Dome light upgrade!!

[gearheadE30]

After 6 months of measuring all manner of dome lights, I finally found one that will fit in the slot for our not-so-check check panels. Most older chevy trucks and vans have this domelight, and there is a trim ring that does around it. I pulled off the ring and it fits great. The lights are wired so that all three come on with the door opened and the buttons between the lights operate the maplights. Total cost was $10, and most of that was for the bulbs. Wiring was just run above the headliner to the driver's side dome light.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u169/gearheadE30/IMG_0144.jpg
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http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u169/gearheadE30/IMG_0138.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u169/gearheadE30/IMG_0158.jpg

[Wizard]

I do like the maplight's, but not really feeling that white dome light look. All in all still a nice mood for our useless check panel.

[dude8383]

Do you have LED's mounted in the corner's of the center console?

[gearheadE30]

Do you have LED's mounted in the corner's of the center console?

Yes, they are from radioshack and make it far easier to see inside the car at night. They are wired to a hidden swich so that I can shut them off if I don't want them on, and they are wired to dim with the rheostat that controls the rest of the interior lights' brightness.

[dude8383]

That's pretty damn cool... how did you wire it up, the bulbs that illuminate the HVAC?

[swiss318is]

some disco-feelings in the car... in the night around my neighbourhood there are some nice looking girls, they do have lamps in their cars too...! red ones.. ;-)

joke..! i was just wondering whey you have this control panel up there... i dont have this in none of my three cars?!?! was that an US version? option?

[n2motorsports]

i'm considering a spotlight led like the ones they have in the new 5's. though not sure what led bulb would be best.

[gearheadE30]

denis-actually, they are spliced into the wiring that runs to the light in the cigarette lighter/ashtray. It was a pain, because the foam under the dash is too tight to run wires through, so I didn't trim the wire until it was routed. I ended up having to wrap it around the end of the front part of the console in the passenger wheel well and push it straight up until I could feel it up under the front of the dash.

swiss-What control panel? The 6 buttons to the right of the head unit is just the on-board computer (OBC). All of the U.S. spec cars had the 6-button OBC standard.

n2motorsports-like the mood lighting? You can actually pull those LEDs out of any newer BMW and find a place to install them. The nice part is that they are already in nice little holders, are shaded, and match the instrument panel lighting.

[swiss318is]

no... the part where you put the new domelights in... where the mirror is..

[dude8383]

denis-actually, they are spliced into the wiring that runs to the light in the cigarette lighter/ashtray. It was a pain, because the foam under the dash is too tight to run wires through, so I didn't trim the wire until it was routed. I ended up having to wrap it around the end of the front part of the console in the passenger wheel well and push it straight up until I could feel it up under the front of the dash.

swiss-What control panel? The 6 buttons to the right of the head unit is just the on-board computer (OBC). All of the U.S. spec cars had the 6-button OBC standard.

n2motorsports-like the mood lighting? You can actually pull those LEDs out of any newer BMW and find a place to install them. The nice part is that they are already in nice little holders, are shaded, and match the instrument panel lighting.

jeez i keep referring to you as gearhead and you know my name!!

:(

Sounds like a painful process...one that I may not want to deal with hehe

[n2motorsports]

they call it a mood light...haha. well, whatever it's called, it's the best thing ever, i never have to turn on the dome light or anything and it's totally unnoticable to others or even yourself unless you place something underneath it.

[gearheadE30]

jeez i keep referring to you as gearhead and you know my name!!

:(

Sounds like a painful process...one that I may not want to deal with hehe

It's really not that bad. After seeing some of the projects you have done, I'm sure you could figure it out.

By the way, my name is Jordan. ;)

Swiss, the check panel thing on our cars may be an American thing; I don't recall seeing a Euro car with one. All that the M42 cars came with was a black panel that had an SRS light and a seatbelt light. There are actually slots for 2 more bulbs, and there are 2 more words on the panel, those being "airbag" and "overheat." Go figure.

[quinn11m20]

Nice golf clubs. Ha Ha. Seriously nice lights.

[swiss318is]

this check panel puts some knight-rider feelings in the bmw :-)

[Asserti]

that check panel is standard for all 6 cilinder E30's in europe. You might check one out swiss318is ;)

Our cars don't brake down so fast so we didn't need the check panel :D

[dude8383]

It's really not that bad. After seeing some of the projects you have done, I'm sure you could figure it out.

By the way, my name is Jordan. ;)

Swiss, the check panel thing on our cars may be an American thing; I don't recall seeing a Euro car with one. All that the M42 cars came with was a black panel that had an SRS light and a seatbelt light. There are actually slots for 2 more bulbs, and there are 2 more words on the panel, those being "airbag" and "overheat." Go figure.

haha i'm not a fan of the electrical stuff...but i suppose i can do this when i take the dashboard out :)

what is the voltage and resistance on the LED's?

[gearheadE30]

They are 12v bulbs, not LEDs, but I can't remember what the resistance is. I'll take a look next time I'm in radioshack.

[swiss318is]

that check panel is standard for all 6 cilinder E30's in europe. You might check one out swiss318is ;)

Our cars don't brake down so fast so we didn't need the check panel :D

i am so sorry,i have only m42 powered cars!!!
the only one in our family who drives a sixpack is my 81 years old grandpa (e46 328i) ;-)

[dude8383]

They are 12v bulbs, not LEDs, but I can't remember what the resistance is. I'll take a look next time I'm in radioshack.

whoops, was at work and clearly not paying attention!

let me know, i would much rather install some white LED's with a relatively low resistance so it kind of gives of that mood lighting.