RGB Ambient Lighting project for Palladium Model S - lets do it

[GetYourWheels]

Okay makes sense. Same issue I am facing. I think your source also ships from China which is on New Years hiatus so I am going to hang with plan A which is basically your kit plus one extra 110 cm piece so I can use the two 110 cm pieces for the dash.

You could do that, I was going to use the 110 down the sides of the center console.
The 75cm are more than enough to do either end of the dashboard

 

[4SUPER9]

I did a few cursory measuremenst earlier today.
Looks like either side of the dash are almost identical in length, approximately 21.5" each.
The doors are just a bit shorter, around 20.5" each
The console is considerably longer, about 35" each side, not including the connecting section along the rear, which adds another 11" or so. One could use a single strip along the entire center console, which would be a little over 80" in total, if such a piece exists.

 

[vcor]

The LEDs with the acrylic diffuser are stiffer, I didnt need to use any adhesive or support for the gap above the steering wheel

Thanks - a good find. These look like a better solution than the floppy EL lighting I used. Did you have any problems with cutting to length?

From your picture, it looks like you were able to have the LEDs lit from edge to edge on each side of the front dash without a black dead area at the outer edges. I ask as the kit looks like there is a dead zone where the wires attach to the strip. It's not very clear from the vendor's images.

Did you stick the strip to the outside of the lower panel, or insert them into the crack between the chrome strip and the lower panel?

For door power, one possible source is the Door Handle controller. For the fronts: connectors X309 and X339 pins 11 (+) and 12 (ground). The rear door connectors are X359 and X369. I've not yet tested to confirm when power is available (or how much power).

 

[GetYourWheels]

Thanks - a good find. These look like a better solution than the floppy EL lighting I used. Did you have any problems with cutting to length?

From your picture, it looks like you were able to have the LEDs lit from edge to edge on each side of the front dash without a black dead area at the outer edges. I ask as the kit looks like there is a dead zone where the wires attach to the strip. It's not very clear from the vendor's images.

Did you stick the strip to the outside of the lower panel, or insert them into the crack between the chrome strip and the lower panel?

For door power, one possible source is the Door Handle controller. For the fronts: connectors X309 and X339 pins 11 (+) and 12 (ground). The rear door connectors are X359 and X369. I've not yet tested to confirm when power is available (or how much power).

No issues cutting the length.
I folded the edges down at the end was able to get it pretty close to the end of the strip, one side i got pretty much flush, the other was about 4-5mm from the edge on the inside. I didnt use any tape to stick it, its just held by friction for now. I was planning on adding tape but doesnt seem necessary

Let me know if you end up testing the power source for the door handle!

 

[Proppilot]

I used 2 of the mid length strips and trimmed them for the dash. I was going to buy a 2nd kit to do the rest of the doors once i got this all figured out.

You inspired me. Thank goodness it is Chinese New Year so my kit had not shipped. I cancelled and bought two kits so I have 2x110 / 8x75 and 8 footwell lights coming. Will use 4 of the 75's for the doors, 2 of the 75's for the dash ( need 55 cm each so will cut ) and love the console side lights so the 110's will go there. Footwell lights 2 in front, 2 in back and 4 in door pockets. What is interesting is that the lights in the door pockets are actually 'strips' embedded so clearly there was some engineering thought into do this but they ran out of time and we ended up with cars with promised features (tilting screen, ambient lighting - not the gaslight version we got, steam integration / early cars got 8 Gb memory - not enough). I have not been lured into upgrading the headlights as I think they work just fine but I DO miss the beautiful lighting my M540d had so I am on a mission. Fully integrated as I see the installs here and controlled by the 'ambient lights' button on the screen for ON/OFF. I ordered RGB and not multi color as I know me and I will set them to blue and lowest level and never touch them again ! Thanks for all of the great contributions so far !

 

[leecox]

So, I’ve done this. At least the dash and center console. I haven’t moved on to the doors yet.

