Model 3 Interior lighting. Best product, and frunk add.

[EVnut]

Howdy,

I know that the Model 3 interior lights are significantly too dim for the job (especially the trunk!). And my buddy installed the RPM units (brighter and cheaper than all the others, they claim). And they are bright, and they do snap right in. And yet... two of his five have now failed after less than a month of use. Both in the trunk. The middle row of LEDs begin to flicker, then go out. When I reached in to replace them, I found the back of the housing way too hot to touch. This means that the LEDs aren't as efficient as we'd like them to be and/or there is not enough heat sink for my taste.

So yeah. They're bright. They are a reasonable price. But is there something better out there that I should be looking at? I know several places have their own made. But who makes the best one for the job?

BONUS POINTS: Who's added more light to the frunk... and how'd you do it?

 

[KDGr]

Abstract Ocean sells them as well. Or DIY. Here's a thread on that: DIY Almost Free Super Bright LEDs

Pretty easy project. Trunk is very bright now. I have since modified the footwell and puddle lights the same way, slipped a piece of blue gel (stage lighting) into each of those, and now have strong blue lighting in the footwells and when I open the doors. Also taped pieces of blue gel over the door pocket lights. Those I don't see how to upgrade for brightness, though. And of course you can choose from a huge selection of colors with lighting gel.

Also, after the first light I modified, I didn't remove the original LED, just added a strip of 3 over them and soldered them in place. I even experimented with one and didn't solder it--simply pressed the contacts together and used the adhesive on the back of the strip to hold it in place. Curious to see if that one (in passenger door) holds up. Fun project if you like this sort of thing, and a $17 strip of LEDs will do all the lights in your car with plenty to spare (rest of my strip is now lighting a closet) vs $12 or more per light. Also, the footwell lights use special resistors that make them brighten and dim, and the standard bright lights for sale online often don't work. Abstract Ocean now has a fix, but adding your own LEDs, as I did, works fine.

Bonus: I think this would work for the frunk, too, but I haven't felt the need.

 

[csshih]

the reason the leds are so hot to the touch is because there is no driver design - all extra voltage is burned off as heat from what I can tell. LEDs are not that inefficient. too bad no one will properly design some lights.

 

[EVnut]

Abstract Ocean sells them as well. Or DIY. Here's a thread on that: DIY Almost Free Super Bright LEDs

Well done, and good work in tracking down the tight-spacing LED roll too. I can't quite picture how to left the factory LED in place, and still were able to make contact with the new strip?

One note of caution with *not* soldering those leads... a high-resistance "connection" there could heat things up beyond where you want them to be. I'd seriously recommend soldering for safety if nothing else.

Bonus: I think this would work for the frunk, too, but I haven't felt the need.

The frunk is a bit more complicated because that light is also a switch. But... definitely worth trying.

Thanks again for the response and links.

 

[EVnut]

the reason the leds are so hot to the touch is because there is no driver design - all extra voltage is burned off as heat from what I can tell. LEDs are not that inefficient. too bad no one will properly design some lights.

I haven't opened one up yet, but plan to get a batch my my neighbor to play with. Really too bad (but not surprising) if these are using resistors to "regulate" the LED, vs using a proper current regulator.

Efficiency of LEDs is all over the map, and of course they are all still a ways from perfectly converting energy to light (it is why they still need heat-sinking, of course). Now compared in incandescents LEDs were WAY more efficient. Just like EVs compared to ICE vehicles.

Efficient LEDs are efficient.

And in other captain-obvious news....

 

[KDGr]

Well done, and good work in tracking down the tight-spacing LED roll too. I can't quite picture how to left the factory LED in place, and still were able to make contact with the new strip?

One note of caution with *not* soldering those leads... a high-resistance "connection" there could heat things up beyond where you want them to be. I'd seriously recommend soldering for safety if nothing else.


The frunk is a bit more complicated because that light is also a switch. But... definitely worth trying.

Thanks again for the response and links.

Thanks for the tip about the solder, didn't know that. I only left one, on the passenger door, unsoldered, so it's not on too often, but I'll take care of it.

