[Venky03]

There are two ways to install the el-wire, one is to slide it between the gaps and second is to use the double sided tape. I went with the second one because :
a. Unsure about the strength of plastics used
b. Did not want to risk scratching the surfaces

Note : Most of the el-wires available on amazon and other sites have extended sleeves, please check before buying.

Parts Used :

Micro-fiber cloth and isopropyl alcohol

3M Blue El-Wire



12V El-Wire Driver



2mm Double Sided Tape



Steps :

1. Figure out how you're going to route the el-wire, I would recommend routing it via the glossy surfaces as the tape can hold on stronger to these surfaces.
   
   
   
   
2. Clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol on a micro-fiber cloth
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Place the double sided tape
   
   
   
   
4. Place the el-wire
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Route the cables to the driver and socket
   
   

Final Result :







Parts Ordered From : Rees52, Amazon

Total Cost : ₹700

Review :
I have used it for 2 months now, not facing any issues with brightness as of now(Avoid sharp bends). According to the description it has a rated life of 30,000hrs; also the power consumption is around 5w for the 3 meter strip.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the DIY section. Thanks for sharing!

Will go to our homepage today

[Singh101]

Originally Posted by Venky03

I went with the second one because :
a. Unsure about the strength of plastics used
b. Did not want to risk scratching the surfaces

Excellent!

I agree very much with the choice of colour. Cool blue is underrated for interior ambient illumination and isn't too bright or distracting.

I don't however agree with the installation method. It's not you, it's me. I just couldn't stand the light wire not being taut and straight and that's just impossible to achieve if you're using a medium like double tape instead of pulling, tugging and tucking (sounds kinda dirty no?) it into the interior panel gaps. What that would also achieve is possibly hiding the wire from direct line of sight, instead resulting in a diffused hue of blue- like interior ambient lighting should be.

I'm not being a damp dishcloth here. I'm really glad you did this and I bet the ambiance of your car interiors just got better tenfold! Congratulations on your new, new car!

[Reinhard]

Nice job. This is one of the cheapest and coolest mods one can go for. Technically its EL (Electro-Luminescent) wire, not neon per say I believe. Works with the principal of luminescence from a copper based electric conductor wire when subjected to a high frequency alternating current (AC) supply. The black little box is a compact inverter that converts the 12V DC supply from car electricals to an AC supply to this wire.

I have installed it in both my cars - Nexon & Alto K10. Fantastic results. I opted for what typically is called "Ice Blue" colour. Luckily I didn't have to use any adhesives / tapes anywhere at all. Complete setup I could achieve (DIY) by just plugging the edge into panel joints as its supposed to be. In the Nexon I have hooked it up to the ACC fuse. So its always ON when car is running. In the Alto I found it easier to hook it up to the position lamps. So the ambient light strip turns ON when car lights are switched on. Thanks for your thread. Here are a few shots of my setup.

[Venky03]

Originally Posted by Singh101

Excellent!

I agree very much with the choice of colour. Cool blue is underrated for interior ambient illumination and isn't too bright or distracting.

I don't however agree with the installation method. It's not you, it's me. I just couldn't stand the light wire not being taut and straight and that's just impossible to achieve if you're using a medium like double tape instead of pulling, tugging and tucking (sounds kinda dirty no?) it into the interior panel gaps. What that would also achieve is possibly hiding the wire from direct line of sight, instead resulting in a diffused hue of blue- like interior ambient lighting should be.

I'm not being a damp dishcloth here. I'm really glad you did this and I bet the ambiance of your car interiors just got better tenfold! Congratulations on your new, new car!

Thank you!
Agreed with your take on the installation method, was planning on doing it after a while; for now this works well

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Great DIY! Thank you for sharing!

One question - Doesn't the light distract the driver while on the move at night? Especially single carriage ways where people normally drive with high beams and a complete auto lighting setup?

Personally speaking, I do not like any sort of lights within the cabin during night drives. I like to keep it as dark as possible. One surely is for the avoiding distraction from light and the other is for safety / privacy reasons. Since at times the highways can be desolate at places, keeping a low profile at such places (especially when family is in toe) becomes my highest priority.

[kamilharis]

Cool DIY Venky03 & others who had shared it.