I’m still working on the fitment and finish work as it’s not where I like it. I used this kit:

Dreamcolor Acrylic Interior Lights

I ordered the 6-1 kit with 1 extra 43 inch light and 2 extra 29 inch strips.

I tapped into the primary Red/Black of the console like BUGSNY. It’s in the passengers side bottom of the console.

One tip, don’t use the 3M Foam automotive tape. It’s too think for the use. One reason I’m going to redo it using a different thin adhesive tape.

I may run wires to each of the doors for the positive feed and just ground to a bolt for the negative.

 

[Proppilot]

Hi leecox, thanks for sharing. The link to the product does not work for me. Please check !

 

[leecox]

I can’t edit the post. Let’s try this…

Dream Color Acrylic Lights

 

[4SUPER9]

I can’t edit the post. Let’s try this…

Dream Color Acrylic Lights

Thank you for sharing your install. I understand it is not just to your liking as of yet, but would you be willing to show some close-up photos of your install? Did you manage to get the lights under the chrome strips?

 

[Faksnima]

So, I’ve done this. At least the dash and center console. I haven’t moved on to the doors yet. View attachment 1019694
I’m still working on the fitment and finish work as it’s not where I like it. I used this kit:

Dreamcolor Acrylic Interior Lights

I ordered the 6-1 kit with 1 extra 43 inch light and 2 extra 29 inch strips.

I tapped into the primary Red/Black of the console like BUGSNY. It’s in the passengers side bottom of the console.

One tip, don’t use the 3M Foam automotive tape. It’s too think for the use. One reason I’m going to redo it using a different thin adhesive tape.

I may run wires to each of the doors for the positive feed and just ground to a bolt for the negative.

Honestly, with as invasive as the door installation is, I'd almost be happy with just a dash install and leave it at that. I do like the idea of the doors and the back of the front seats having it done, however. But a small lighting touch would be a significant improvement. The lights on the dash - do they run off a nearby power source or do they require the 12 connector?

 

[leecox]

Thank you for sharing your install. I understand it is not just to your liking as of yet, but would you be willing to show some close-up photos of your install? Did you manage to get the lights under the chrome strips?

I'll post some additional photos later this week. I did put them under the Chrome on the dash and Console. I'm currently only using the single Master controller. The reason for the delay is its really only helpful if I show the "how" in what I've done so far. How I up them on the dash and how I connected the power.

 

[leecox]

Honestly, with as invasive as the door installation is, I'd almost be happy with just a dash install and leave it at that. I do like the idea of the doors and the back of the front seats having it done, however. But a small lighting touch would be a significant improvement. The lights on the dash - do they run off a nearby power source or do they require the 12 connector?

You can power them either off of the 12v cigarette lighter in the console or hardwire to a 12V source. I went the hardwire route.

 

[Proppilot]

So I received the light kits that I had posted at the beginning of the thread and I think they are perfect for the job. The actual acrylic tube that will be exposed is probably less than 1/8" in diameter so it will not even be noticeable (or barely) when off. I ordered two of the kits to give me the 110 cm long strips (x2) for the centre console and 8 of the other strips which will be 2 for the dash (left side and right side) and one for each of the four doors so 2 left over. Having two kits gives you two master controllers and 8 remotes. My second kits four remote controllers paired instantly with my primary kits master so one master can control all eight remotes. It makes wiring distribution a bit easier so I plan a remote in each door (so four) and one remote to power the two console strips (thats five) and then one to do the front foot well lights and another for the rear footwell lights so I will use seven of them. Advantage is in troubleshooting if something fails later and leaves one spare master and one spare remote. What I DON'T like about this kit is the the four footwell lights are tied together back to one cable to the controller. I found another kit on ALI where those are individuals and I would have liked that as my PLAN A was to have one footwell light in each of the door bins, two in the front left and right and two in the rear left and right.

