The best way to light your floors in an Outlander, is by converting your dome lights to LED's, and powering your floor LED strips via the driver side dome light circuit.

The driver side dome light is an 8W rated bulb, therefore power is more than adequate to run the LED dome, four 12" 5050 floor light strips and an LED controller. This method with the dome light, an RGB remote controller and four 12" strips draws under 7W. Make sure you have converted the driver side dome bulbs to LED's, otherwise you will draw too much current.

It is mandatory that you change the driver side dome light to an LED if you want to use my method. Obviously if want your lighting to be uniform in color temperature, you should change all the other dome lights as well to the same color temperature LED.

Using this method will operate all the floor lights and driver side dome (which operates under all five doors position conditions) in tandem. The bonuses to using this wiring method are, that your floor LED's power will be supplied via the ETACS ECU, where the light dimming feature is controlled from, therefore your floor lights will follow the same dimming function as the dome. In addition floor lights can be turned on and off, manually or automatically via the doors or the switch.

Run your power supply wiring from your LED controller (can be mounted in the fuse box compartment with Velcro) up the A pillar, then via the front of the headliner, to the dome light assembly. Then connect your + - to the bulb socket.

 

pics and maybe, if possible a vid? sounds like a good setup.

 

This is what it looks like after installation. A video is not necessary for this installation, considering it's very easy to do... and I have explained exactly how to do the install.

 

I'm planing to add them the same way I did on my Saturn. Find a switched power line and add them in. Though I may try to use the existing red light in the center stack.

LEDs pull very little power, and so if you use single LEDs to provide your light (which is plenty of light for adding accent lights BTW) you're adding virtually no extra power draw to your vehicle.

Plus single LEDs are CHEAP. You can get 100 5mm LEDs (probably in mixed colors if you wanted to), the little plastic holders for them, and resistors for under $20 shipped (from China and it will take a few years to get here, but still it was cheap).

Here's a trick with the LEDs too. LEDs are normally very directional, they project a dot most often. But you can fix this easily. If you cut off the top domed portion of the LED, and polish it back up, you will have a much less directional light source, that can easily cover an entire footwell with a single LED placed correctly.

 

Pretty good explanation on how you accomplished this. Here is a good tutorial on how installing the inside illumination with good pix. A little more detailed.
https://mitsubishiforum.com/forum/mi...r-sport-40073/

 

This method requires more work, parts, and requires modifications to the factory wiring, and will not function like a factory option.

My method is much easier, and will function like a factory option without having to add any relays, switches, fuses, or splice into any factory wiring.

 

1)Where do you get the power and how do you connect the controller for the 12" 5050 floor light strips.
2)Does the controller run independent/separate wires to each 12" 5050 floor light strip??
3)If by chance there is a mishap isn't the factory fuse too large and pose a meltdown or fire hazard? I believe the dome light fuse is 15 amps.
4) Please explain how you make your + - connections to the bulb socket.
If you wouldn't mind posting a picture of your power connection in the light socket and your mounting location of your controller, that would be nice.

There are many members who are novices and might not clearly understand your directions. Thanks...

 

1) The LED controller will have 12V positive and negative power terminals/socket (Power Supply Input), that you will wire and connect directly to the dome light socket (positive and negative terminals). The RGB and common connections on the LED controller will supply the LED strips. Your LED controller will draw its power from the dome light socket, which receives its power from the ETACS ECU, so that control functions such as door states, on off light dimming (not sure if all trims offer this) are applied to the dome lights. Your dome lights and ALL other circuits are electronically controlled via the ETACS ECU. The same principles apply when installing single color LED's which do not require LED controllers.

2) Run two LED strips in series for the front driver and passenger sides, two in series for the rear left and right sides, then connect the two pairs (front and back) in series to the LED controller, and obtain the power for the controller from the dome light bulb socket as I have mentioned. To connect the two front LED strips in series, it will require some patience and a coat hanger to fiche the wires over to the front passenger side through the lower center part of the dash. Can be done in less than five minutes for someone who has agility.

An LED controller is only necessary when using RGB LED strips or RGB LED's, because they require one to function, and so that they can be customized for color choice and other available options that some RGB controllers offer.

3) The 15A fuse is located before the ETAC ECU which the dome light bulb is fed from, and is not only for the drivers side dome light. As I have mentioned, the factory bulb in the driver side dome, and all other dome locations are 8W bulbs. Therefore the total current drawn from the circuit that I have mentioned, will not exceed that single 8W factory bulb rating, which will have to be replaced with an LED version to do so.

Essentially you are replacing the 8W factory bulb, with an LED festoon type (I suggest 1-2 watt versions, harder to find, but anything below is not bright enough), then connecting an LED controller, or, LED's directly with current limiting resistors, to the dome light circuit. As long as the total amperage of the added components (LED's and optional controller) do not draw more current than than the original 8W rated bulb, there is no way to cause any "hazard", unless improperly installed. In fact, the entire setup that I mentioned draws less current (below 7W), than the single 8W factory bulb where you will obtain your power from.

If you want to fuse the power supply (dome light circuit) between the LED controller or LED's to protect them individually, you can do so based on your total current draw from the LED controller and associated LED strips, or, LED's. However the dome lights are already fused, therefore if the total current draw from the driver side dome LED, and the connected LED's do not exceed 8W, there would be no problems imposed on the vehicle wiring or electronics, considering that the original bulb is rated @ 8 watts.

4) You can crimp on a high tension mini alligator clip on each + and - wire end, and clamp them onto the lamp socket + and - terminals, or, solder them for permanent connections, which is more intrusive.

As I have mentioned previously, the controller can be mounted (with Velcro or tie straps) within the fuse box compartment, obviously not in contact with the fuse box, or, wherever you want based on your specific application. If your controller has remote capabilities and functions on infrared, you would have to situate it so that it can pickup the remote signal within eye sight, unless you can bounce the signal off a surface. If it's RF, than it does not matter where it's located.

A "novice" should not be attempting installs like this without having some basic electronics knowledge and experience. For anyone that does "not clearly understand my directions", I would suggest you get an electronically qualified person to do perform your install, which should take approx. an hour, if all the wiring has been planned out and prepared in advance.

 

thanks for the pics, sorry i meant a video of the dimming, not of the install, your instructions re pretty good. thanks

 

Thanks for clarity on you post. Your original post was UNCLEAR and there was no direction and assumption was involved. If you were referring to me needing "electronically qualified person to do perform your install" , not necessary. As I mentioned above, other members may find use for your post and your clarity will further assist them in accomplishing this install if they like it.