LED Interior Cargo Lights - How I Done It.

[Mickymiff]

@Mickymiff 12v is just as dangerous as 240v. If you’re really this unsure of connecting them up then if I were you I’d get an auto electrician to hook them up for you.

Really? I thought it wasnt very strong as a current , haha so its not like sticking your tounge on a 9v battery.?
Yeah i think ill speak to my mate at the garage to see if he can at least show me or if not ill get an auto to do them and rest of my electrics when i buy the kit next week of
Travelvolts.
Just wanted to save money cos i thought id be able to do them, im more of a show me and i can do it person ,rather than reading loads of which is jargon to me haha.

 

[Deaky]

A 9v battery is capable of 400-500 miliamps. Your leisure battery is capable of a couple of hundred amps, easily enough to melt the wire and cause a fire.

 

[Jamie2.0]

Sorry to hijack your thread! I basically want to connect an LED strip light into the trim panel above my slider. I want it to act like the courtesy light that’s there currently does but also want a separate switch that is fed from my leisure battery so that I can have it constantly on when needed and avoid the BCM timeout. Cant quite get my head around the wiring of that setup

I too like the idea of LED strip lights as curtesy lights in roof trim panels. Can they be wired up the same as the LED down lights with rocker switch so they work in the exact same manner as the curtesy lights? Only looking for single colour not RGB colour change (too much of a faff!)

 

[Dellmassive]

I too like the idea of LED strip lights as curtesy lights in roof trim panels. Can they be wired up the same as the LED down lights with rocker switch so they work in the exact same manner as the curtesy lights? Only looking for single colour not RGB colour change (too much of a faff!)

Yep.

 

[Jamie2.0]

Yep.

Cheers, nice simple mod then

 

[R4Sty]

@Dellmassive , How can I remove the wires from this connector?

I want to switch the cables and use the c5w light bulb as map light (With on/off switch) and the other led as courtesy light when the doors open.

I also would like yo know were come from the timed +12 to plug it to the leisure bar.

Thank you!

Ps: mine is '18 T6 multivan

 

[Pauly]

Once you pop the side of the plug open you have to insert a release tool into the front of the connector/crimp to release the metal part from the plastic housing, if you don’t have the tool you can try a couple paper clips or a couple small Allen keys etc etc

 

[Dellmassive]

What Pauly said.....

And......
Factory Non-LED 3 wire setup:

(brown) - earth point left a-pilar
(brown/red) - connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg 0v)
(red/black) - positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v) ( 7.5A fuse 24 holder C)

If you want to run from Leisure battery on a timer you need to fit your own timer circuit relay..... or just just conect it up as a 24/7 supply.

Only connect one or other +12v feeds...or try fitting blocking diodes to stop any back feeding.

 

[Dieseldonkey]

Just looking at the thread above. If you don't want the complexity of adding a relay. A double pole double throw (DPDT ) switch negates the need. Photo below shows:-

Wires 'A' from vehicle battery and BCM for courtesy function (supply taken from factory courtesy switch output).
Wires 'B' are are from leisure battery via a fuse.
Wires 'C' supply to cabin lights.

 

[T6Paul]

A great write up @Dellmassive

I’m looking to do something similar myself and intend to replace the two rear block filament fittings (VW Kombi 3 wire standard fit) for 6 led down lights.

Am I correct that you have been able to do this from the existing roof lighting loom (ie no additional feed back to the battery?) I just want the spot lights to replicate the existing set up and don’t require any extra ‘on’ time.

However, unlike you I don’t wish to retain the existing VW light fittings - could this be overcome with a 3 way rocker switch instead? Off / Door / On (timed)

Thanks Paul

 

[T6Paul]

Something like this should work?

 

[Deaky]

Yes

 

[R4Sty]

What Pauly said.....