I always wanted to do this but never did it due to 2 reasons :

1. My car is relatively new (3rd yr) & still under factory warranty. Will this void my warranty?

2. The finish/look of it during daylight. Does it look odd during the daytime?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

One question - Doesn't the light distract the driver while on the move at night? Especially single carriage ways where people normally drive with high beams and a complete auto lighting setup?

Actually it doesn't. When installed at the right place - it is pretty much out of the driver's regular field of vision when looking at the road. Also - while the pictures make it look rather bright - its a confused digital camera sensor causing this. Its a very mild light (at least in the kit that I have used), not a "glow". So from outside - one won't see a light spread in the cabin / occupants' faces etc. You'll notice the light when you look directly at it pretty much. So safety wise its not really a concern. The luminescence is there or thereabouts as the other backlit buttons / controls on the dashboard.

Originally Posted by kamilharis

1. My car is relatively new (3rd yr) & still under factory warranty. Will this void my warranty?

If you use a fuse tap and no wire cuts - the entire setup is fully reversible. Nobody would even notice that you had installed it, after removal. And there are no wire cuts or anything involved. So no - it doesn't put your warranty at risk when done the right way.

Originally Posted by kamilharis

2. The finish/look of it during daylight. Does it look odd during the daytime?

I'm adding a link to a test video during day-time of my setup after I installed it. It should give you an idea of how it looks. I don't feel it looks bad. Others in the car won't even notice its there. In case of the OP - the covering is blue in colour - so it will be noticed more. But if installed correctly - it would actually look fine also, as blue accents in the trim in fact.

Daytime test of EL Wire on dashboard - Alto K10

[Venky03]

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

Great DIY! Thank you for sharing!

One question - Doesn't the light distract the driver while on the move at night? Especially single carriage ways where people normally drive with high beams and a complete auto lighting setup?

Personally speaking, I do not like any sort of lights within the cabin during night drives. I like to keep it as dark as possible. One surely is for the avoiding distraction from light and the other is for safety / privacy reasons. Since at times the highways can be desolate at places, keeping a low profile at such places (especially when family is in toe) becomes my highest priority.

The brightness is so low that I don't think it would cause any distractions or other issues, many of the companies have started to incorporate RGB on the dashboard (recently saw it on the Tata Altroz) which are a lot more brighter than these el-wire highlights.

[AKSarkar1]

Great thread! Thanks for sharing! Amazing to see how something as simple as highlights can brighten up the ambience of the car, especially during the night time. Looks classy

[akshaydandekar]

Hey Reinhard, by any chance could you show ( pics or video) how you have hooked up the EL wire to the ACC fuse? I have a Nexon as well and want to understand the process! Cheers and thank you in advance

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Nice job. This is one of the cheapest and coolest mods one can go for. Technically its EL (Electro-Luminescent) wire, not neon per say I believe. Works with the principal of luminescence from a copper based electric conductor wire when subjected to a high frequency alternating current (AC) supply. The black little box is a compact inverter that converts the 12V DC supply from car electricals to an AC supply to this wire.

I have installed it in both my cars - Nexon & Alto K10. Fantastic results. I opted for what typically is called "Ice Blue" colour. Luckily I didn't have to use any adhesives / tapes anywhere at all. Complete setup I could achieve (DIY) by just plugging the edge into panel joints as its supposed to be. In the Nexon I have hooked it up to the ACC fuse. So its always ON when car is running. In the Alto I found it easier to hook it up to the position lamps. So the ambient light strip turns ON when car lights are switched on. Thanks for your thread. Here are a few shots of my setup.

Attachment 2132756

Attachment 2132757


Attachment 2132754

Attachment 2132755

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by akshaydandekar

Hey Reinhard, by any chance could you show ( pics or video) how you have hooked up the EL wire to the ACC fuse? I have a Nexon as well and want to understand the process! Cheers and thank you in advance

Hi Akshay, I don't have the picture of tapping the EL wire controller - but - I have those from many other taps I did . Process and fuses are the same. Below is a reference to my post on another thread -

Fuse Tap recommendation for Tata Nexon (DIY: Auto-dimming IRVM install in my Tata Nexon)

What you should use for a clean install is a "fuse tap". Source it from a near by car accessory/parts store OR use Amazon.in. This is the type that fits Nexon -

Link - Amazon.in MINI blade fuse tap