead of cutting and splicing?

 

Thanks! Awesome FREEEEEEE mod!

 

Can we sticky this?

 

CJ

The dome light dimmed when the door shut the same before and after the mod.

Yep, agree, they always dimmed to 50% upon closing of the doors. Not to worry!

just swap the wires in the connector instead of cutting and splicing?

 

CJ

 

Either way works just fine. I personally prefer not to solder if I can avoid it.

you are going to have to solder at least two points to do this mod

Yep, agree, they always dimmed to 50% upon closing of the doors. Not to worry!

 

Good then! It's a feature and not a bug.

Besides, I like the idea of 50% dim immediately when all doors shut.

 

Scott

i just did my maplights right now....bored at work, so...why not got all the tools i need...

I did this mod just today even though the weather was cold outside (-2 F). I probably spent waaaaay too much time trying to get the terminals out of the front harness (I ended up cutting them). All works well except I think I need to adjust the wiring near the rear dome light because I think it is rubbing against the sunroof shade.

 

Thanks for the great Mod!

 

PolarDog

Not quite -2F today, but nice easy mod with a great benefit! Thanks!

Just did this mod today. Sooo much nicer to have light when you open the doors.

 

One thing to note, not sure if it was mentioned before, but by tapping the brown wire on the dome light the dome light switch does not affect the maplight mod. In other words, flipping the domelight switch to off doesn't disable the maplights from turning on with the door opening... not a problem, as I leave my dome light on the "door" setting all the time...

 

In any case, great mod and instructions!

I have noticed a couple of times since doing this mod that my map lights will be on when I come into my garage in the morning. Just the map lights, not the dome light. I open the door and shut it, and they stay on. They do dim to 50% but don't fade.

 

I get in the car, start it, and they turn off. I turn the car off, I get out and shut the door, and they dim and then fade like they're supposed to.

 

Of course I never notice it when I park the car for the night - either it's light out or I don't pay attention.

 

Thankfully they wouldn't drain the battery, but has anyone else experienced this?

I have no idea what that could be other then a loose wire or a short somewhere in your new wiring.

Ditto - never seen that issue on my mod.

Bump for updates - folks who have done this mod. No problems after runing it for several months now?

Driverside map light stopped turning on when the doors were open. I have to go back and check things out.

mine still works fine

Did it well over a year ago and never have had any problem.

is there a way to retain the map lights turning on and off with the domelight but maybe with an off switch, or have it operate with the domelight switch.... because some times i want the lights off when i get out...

 

you know, like when im out fo da kill

Bump for updates - folks who have done this mod. No problems after runing it for several months now?

No prblems at all, running for almost a year.

 

Driverside map light stopped turning on when the doors were open. I have to go back and check things out.

The metal tabs that you soldier the wire too didn't take the soldier all that well unless you used a lot of flux. My guess is the driver's side wire came undone.

is there a way to retain the map lights turning on and off with the domelight but maybe with an off switch, or have it operate with the domelight switch.... because some times i want the lights off when i get out...

 

you know, like when im out fo da kill

 

Anybody?

 

I understand the power is supplied only when the dome is on, no?

Yes. wire it to the appropriate terminals onthe dome light switch....