Then the Engineer/Maker in me kicked in as I am always looking for 3D printer projects and I noticed the door bin lights are strip lights. For $ 17 bucks on Amazon I picked up four RGB strip LEDs that have a controller. They all wire into the control box. If you buy two of the RGB kits, it comes with two extension cables (male and female ends) and the 110 cm strips have a connector on either end. Plan is to cut off the four male connectors and wire them individually to these new small strips and replace the existing light strips in the door bins with these and tap into each RGB controller in the doors. After I pull the door I will remove the acrylic light strips in the door bins and want to look to print replacements that will physically fit in those locations but with the new strips on the back that are RGB.

Other observation (and please reply with alternate if I am wrong !) but I don't think there will be a 12v steady source in the door. All of the wiring goes back to the body controllers where the power is switched. I am thinking the most non-invasive approach is to run a 12v wire to each of the doors from the power source at the charging tray and then the optical relay I mentioned above can control all four doors (and the other controllers will tie in at the console) and lights from the touch screen (on and off). I plan after pulling a door skin to design and print a mounting block that the RGB controller can snap into to keep it in place.

So this is my theoretical update. Weekend after this I will have the time and will pull the door and start into the engineering and layout.

More to follow.

 

[4SUPER9]

So I received the light kits that I had posted at the beginning of the thread and I think they are perfect for the job. The actual acrylic tube that will be exposed is probably less than 1/8" in diameter so it will not even be noticeable (or barely) when off. I ordered two of the kits to give me the 110 cm long strips (x2) for the centre console and 8 of the other strips which will be 2 for the dash (left side and right side) and one for each of the four doors so 2 left over. Having two kits gives you two master controllers and 8 remotes. My second kits four remote controllers paired instantly with my primary kits master so one master can control all eight remotes. It makes wiring distribution a bit easier so I plan a remote in each door (so four) and one remote to power the two console strips (thats five) and then one to do the front foot well lights and another for the rear footwell lights so I will use seven of them. Advantage is in troubleshooting if something fails later and leaves one spare master and one spare remote. What I DON'T like about this kit is the the four footwell lights are tied together back to one cable to the controller. I found another kit on ALI where those are individuals and I would have liked that as my PLAN A was to have one footwell light in each of the door bins, two in the front left and right and two in the rear left and right.

Then the Engineer/Maker in me kicked in as I am always looking for 3D printer projects and I noticed the door bin lights are strip lights. For $ 17 bucks on Amazon I picked up four RGB strip LEDs that have a controller. They all wire into the control box. If you buy two of the RGB kits, it comes with two extension cables (male and female ends) and the 110 cm strips have a connector on either end. Plan is to cut off the four male connectors and wire them individually to these new small strips and replace the existing light strips in the door bins with these and tap into each RGB controller in the doors. After I pull the door I will remove the acrylic light strips in the door bins and want to look to print replacements that will physically fit in those locations but with the new strips on the back that are RGB.

Other observation (and please reply with alternate if I am wrong !) but I don't think there will be a 12v steady source in the door. All of the wiring goes back to the body controllers where the power is switched. I am thinking the most non-invasive approach is to run a 12v wire to each of the doors from the power source at the charging tray and then the optical relay I mentioned above can control all four doors (and the other controllers will tie in at the console) and lights from the touch screen (on and off). I plan after pulling a door skin to design and print a mounting block that the RGB controller can snap into to keep it in place.

So this is my theoretical update. Weekend after this I will have the time and will pull the door and start into the engineering and layout.

More to follow.

Excellent. Thanks for the update. Seems pretty ambitious, but I am listening! Please post photos.
I just bought the kits as well. I just need the time now

 

[rfmurphy81]

Thanks for starting this thread! Dumb question but was there a point in time when ambient lighting was added into the Palladium Model S (similar to the Model 3 Highland)?

 

[vcor]

Thanks for starting this thread! Dumb question but was there a point in time when ambient lighting was added into the Palladium Model S (similar to the Model 3 Highland)?

