# Puddle Lights - 'How To'



## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

Ok just in case anyone else wants to have a crack at this. Thanks to Wak and Naresh for their help doing mine.

I've wired mine off interior light so they come on when you open doors etc. Remove interior light first by taking of the clear panel and push on the 2 clips as u pull down. Take your time it should come fairly easily. Detach the connector from the back allowing you to remove the rest of the light.

Here hopefully you can see the 2 point I soldered on to (brown is live) - Naresh does have a clearer picture if he wants to upload it.










Run the cables across the roof, down the A Pillar by prizing back the rubbers (this takes a while and its fiddliest part) Make sure all connections are taped up or use spade connectors. 









Once at the fuse box remove fuse box screws and hide connections behind . Send 2 wires under dash to left hand door and 2 the right hand door channel. If your not sure how to remove doorcards see WAKs guide here..
http://www.wak-tt.com/mods/doorpanel/doorpanel.htm

I ran under the dash a panel at a time to make sure I didn't lose anything. Use coat hanger or if you have it a wire feeder thing to fish wire through the door channels each side.

Make sure all LEDs have been heatshrinked to protect from Damp and you have used appropriate resisitors before each one, Maplins sorted mine for me. http://www.wak-tt.com/mods/doorleds/DSCN4225.jpg
Work out where u want them drill the hole and apply with a dab of super glue to hold them.


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## JAAYDE (Aug 15, 2006)

Nice job

I will have a go of this myself but with my own twist.


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## slikt (Apr 5, 2007)

Nice job, thats my next sunday task. . 

Did you fit the LED's into the plastic part of the doorcard (bottom) or into the actual door itself. . ?

cheers


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

plastic door card


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## Naresh (Nov 22, 2004)

Hi mate, thanks for the comments. Where in Birmingham are you, I was up there just this weekend and probably be there again next week! I see you've taken the LED's to another level with the handbrake and door handles! 8)


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

South West of Brum

Between Wolves and Dudley

Havent finished yet mate going to do the other door today as not quite finished and then start on the vents, then I think ill stop. Gonna try run it like this http://www.********.co.uk/ttforumbbs/vi ... p?t=100007 so I dont need to use cig lighter.

Just hoping I cant bugger up any electrics...

Any ideas whether I can cut out a space for a sitch in one of the lower panels with stanley knife? Or is the plastic too thick?>


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## KentishTT (Jun 28, 2007)

There's a big plastic blanking plate in the bottom of each door, looks like a good place to put some LED's :wink:


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## jasonburggy (Apr 29, 2009)

Very good write up, any info about the resistors that are needed? I have already done the resistors on the map lights but not sure how to do the ones for puddle. Do i just put a resistor between the - & + before the SMD LED? Any pics would be helpful where the resistor's would go..

Thanks

Jason


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## GingerjaseTT02 (Jan 12, 2009)

hi mate

have you got the maplin link for the led's and resistors please?? are they just 12v LED's 5mm??

cheers


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

Haven't got a link on me, sure I could find one.

The ones I used there were 3mm ultrabright leds. You just buy them over the counter, few pence each.

Resistors were standard 1ohm resistors wired in series before each led. (So on the positive terminal)

I actually soldered the resistor to the longer positive stem of each led and then soldered that to the wire. I used heatshrink to safely cover all the bare metal and solder.


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## GingerjaseTT02 (Jan 12, 2009)

nice one cheers....what voltaage are they???? forgive my ignorance but i used used to wire in 12v led's to me MK2 golf without resistors???????


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## GingerjaseTT02 (Jan 12, 2009)

really liking the grab handle leds too mate...looks puka!


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## T3RBO (Dec 9, 2003)

I like the look of that Matt and nice little write up... think it's time I contacted Naresh for a quote :lol:


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

12v

Without resisitors the leds will blow at some point. They are only meant to take a small voltage.

This thread is so old lol


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## Naresh (Nov 22, 2004)

Hark said:


> Resistors were standard 1ohm resistors wired in series before each led


1ohm wouldn't suffice, or was that a typo Matt? For a 3mm LED with Vf of 3.2V you'd need a 560ohm resistor to work with a 13.5V supply (can spike as high as this with engine running). I usually play safe with a 1kohm (1000 ohms). It dims the LED just a tad but not noticeable. If you set the voltage to 12V then you end up with a resistor of 470 ohms.


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

Naresh said:


> Hark said:
> 
> 
> > Resistors were standard 1ohm resistors wired in series before each led
> ...


Meant this ^

Cheers mate, it was 2007 so I think I can be let off. :wink:


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## T3RBO (Dec 9, 2003)

Hark said:


> This thread is so old lol


That caught me out... usually check the date but it's been a long day :lol:


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## Naresh (Nov 22, 2004)

Touché


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## Gone (May 5, 2009)

I quite fancy a go at this, I got a pack of 10 3mm LEDs off ebay to do the alarm flashers and wondered what to do with the remaining 8 - could put 4 in each door!

They're ready-fitted with resistors - really small though, with rings green-brown-gold - what load is this? I've forgotten my GCSE tec lessons!  I'm also colour blind so the green/brown could easily be brown/red...

There's also a diode on the other leg, presumably for polarity protection?

Do you wire up the resistors in parallel or series on each door? I'd guess series would reduce the load along the chain, so parallel best?


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## pnptwomins (Nov 2, 2006)

HI GUYS
pardon my ignorance but why would 12v led,s need resistors? most led strips are 12v so whats all this about 3.2 volts? or are we using single led,s? inwhich case why not use strip led,s

CHEERS twomins


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

I used single leds as it was much neater.


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## pnptwomins (Nov 2, 2006)

hi hark
just got some 12v 6mm leds with caps will post a pic tonight if these are any good will be easier as no resistor required. how many leds did you use hark and what size?
cheers twomins


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

Think I had 3 x 3mm in each door.

Click my build thread though mate for more pics. In sig.


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## pnptwomins (Nov 2, 2006)

hi mark
just gone through your build thread, your cars quality mate.
twomins


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## Hark (Aug 23, 2007)

pnptwomins said:


> hi mark
> just gone through your build thread, your cars quality mate.
> twomins


Mine?

Matt not Mark....

Unless your talking to someone else, in which case I'm gonna feel a bit stupid.


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## pnptwomins (Nov 2, 2006)

hi matt don,t know where i got mark,yours is qulity.
twomins


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## Exuptoy (Sep 12, 2017)

I realise this is an old thread but when I did my Transporter roof lights I purchased a regulated unit from REUK which always gives a stable 12v so no chance of wiping out the LEDs providing you purchase 12v items. Even standard 12v rated items will blow over time with the charging circuit over supplying. Also (not sure if it's been mentioned) LEDs are polarity conscious so if they don't work when connected, try them the other way round.

They're cheap enough and do exactly what you need.

http://www.reuk.co.uk/wordpress/voltage ... regulator/


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