Celica Forums Install Guides and Technical Articles Interior Guides Lighting, Footwell Neons with CCFL - How To

Footwell Neon Lighting with CCFL

Here is a simple, cheap, and effective mod that I like. It's putting neons in the foot wells to get the nice glow on your feet You can use anything form neons, cold cathodes, or LEDs to do this. In this install I use 2 12E cold cathodes.

A good cheap site is: eBay. Also try Pepboys or AutoZone Normally around $10-15 for a pair of 12E.

Cold Cathodes are good because they are normally brighter, cheaper, more efficient, and run cooler than neons. I use them because they are really cheap The only problem is they are made for computers so you have to cut the wires.

I also suggest unhooking the car battery before doing anything, just to be safe. And as always I am not responsible to anything that happens to your car

1. To make life easier, I suggest you take out the shifter surround. This will give you access to a power as well as to run wires behind the dash.



2. If you are using cold cathodes like me, the wires from the tubes to inverter are short. I suggest you hook them up to the inverter. Now push one of the tubes behind the dash from driver side to passenger in the foot wells. Now with the inverter in the middle behind the dash, run the power wire from behind the dash, out under the ac controls to you.



3. The next problem is how to power it. With this you have a few options.

a. 1st is to use a fuse tap. A Emini fuse tap (you can get at Pepboys for about five $5) goes in the passenger side fuse box and makes another connection with its own fuse. I used this for my gauges. I have it tapped into the taillight fuse so whenever the lights come on, it comes on.





b. 2nd method I have used is powering from the cigarette lighter. To do this you simply stick the wire into the little white plug on the back of the cigarette lighter. Tape it in to secure it. I have all 5 of my cold cathodes running off of this area.



c. After getting power, you need a ground. A simple place to ground is to the plate under the steering wheel. I grounded mine between the bolt and the metal plate so it was wedged in there never had a problem yet.

d. Test to make sure everything works.

4. Final problem is, if you are not using a fuse tap, you need a switch to turn it on and off, unless you want it on all the time. An example of what I did was drill 2 holes and install switches next to the shifter. But you can install switches anywhere you want.



5. Now stick the tubes under your dash wherever you want. I have mine almost in view so they are very bright. Many people want them more hidden. It's up to you.



6. Test and enjoy.