It was supposed to be in the Model S (and likely the X too). The early first Model S Palladium vehicles included the RGB LEDs and the chrome strips were slightly translucent. It got pulled perhaps after a few hundred were made. To my knowledge, none of these were ever activated (i.e. no software was included to control them). If you remove the door trim, you can still see the power connector (which does not have power enabled). Plastics were also molded to hold the LEDs behind the chrome strip.

In my examination of my 2022 S door panel, it looks like the current chrome accent strips are no longer translucent, so sticking LEDs behind them wouldn't work.

I suspect they planned to use a light pipe and one RGB LED at the end. This was likely too dim and/or did not provide even lighting. As such, they killed that at the very last minute. It might also have been a sourcing problem, as this was still in the COVID sourcing crisis. I've seen a few of the door panels that included the lights on eBay about 18 months ago or so. I've not heard of anyone being able to make them work. I was so tempted to buy the eBay parts, but they were selling for about $200 each, with little hope of having them work or knowing if you directly connected power, how they might look.

 

[GetYourWheels]

So I received the light kits that I had posted at the beginning of the thread and I think they are perfect for the job. The actual acrylic tube that will be exposed is probably less than 1/8" in diameter so it will not even be noticeable (or barely) when off. I ordered two of the kits to give me the 110 cm long strips (x2) for the centre console and 8 of the other strips which will be 2 for the dash (left side and right side) and one for each of the four doors so 2 left over. Having two kits gives you two master controllers and 8 remotes. My second kits four remote controllers paired instantly with my primary kits master so one master can control all eight remotes. It makes wiring distribution a bit easier so I plan a remote in each door (so four) and one remote to power the two console strips (thats five) and then one to do the front foot well lights and another for the rear footwell lights so I will use seven of them. Advantage is in troubleshooting if something fails later and leaves one spare master and one spare remote. What I DON'T like about this kit is the the four footwell lights are tied together back to one cable to the controller. I found another kit on ALI where those are individuals and I would have liked that as my PLAN A was to have one footwell light in each of the door bins, two in the front left and right and two in the rear left and right.

Then the Engineer/Maker in me kicked in as I am always looking for 3D printer projects and I noticed the door bin lights are strip lights. For $ 17 bucks on Amazon I picked up four RGB strip LEDs that have a controller. They all wire into the control box. If you buy two of the RGB kits, it comes with two extension cables (male and female ends) and the 110 cm strips have a connector on either end. Plan is to cut off the four male connectors and wire them individually to these new small strips and replace the existing light strips in the door bins with these and tap into each RGB controller in the doors. After I pull the door I will remove the acrylic light strips in the door bins and want to look to print replacements that will physically fit in those locations but with the new strips on the back that are RGB.

Other observation (and please reply with alternate if I am wrong !) but I don't think there will be a 12v steady source in the door. All of the wiring goes back to the body controllers where the power is switched. I am thinking the most non-invasive approach is to run a 12v wire to each of the doors from the power source at the charging tray and then the optical relay I mentioned above can control all four doors (and the other controllers will tie in at the console) and lights from the touch screen (on and off). I plan after pulling a door skin to design and print a mounting block that the RGB controller can snap into to keep it in place.

So this is my theoretical update. Weekend after this I will have the time and will pull the door and start into the engineering and layout.

More to follow.

Which kit did you use? I was told by the manufactuer on my kit that 4 was the max number of sub controllers that could connect to the main controller. Being able connect more than 4 would be nice...

