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Door lights

Old Dec 1, 2010 | 07:33 PM
  #1  
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Default Door lights

My front doors have a red lens for lights but no wiring. Im replacing my speakers and wondered if any wiring for lights may already be in the door or not
 
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Old Dec 1, 2010 | 08:46 PM
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I believe those are reflectors and not lens...I pondered that same thing once. In fact I think I removed the reflector, but didn't find a hole behind it for a lamp housing
 
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Old Dec 1, 2010 | 09:26 PM
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Would be pretty simple to wire up a single LED bulb into the door anywhere.... anyone try this?
 
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Old Dec 1, 2010 | 10:30 PM
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ive removed the lens and its just a open hole...is the interior light turned on by wiring in the door or somehere on door frame. i could see getting a led to burn all the time if lights were on but can it be turned off by door open and closing is what im wondering
 
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Old Dec 2, 2010 | 11:01 AM
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I'm sure there is a trigger switch somewhere, but offhand I don't know where it's located.

If it's like many Fords, the switch is inside the door FRAME where the hinges are located. The stop strap or the inner portion of the hinge triggers the plunger switch.
 
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Old Dec 2, 2010 | 11:05 AM
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BTW....

If you do indeed rig up an LED and put it behind the lens, I would suggest using a white LED as opposed to a red one.

Reason being that I once bought a red LED replacement bulb for the stop/tail light on one of my motorcycles with a red taillight lens. It wasn't any brighter than the old incadescent bulb. But when I used a white LED light behind the red lens, it was WAY brighter.
 
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Old Dec 2, 2010 | 11:22 PM
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i looked at it today i think im gonna run the wire through the wiring harness in the door now and connect it to the under dash lights that are in the car already. i have already changed all the interior lights over to LEDs so hopefully this wont be too hard
 
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Old Dec 3, 2010 | 03:44 PM
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Hello,

You may have a bit of an issue running the wire through the harness as it's a plug-in connection at the door. Twist the harness counter-clockwise to remove the plug and you'll see the way the pins make contact. I'm not sure if there's an empty pin in the harness but you could try testing each pin on the door harness to determine which ones are energized with the door open and go from there.

Good luck,

Steve
 
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Old Dec 3, 2010 | 05:06 PM
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I'm much more of a 'gearhead' than an electrician, but couldn't you splice into the wire that leads to the overhead light which comes on when you open and close the door......?
 
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Old Dec 3, 2010 | 07:33 PM
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Thnx for info steve i guess if theres not a open hole ill try to make one or something...that what i was thinking also jbond i was gonna splice it into the dashlights that turn on when you open the door....ill look into it this week end
 
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Old Dec 6, 2010 | 01:34 PM
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I have lights here not reflectors.
 
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Old Dec 6, 2010 | 08:48 PM
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what year is your xtype?
 
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Old Dec 7, 2010 | 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by gragner66
what year is your xtype?
It's an 02. I'll have a look tonight and see where the plunger switch is for the on/off.
 
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Old Dec 7, 2010 | 09:43 PM
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ok...cool!
 
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Old Dec 10, 2010 | 12:31 PM
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I can't see any plunger that would activate/deactivate the door lights, strange.

Still, I have a red lens that is illuminated when the door is opened (both driver and passenger). They're not fitted to the rear doors.
 
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Old Dec 10, 2010 | 03:44 PM
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there are 2 leads going into the door frame i guess the lights work off of that some way or another. i dont have lights on back doors either
 
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Old Dec 10, 2010 | 05:43 PM
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I read that certain models up to 2004 had the door light and afterwards a reflector.
 
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Old Dec 10, 2010 | 08:15 PM
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I have lights too.
 
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Old Dec 11, 2010 | 01:14 PM
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Is this an important feature? I have lights on the doors of my `96 XJ6 and reflectors on my `04 X-Type. I don't feel that one is better or worse than the other.
 
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Old Dec 13, 2010 | 02:36 PM
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I guess the lights are there so some tool doesn't take off your door as you're climbing in the car? My other vehicle is an BMW X5, on that there is a white and red light on the door, and a light on the under side of the door to iluminate the ground and a light on the underside of each outside mirror to give you light when you unlock the doors remotely. It is a regular light show...I'm pretty sire my Estate just has the reflectors though.
 
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