[Patel151]

Hey guys, I know this isn't the best idea, but I've decided to install some underbody lights under my F30 on all 4 sides. I'm looking at either LEDGlow or OPT7 Aura lights (I installed OPT7 for my interior footwell lights).

Here is the dilemma:
I want to wire the lights so that when you unlock the car they come on, and when you lock the car they turn off. I looked into some options and some people have wired them to the dome lights or foot well lights, other people have wired them to the parking lights.

The thing with these options are I'm not sure if they are constant or switched power, so I wouldn't want the lights running when the car is off. I wired my interior lights to the cigarette lighter which turns off after 5 minutes of shutting the car off, but they aren't ideal for the underbody lights as it will catch too much attention. The puddle lights on the F30 door handles seem like an option, but mine come on when reversing so not the best option either.

Anybody know of a fuse or wire I could tap into for this way?

[exE36M3]

Thinking parking lights also, plus it's a little easier to get to overall.
I was thinking of a similar idea as yours but going an LED demon eyes approach for the blank high beam spot on our head lights.

[FaRKle!]

You can wire them the same way I wired my light carpet/angel wings provided that line supplies enough power (I don't know how much the kit you posted draws).

[Billfitz]

The radio power supply turns off immediately when the car is locked. Tap it on the input side, not the output side, so the lights don't add to the load on the radio fuse.

[Patel151]

Originally Posted by percychow

Thinking parking lights also, plus it's a little easier to get to overall.
I was thinking of a similar idea as yours but going an LED demon eyes approach for the blank high beam spot on our head lights.

I wanted to install demon eyes in my headlights, but it doesn’t seem possible to pull off the headlight covers like you can do in the E46 as those just had tabs. I think if wiring to parking lights it would be fine for demon eyes, because they would come on when you switch on the parking lights as well I assume.

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

You can wire them the same way I wired my light carpet/angel wings provided that line supplies enough power (I don't know how much the kit you posted draws).

For the underglows I’d need a 12v source, so I’m not quite sure if the door handle light wiring would withhold the underglows as it might pull too much power from the circuit.

Originally Posted by Billfitz

The radio power supply turns off immediately when the car is locked. Tap it on the input side, not the output side, so the lights don't add to the load on the radio fuse.

Wouldn’t that mean the lights would stay on when the car is running? Then I’d have to keep on turning it off when I get in the car. When the car is unlocked, the lights would come on, when locked they would go off.. which makes sense but they would stay on when the car is running since there will be power to the radio.

Seems like this would be difficult to accomplish if I only want it to run for 10-15seconds when unlocked then automatically turn off.

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by Patel151

For the underglows I’d need a 12v source, so I’m not quite sure if the door handle light wiring would withhold the underglows as it might pull too much power from the circuit.

The door handles are 12V. The question is how many amps does the kit you want pull, and is that within the safe threshold of 22awg (0.35mm^2) wire? If it is, then you can wire your kit up like I did mine and have it turn on when the welcome/parking lights come on/car unlocked, and turn off when locked/driving.

[Patel151]

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

The door handles are 12V. The question is how many amps does the kit you want pull, and is that within the safe threshold of 22awg (0.35mm^2) wire? If it is, then you can wire your kit up like I did mine and have it turn on when the welcome/parking lights come on/car unlocked, and turn off when locked/driving.

Ohh, okay. I wasn’t aware of that, I actually haven’t ordered the kit yet because I wasn’t sure whether or not the kit would work under these terms. I’ll get in touch with the supplier and look into it as soon as I can.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Patel151

Wouldn’t that mean the lights would stay on when the car is running?

I thought that's what you wanted. If it isn't wire them into a lighting circuit that already does what you want. LEDs draw practically no current, so that shouldn't be a problem. If it is add a 12v relay, separately powered, with the trigger wired to an existing lighting circuit.

[Patel151]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

I thought that's what you wanted. If it isn't wire them into a lighting circuit that already does what you want. LEDs draw practically no current, so that shouldn't be a problem. If it is add a 12v relay, separately powered, with the trigger wired to an existing lighting circuit.

Running the lights while driving is illegal in Canada as far as I know, and it would be a pita using the remote to turn it off whenever I get in the car. Although, there would be no issue running the lights as long as I’m not driving, which in my case I’m using the underglows specifically as welcome lights. The door handle lights Farkle! mentioned seem ideal but more work for the wiring.

I’m thinking to run the lights to the fog lights as I rarely use the fog lights and it would be easy to tap into as well. I have it coded so that when the car is unlocked, the fog lights come on as welcome lights, and turn off when hitting locked. In this case, both the fog lights and underglow lights would come on when pressing the fog light button I’m assuming, correct me if I’m wrong. Only concern is whether or not tapping into the fogs will supply 12v power for the underglows.

[Onizukachan]

All the lights run on 12v.
Fogs, b pillar leds, headlights, etc. they are all 12v.

[Patel151]

Originally Posted by Onizukachan

All the lights run on 12v.
Fogs, b pillar leds, headlights, etc. they are all 12v.

Gotcha. Seems like tapping into the fogs would do the job, otherwise I’ll look into the door handle wires. I’ll see which option I end up doing when I get my lights.

[Patel151]

Thank you all for the help, really appreciate it as I’m not very much fluent with electrical and mechanical areas of the car. Will update once I get my lights.