And......
Factory Non-LED 3 wire setup:

(brown) - earth point left a-pilar
(brown/red) - connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg 0v)
(red/black) - positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v) ( 7.5A fuse 24 holder C)

If you want to run from Leisure battery on a timer you need to fit your own timer circuit relay..... or just just connect it up as a 24/7 supply.

Only connect one or other +12v feeds...or try fitting blocking diodes to stop any back feeding.

So, I should put a wire from +12v (leisure bat) into one of the terminals of the 7.5 A fuse in fuse holder C, and that override the timer, and it will use the leisure battery instead Starter battery.

The diode should be placed in the wire from leisure bat? (as shown in pic)

Then, if I change the wires of the connector in each dome light, can I use the T5W bulb as a open door switch and the bigger C5W as manually switched ?

PS: in the fuse holder diagram, SC 20 is 7.5 AMP fuse "interior lights"

 

[Pauly]

That diagram is from a California that has loads of extra interior lights, normal van/Kombi is fuse 5

 

[Dellmassive]

So, I should put a wire from +12v (leisure bat) into one of the terminals of the 7.5 A fuse in fuse holder C, and that override the timer, and it will use the leisure battery instead Starter battery.

The diode should be placed in the wire from leisure bat? (as shown in pic)

Then, if I change the wires of the connector in each dome light, can I use the T5W bulb as a open door switch and the bigger C5W as manually switched ?

PS: in the fuse holder diagram, SC 20 is 7.5 AMP fuse "interior lights"

View attachment 40719

View attachment 40720

So, I should put a wire from +12v (leisure bat) into one of the terminals of the 7.5 A fuse in fuse holder C, and that override the timer, and it will use the leisure battery instead Starter battery.

- I would keep the leisure battery and starter battery fuse boxes totally separate. Fit a new inline fuse directly next to your Leisure battery for your leisure battery +12v override supply.

im not sure what lights you are looking to use? you say you have ones with 2 bulbs in? - got a couple of pics?


you could then fit a change over switch like @Dieseldonkey above to switch between the starter battery timed feed and the Leisure battery overide feed . . . . (this would give you standard operation/overide)

Just looking at the thread above. If you don't want the complexity of adding a relay. A double pole double throw (DPDT ) switch negates the need. Photo below shows:-

Wires 'A' from vehicle battery and BCM for courtesy function (supply taken from factory courtesy switch output).
Wires 'B' are are from leisure battery via a fuse.
Wires 'C' supply to cabin lights.

 

[R4Sty]

Hi,

Multivan and Caravelle have interior dome light witch 2 types of bulbs, the C5W (41mm) is the courtesy door-opened, and the smaller T5W is controlled by the wheel switch (maplight).

I don't like courtesy light, I want to use powerful C5W lights with manual switch from leisure battery, and use it for camper.

 

[Dellmassive]

@Dellmassive , How can I remove the wires from this connector?

I want to switch the cables and use the c5w light bulb as map light (With on/off switch) and the other led as courtesy light when the doors open.

I also would like yo know were come from the timed +12 to plug it to the leisure bar.

Thank you!

Ps: mine is '18 T6 multivan

View attachment 40429

the factory setup/colours are:


(brown) - ground earth point left a-pilar [perm 0v ground]
(brown/red) - (BCM switched neg 0v ground) [BMC controlled 0v Ground for light delay/fade away]
(red/black) - (BCM timed +12v) [BCM 10/60min timed +12v to stop starter battery going flat]

so if you wanted a separate switch "C5W lights with manual switch from leisure battery" then you would need to isolate those bulbs from the factory setup and fit a new feed/fuse/switch to feed the C5w bulbs and use the perm ground. . . . . . may be use a changeover switch too like above.

I would look at replacing the bulbs with warm-white LED versions too to reduce the overall current draw. (especially if leaving on for a long time when camping)

 

[LambethBoy]

That does make sense on the 3 wire setup i agree.... so i thought i would dig out a schematic.