When you open up one of the lights (scary part was prying off the plastic covers without breaking them), you'll see the contacts rise up well above the existing single light strip, so plenty of room to pop in the new strip and make contact. Taking out the old ones means bending and breaking the strips, so I just decided to leave them in place. As far as resistors vs regulators, I can't say for sure--just using the language I read on the AO site.

 

[EVnut]

This works great! Who else has improved their interior lights before taking delivery of their car? Yes, I see now how those tabs are quite tall. I'd resist leaving the old LED in place though... mostly because I hate wasting energy. You'll have that old LED lite behind the new ribbon, doing nothing but making heat. It's pretty easy to crack the old board out of there. Or at least scrape the old LED off the board before applying the new strip. And please... solder the connections.

 

[EVnut]

Next up is the Frunk improvement.

 

[Canuck]

RPM units (brighter and cheaper than all the others, they claim). And they are bright, and they do snap right in. And yet... two of his five have now failed after less than a month of use.

Yes, not only junk quality but I don't buy from them since they sure seem like a highly unethical company, in my opinion, with the reasons here:

Tesla Puddle Lights on Amazon Canada

Abstract Ocean sells them as well.

Yes, plus in my experience they are a really good company with quality products and service.

 

[AB__]

Yes, not only junk quality but I don't buy from them since they sure seem like a highly unethical company, in my opinion, with the reasons here:

Tesla Puddle Lights on Amazon Canada

Wish I had seen this sooner. I had made an order there 2 weeks ago and haven't gotten any notice about shipping. Wasn't anything big, door handles wraps, screen protector, hangers.

 

[wbhokie]

Yeah AO sends their stuff out immediately. I've ordered a couple things from RPM and usually there is no response for a couple of weeks until I inquire and then I magically get an email saying items have shipped. I only really order from RPM if it is stuff I can't get elsewhere. If they improve I'll reconsider.

 

[Msjulie]

To be honest, what I think needs to be brighter are the door-open-switch lights - so I can educate (repeatedly) my passengers not to use the emergency pull to open the front door... maybe it gets brighter when the car goes into park.. or maybe just Elon's voice saying Don't touch that emergency handle!

 

[Dana1]

To be honest, what I think needs to be brighter are the door-open-switch lights - so I can educate (repeatedly) my passengers not to use the emergency pull to open the front door... maybe it gets brighter when the car goes into park.. or maybe just Elon's voice saying Don't touch that emergency handle!

...or just give them a shock. A little electrocution is good for the memory

 

[KDGr]

View attachment 336522
This works great! Who else has improved their interior lights before taking delivery of their car? Yes, I see now how those tabs are quite tall. I'd resist leaving the old LED in place though... mostly because I hate wasting energy. You'll have that old LED lite behind the new ribbon, doing nothing but making heat. It's pretty easy to crack the old board out of there. Or at least scrape the old LED off the board before applying the new strip. And please... solder the connections.

Nice soldering job, prettier than my work. Maybe I'll redo the footwell ones and take out the original LEDs, but the trunk and door lights are on so briefly, and life moves forward with other projects.... Cheers.

 

[EVnut]

OK! One more project done. I added light to the Frunk. It is a factory module with the 3-LED upgrade.

 

[EVnut]

Next, I improved the trunk. Upgraded side lights, and then I added one in the middle back. THIS is even light, finally.

 

[ninjarice]

Abstract Ocean is the way to go. I changed out all LEDs (including footwell) and haven't had a problem.

 

[COM3]

Love my Abstract Ocean ones.

 

[Anto]

OK! One more project done. I added light to the Frunk. It is a factory module with the 3-LED upgrade.

View attachment 342683 View attachment 342684

What did you have to do to wire this up? Anything special, or just tap power from the existing frunk LED?

 

[EVnut]

There are three wires to the FRUNK button/light. You just find the positive and negative, and use those. And here for your wiring convenience are those wires labeled. I've tapped in and added a connector for the second light. And on my end this thing is right-side up. Not sure what happened there!