 

[leecox]

So I received the light kits that I had posted at the beginning of the thread and I think they are perfect for the job. The actual acrylic tube that will be exposed is probably less than 1/8" in diameter so it will not even be noticeable (or barely) when off. I ordered two of the kits to give me the 110 cm long strips (x2) for the centre console and 8 of the other strips which will be 2 for the dash (left side and right side) and one for each of the four doors so 2 left over. Having two kits gives you two master controllers and 8 remotes. My second kits four remote controllers paired instantly with my primary kits master so one master can control all eight remotes. It makes wiring distribution a bit easier so I plan a remote in each door (so four) and one remote to power the two console strips (thats five) and then one to do the front foot well lights and another for the rear footwell lights so I will use seven of them. Advantage is in troubleshooting if something fails later and leaves one spare master and one spare remote. What I DON'T like about this kit is the the four footwell lights are tied together back to one cable to the controller. I found another kit on ALI where those are individuals and I would have liked that as my PLAN A was to have one footwell light in each of the door bins, two in the front left and right and two in the rear left and right.

Then the Engineer/Maker in me kicked in as I am always looking for 3D printer projects and I noticed the door bin lights are strip lights. For $ 17 bucks on Amazon I picked up four RGB strip LEDs that have a controller. They all wire into the control box. If you buy two of the RGB kits, it comes with two extension cables (male and female ends) and the 110 cm strips have a connector on either end. Plan is to cut off the four male connectors and wire them individually to these new small strips and replace the existing light strips in the door bins with these and tap into each RGB controller in the doors. After I pull the door I will remove the acrylic light strips in the door bins and want to look to print replacements that will physically fit in those locations but with the new strips on the back that are RGB.

Other observation (and please reply with alternate if I am wrong !) but I don't think there will be a 12v steady source in the door. All of the wiring goes back to the body controllers where the power is switched. I am thinking the most non-invasive approach is to run a 12v wire to each of the doors from the power source at the charging tray and then the optical relay I mentioned above can control all four doors (and the other controllers will tie in at the console) and lights from the touch screen (on and off). I plan after pulling a door skin to design and print a mounting block that the RGB controller can snap into to keep it in place.

So this is my theoretical update. Weekend after this I will have the time and will pull the door and start into the engineering and layout.

More to follow.

Those who have done the Doors on the S have said the same. No reliable 12v source to tap into. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t done that portion yet. The ambient light circuit is in the doors connected to the pocket light, but I’m not sure if it’s 12v or if it would accept the amperage change.

I’ve heard that those who tried ended up tripping the efuse and setting a code. They switched to the dedicated run.

I haven’t forgotten about posting additional pictures. Just been busy helping others with the Matrix conversions and rear lights.

 

[GetYourWheels]

Those who have done the Doors on the S have said the same. No reliable 12v source to tap into. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t done that portion yet. The ambient light circuit is in the doors connected to the pocket light, but I’m not sure if it’s 12v or if it would accept the amperage change.

I’ve heard that those who tried ended up tripping the efuse and setting a code. They switched to the dedicated run.

I haven’t forgotten about posting additional pictures. Just been busy helping others with the Matrix conversions and rear lights.

I measured the voltage to the pocket door light tubes, and it was 7V, not enough to power the sub controller

Im also wanting to do the headlight retrofit but not sure how to get Tesla to update the programming if i were to do that...

 

[Proppilot]

Which kit did you use? I was told by the manufactuer on my kit that 4 was the max number of sub controllers that could connect to the main controller. Being able connect more than 4 would be nice...

https://go.skimresources.com/?id=37170X963217&isjs=1&jv=15.4.2-stackpath&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fteslamotorsclub.com%2Ftmc%2Fthreads%2Frgb-ambient-lighting-project-for-palladium-model-s-lets-do-it.321364%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aliexpress.com%2Fitem%2F1005004428165321.html%3Fspm%3Da2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.634818023a8o1B&xs=1&xtz=300&xuuid=82993325f38de767ac6d58e3ab8a8a96&xjsf=other_click__auxclick%20%5B2%5D

I bought two of these and all remotes work with one controller. I bought two kits of the 10 IN 1 which had light strips and foot well lights. For a few bucks more I should have bought the 14 IN 1 or 18 IN 1 which included door bucket lights if anything just to get the connectors I could use to break out the four footwell lights that are wired to one plug.