Model 3 DIY Light kits: Review and installation tips, with pics

[GreenHokie]

Cheers gents - we inspired Elon to include ambient lighting in the m3 highland lol

Next gen Tesla owners will never know our struggle

I like to think that Tesla noticed all the work that nerds like us put into our vehicles to get a decent ambient light system.
So, they finally listened to us and made it standard on the refreshed M3!!

 

[PauliePucks]

I like to think that Tesla noticed all the work that nerds like us put into our vehicles to get a decent ambient light system.
So, they finally listened to us and made it standard on the refreshed M3!!

 

[JayKrib]

Yeah there are a few different kits, that’s for sure. Did your kit also have the control boxes for each door?

Yes. It does. Sorry for the late reply

 

[davidg545]

Anyone gave first hand experience with the kit from “lightingbugtech”? Originally found the kit doing some YouTube searches for ambient lighting on a 23 RWD trim and this is the only one I would come across that ties into the wiring harness on the back of the rear vents for switched on/off. The cost is a pretty penny and no real reviews from anyone so hesitant to spend that kind of cash on it.

Ambient Light For Tesla|Tesla Ambient Lights

Ambient Light For Tesla|Tesla Ambient Lights-Tesla Ambient Light brings you a new driving experience.We are committed to providing the highest quality ambient lighting.

lightingbugtech.com

 

[Scraff]

Anyone gave first hand experience with the kit from “lightingbugtech”? Originally found the kit doing some YouTube searches for ambient lighting on a 23 RWD trim and this is the only one I would come across that ties into the wiring harness on the back of the rear vents for switched on/off. The cost is a pretty penny and no real reviews from anyone so hesitant to spend that kind of cash on it.

Ambient Light For Tesla|Tesla Ambient Lights

Ambient Light For Tesla|Tesla Ambient Lights-Tesla Ambient Light brings you a new driving experience.We are committed to providing the highest quality ambient lighting.

lightingbugtech.com

Did you ever end up pulling the trigger on this kit? I'm interested as well; the dashboard light looks to be an animation capable LED strip rather than just a tube illuminated by a side emitter like many of the cheaper kits discussed here. The main thing l like about this kit (from what I've seen) is the clean wiring solution into the rear vents like you mentioned. It IS pretty expensive.

I also haven't been able to find many reviews on it aside from some fairly positive ones on youtube

 

[Eddie509]

I did end up purchasing this kit because how easy it seemed to install. Much easier than the Hansshow one I had seen. Additionally, I think some of the other kits involved an on/off switch which would get pretty annoying after a while. The lightning bug kit turns on/off automatically when getting in the car.

Im not very comfortable with doing any complicated mod installs but i can say that this was EXTREMELY easy. I did see the same installation videos a good 10 times before installing and pulled up the video during the install to make sure I didnt mess anything up. I am VERY pleased with how it looks and how easy it was to install. I did go with the platinum kit and added on the footwell lights so i cant speak to any potential difficulty with the center console and backrest lights. I have a 2021 SR+ so having those lights turn on now makes me a happy man.

 

[davidg545]

I havent purchased this yet. Im hoping that they may have some holiday sales in the new few months to bring down the cost.

 

[PNWLeccy]

This looks like the same kit for a bit cheaper Neon Ambient Lighting For Tesla Model Y/3

 

[Scraff]

This looks like the same kit for a bit cheaper Neon Ambient Lighting For Tesla Model Y/3

It does look very similar, although this one doesn't come with the seat back lights and 4 footwell lights

 

[vegetaban]

I like to think that Tesla noticed all the work that nerds like us put into our vehicles to get a decent ambient light system.
So, they finally listened to us and made it standard on the refreshed M3!!

I know service has complimented my lightening when they have seen it after my, I’m sure they probably let the higher ups know what mods they see.

 

[frunktastic]

Hey all, since I envy the interior lights of the Highland I started looking into 3rd party solutions that are easy to install for my 2021 M3 and the easiest I found is this one:

Tesla Model 3 and Y Ambient Lighting Kit - GEN 2 - TesFavs

Jealous of the LED strip in the new (Highland) Model 3? Well, don't be. Our Tesla Ambient Light Kit beats it hands down! Easy install. Plug-N-Play. Buy now!

tesfavs.com

Apparently it is powered by the usb in the glovebox and a sensor detects if you're in the car or not and turn it off when you're out. On paper it seems a great slick solution.

My question is do this kind of light kits somehow damage/degrade the 12V battery or is the impact negligible? Thanks

 

[Watts_Up]

I really don't see the use of the LED lights around the dashboard, in particular for the new Model 3 Highland,
the LED light are reflecting intro the windshield, so you want to turn them off when driving.

Something which would be very useful, is to have some foot lighting for the rear passengers,
so when you open the door you will be able to see the floor. I have seen such feature in Limousines.

The installation would be very easy since there are already wires, such as the ODB2 plug, inside the back of the central console.

I noticed that the rear passengers have a light inside the door panel, maybe for helping finding the door handle,
but you need to open the door to activate those lights.... so not very useful !!!
And those door lights doesn't provide any lighting inside the car when entering to seat at the rear.

 

[GreenHokie]

My question is do this kind of light kits somehow damage/degrade the 12V battery or is the impact negligible? Thanks

I suggest checking with the light kit manufacturer to determine how much power (wattage) the kit draws during use, just to be sure. However, I’m confident it will be very low and thus be a negligible load/drain on the 12v battery, especially since the kit you mentioned has an automatic shut-off.

As a reference point, I’ve been using my kit for over 2 years and have not noticed any problems with the 12v battery. Also, my kit does not have an automatic shut-off and stays on all the time, even when I’m not in the vehicle and sentry mode is active. The only time my light kit shuts off is when my vehicle goes into a deep sleep (and sentry mode is not on/active). Of course, I can manually turn off my light kit whenever I leave the vehicle, but I choose not to because I know the power usage & drain will be extremely low/negligible. Your results may vary….

 

[frunktastic]

I've never thought about reflections on the windshield, that would be annoying! I still like the aesthetic of interior lights though

 

[didi17]

Hi guys, I followed your discussion and yesterday finally I did the job, this is the results

 

[GreenHokie]

Hi guys, I followed your discussion and yesterday finally I did the job, this is the resultsView attachment 999345

Looks great! Well done. Which kit did you buy/use?

 

[techie_review]

Hi guys, I followed your discussion and yesterday finally I did the job, this is the resultsView attachment 999345

which kit is this ? looks clean

 

[MOE J]

So if u plug it into usb port in glovebox u get the display screen software ?