E39 ambience lights and dash lights on a seperate switch?

[mossline 15]

Been searching through Google and cant find any info on what id like to do.

Im no technical whiz but im sure its possible. Just wondered if anyone might have any knowledge that could help me.

So when I switch my sidelights on, the little orange ambient interior lights in the roof come on along with all the dash lights.

What Id like to do is to have a switch that turns these on without activating the exterior front sidelights and rear lights.

Hope that makes sense.

Anyone done or seen anything like this?

[mossline 15]

bump

[hotwire 352]

Chris - I take it you meen the two orange LED's by the interior light? Along with ALL the orange illumination inside the car? Dash, switches etc.

Lighting is controlled by the LCM. I have never done, seen, nor heard of this mod but it is probably easily possible if it is one supply out of the LCM (I haven't checked) - where it could be tapped into with another switched supply, via a relay or diode.

[mossline 15]

Yes exactly that!

Anyone have any ideas/thoughts on easiest way to do this mod?

Also im thinking of possibly adding another pair of these orange LED ambiance lights somewhere in the rear but unsure whether it would look good or not....

Chris

[jochen 4]

Yes exactly that!

Anyone have any ideas/thoughts on easiest way to do this mod?

Also im thinking of possibly adding another pair of these orange LED ambiance lights somewhere in the rear but unsure whether it would look good or not....

Chris

Don't forget that the LEDs are powered by 5V, using PWM to control the brightness.

If you power the LEDs of 12V, they will burn very bright for a very short period of time....

[mossline 15]

Good to know, cheers Jochen. Im just looking to hook up a switch that allows me to turn them all on separate to the outside lights but still retaining the normal function also.

Jochen, whats PWM?

Don't forget that the LEDs are powered by 5V, using PWM to control the brightness.

If you power the LEDs of 12V, they will burn very bright for a very short period of time....

[Crazy Dave 0]

Good to know, cheers Jochen. Im just looking to hook up a switch that allows me to turn them all on separate to the outside lights but still retaining the normal function also.

Jochen, whats PWM?

PWM = Pulse Width Modulation The voltage is turned on and off at a processor controlled rate. So if you want 30% brightness then the voltage is turned on for 30% of the time and off for 70% of the time. This happens a relatively high speed. (maybe 100 times a second) the result to the naked eye is that the lamp, LED, etc only receive an average of 30% of the voltage over time even though they receive 100% while the pulse is on. So the lamps / LEDs glow at 30% of their brightness.

Headlights can operate the same way when set as DRL (Daytime Running Lights)

I suspect all the PWM is done in the LCM (Light coder module). So you might be able to find a 5 volt supply to feed them externally but you might want to diode isolate them as 5 VDC going back into the output of the LCM might let the smoke out.

[hotwire 352]

Don't forget that the LEDs are powered by 5V, using PWM to control the brightness.

If you power the LEDs of 12V, they will burn very bright for a very short period of time....

Yep point! Forgot to add that one