This wiring pic shows the 3wires and as Deaky said, it shows:

br - (brown) - 639 earth point left a-pilar
br/rt - (brown/red) - B533 connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg) connects to B129 to B264 to A144 to T73a/4 (J519)
rt/sw - (red/black) - B250 positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v) ( 7.5A fuse 24 holder C) to B323 to T73a/66 to (J519)

So it looks like the BCM (J519) is ultimately controlling the (BCM switched -ve)(T73a/66) side and also the (Timer switched +ve)(T73a/4 (J519))

from what i can see on Elsawin.

View attachment 27647



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here a snapshot from a later van with LEDS, but my German isn't that good. Its seems that the +ve supply and -ve ground are from B533 & B250 (translates to connection in roof loom)

again we have a similar setup,

br/rt - (brown/red) - B533 connection 1 main harness (BCM switched neg) connects to B129 to B264 to A144 to T73a/4 (J519)
rt/sw - (red/black) - B250 positive connection 1 main harness (BCM timed +12v)( 7.5A fuse 19 holder C) to B323 to T73a/65 to (J519)

So it looks like the BCM (J519) is ultimately controlling the (BCM switched -ve) side and also the (Timer switched +ve)

from what i can see on Elsawin.


View attachment 27645


so unless im reading it wrong The BCM deals with both the switched +ve and -ve and both old and new versions on the circuit. I suppose its also monitoring the circuit for bulb defects and faults etc.

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Also regarding the BCM timed lights, here is a clip showing a relay under the dash by the BCM, its unconfirmed yet whether its fitted to our van.

2a - Interior light relay -J602- (646)



View attachment 36698


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Additional info provided by @mmi

Slightly diverting from the original post but thought might be useful add here for future queries/upgrades.

As @Dellmassive mentioned new LED lights in rear roof lining are connected with 2 wires.

And indeed the LEDs do not come with a switch so they stay always on (up to 60 minutes) when a door is open. Current draw is about 0.2 Amps (@12.2V). I think that light output is definitely satisfactory. The color of the light is approx. medium white (personal opinion, compared with so called warm white and cold white LEDs).

The frame is 137 x 67 mm. The opening in the roof is 129 x 54mm. The light requires 17 mm of depth (from the roof surface). It has three bars of light (yellowish bars in the picture).

The light has a product code 7E0 947 123 A. The connector on van side has a code 1T0972703. Can’t confirm if the LED would be a plug and play with the wiring of an “old”…

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Silly question....
If I replaced my rears for leds could I replace the relay to make them stay on longer??
Or if there’s a solution to make them stay on longer?

 

[Dellmassive]

Silly question....
If I replaced my rears for leds could I replace the relay to make them stay on longer??
Or if there’s a solution to make them stay on longer?

Yes they are run from the BCM, so you can change the timer with VCDS to extend the run time. . . .

Factory rear LED`s are set for a 60min timer

@JCElec has posted :

you can change the time by changing module 09 chanal 038. standard value is: 21 (10.5 minutes) en you can change it to 254 (127 minutes). it's multiplying whit 30 sec.


@mmi Excellent info. Thanks. Seems to match with my observations in thread Led Rear Interior Lights - How I Done It.
- channel 38 in my van has value of 121 - and indeed I had observed the lights (obviously the new setting came with factory LEDs in cargo space) stay on for 60 mins.

 

[Yzfr1]

Please can someone help.
I have removed my rear courtesy lights in my kombi and spliced into the loom and run to a a 3 way rocker switch. I have then linked up led Spot lights.
When switch is in middle (position 0) courtesy function works fine.
When switched to positon 1 the lights stay on as they should.
When switched to position 2 the all the interior lights go off and will not come back on no matter which way you switch.
Put back to position 0 and then turn ignition on it seems the bcm resets and the lights come back on.
Does anyone know why the off function is tripping all the interior lights.
Fuse doesn't blow.
Cheers in advance.