HyTi Ambient Lighting

[itschris]

I started a thread over in appearance bitching about how dim the ambient lighting is in the Titanium.

Here: http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6721-ambient-lighting/

 

I came across this thread below from our fellow user Corncobs where he did his own upgrading. I sent a PM asking him for details because to me, what he did is pretty much what it should be. Check it out:

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6321-ambient-lighting/page-2 (pics start on Post 32)

 

So my basic questions are:

 

1) can you modify the existing LEDs to make them brighter?

 

2) if so, does the color change still work...meaning is the color change the actual LED or is there a filter that changes? I don't know.

 

3) What LED's to get, where/how to hook them up if you're adding additional lighting and which ones to get if you can replace the existing bulbs.

Edited May 20, 2013 by itschris

[srogers]

I don't think the ambient lighting is dim. I think that since everything they are near is black it is hard to see the light. If you put a white peace of paper in the door pocket you can see how much light there is. I have a box a Kleenex in the center cubby and it is brightly lit up.

[Razdan]

I started a thread over in appearance bitching about how dim the ambient lighting is in the Titanium.

Here: http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6721-ambient-lighting/

 

I came across this thread below from our fellow user Corncobs where he did his own upgrading. I sent a PM asking him for details because to me, what he did is pretty much what it should be. Check it out:

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6321-ambient-lighting/page-2 (pics start on Post 32)

 

So my basic questions are:

 

1) can you modify the existing LEDs to make them brighter?

 

2) if so, does the color change still work...meaning is the color change the actual LED or is there a filter that changes? I don't know.

 

3) What LED's to get, where/how to hook them up if you're adding additional lighting and which ones to get if you can replace the existing bulbs.

 

I am interested in wiring up some cup holder led lights. The center bin is also a great idea. I am just waiting on someone to post a good how to on feeding the wires into the fuse box. I would not want to make a poor choice on doing the wiring and fry something. I have no problem running the wires, I just need to be told where they go. I am no electrician.

[corncobs]

The question really is you do define brightness; should it be so bright that you can see during daylight? The onces that I added are very nice but they are only blue.

 

Mine is an SE so no ambient lighting in the first place but I liked the look of it and the front cubby was pretty dark without any light. I also really like the cool glow from a water bottle in the cup holder. The way I mounted them they are not intrusive driving at night it actually provides a very mellow glow to the entire cabin.

 

The company oznium also sells the same surface mount LEDs in multi color so you could add a color control module in order to change the color but I'm not sure if you could just replace the once already in the HyTi.

 

There is a pic in my gallery that shows the final "product" the two cup holders; center cubby; foot wells lit up. The foot well LEDs are just the reused DRL strip I had used first and they are not as blue more white.

 

I also added a piece into the arm rest cubby and in the glove box. All LEDs or LED strips are wired back into the center console right under the cup holders. Only the glove box LED is wired directly parallel to the original light.

 

Currently the entire assembly is wired to a 12v transformer which is plugged into the 110v outlet. This outlet shuts down when you open the door not like the 12v power outlets which stay on for at least 10 min if not longer draining the battery.

[itschris]

The question really is you do define brightness; should it be so bright that you can see during daylight? The onces that I added are very nice but they are only blue.

 

Mine is an SE so no ambient lighting in the first place but I liked the look of it and the front cubby was pretty dark without any light. I also really like the cool glow from a water bottle in the cup holder. The way I mounted them they are not intrusive driving at night it actually provides a very mellow glow to the entire cabin.

 

The company oznium also sells the same surface mount LEDs in multi color so you could add a color control module in order to change the color but I'm not sure if you could just replace the once already in the HyTi.

 

There is a pic in my gallery that shows the final "product" the two cup holders; center cubby; foot wells lit up. The foot well LEDs are just the reused DRL strip I had used first and they are not as blue more white.

 

I also added a piece into the arm rest cubby and in the glove box. All LEDs or LED strips are wired back into the center console right under the cup holders. Only the glove box LED is wired directly parallel to the original light.

 

Currently the entire assembly is wired to a 12v transformer which is plugged into the 110v outlet. This outlet shuts down when you open the door not like the 12v power outlets which stay on for at least 10 min if not longer draining the battery.

 

 

Thanks that helps a bunch for adding them in the cubby and cup holders. How did you mount them? I wonder how hard it's be to tie into another power source or get to the fuse box?

 

Now I have to find another person that's smarter than me to "fix" the existing lighting which is stupid since it's so dim.

 

srogers - At night in my car, unless you put something in front of the light, you really can't see it. Even the footwells just cast a dim hue on your shoes.

 

Does anyone know if there are mutlipe LED's for the lighting or just colorfilters some used to change the color? I'd still like to just change to brighter LED's but all this crap is way out of my wheelhouse so I need someone to talk me through it.

[corncobs]

 

 

Thanks that helps a bunch for adding them in the cubby and cup holders. How did you mount them? I wonder how hard it's be to tie into another power source or get to the fuse box?

The once I used for the cup holder and cubby are really tiny and since they come with paper thin connection wire you can pretty much feed them thru the smallest opening.

 

The LEDs come with 3M automotive tape on the back; it's they same stuff they use to attach body panels to the car; really strong stuff.

It's the same as for my DRLs and they have been thru a 5000 mile road trip and a touch less car wash!

 

Getting the the fuse box isn't really hard but you need to be flexible since its way up there behind the steering wheel and dash board. Actually there is another member wailer who actually wired his LEDs directly into the fuse box. You should be able to find his post with the search.

 

Regarding the original LEDs they are probably RGB LEDs and are then controlled by the same RGB module to fixed colors via MFT settings.

[itschris]

I'm gonna try to figure out what LED's come stock in the ambient lighting system and see if there are suitable replacements. That seems easiest as a STEP 1. STEP 2 is to do the cup holders like Corncobs did. That's just slick. I wont have time to get into it until the weekend, so if anyone can beat me to it, post on up.

[Razdan]

I'm gonna try to figure out what LED's come stock in the ambient lighting system and see if there are suitable replacements. That seems easiest as a STEP 1. STEP 2 is to do the cup holders like Corncobs did. That's just slick. I wont have time to get into it until the weekend, so if anyone can beat me to it, post on up.

 

Looking forward to what you come up with.

[acdii]

I still think black lights underneath the car would look so cool going down the road. On a black car with black wheels on a dark night it would look as if it were floating.

[itschris]

 

Looking forward to what you come up with.

 

Don't hold your breath... I have about zero patience with stuff like this so if it takes more than a 2 or 3 nanoseconds to figure it out I'll probably walk away so I don't end up breaking something ... which is the common outcome.

 

I'll see what I can come up with though.

[SteveB_TX]

What? Y'all don't have the ability to dim/brighten your ambient lighting in the Fusion? Things that make you go... hmmm, I should have gotten an MKZ. :) Just messing with ya guys! Hey, Ford had to save some things for the Lincoln to justify the higher price.

[fusionTX]

What? Y'all don't have the ability to dim/brighten your ambient lighting in the Fusion? Things that make you go... hmmm, I should have gotten an MKZ. :) Just messing with ya guys! Hey, Ford had to save some things for the Lincoln to justify the higher price.

 

We do, it just doesn't make that big a difference. Maybe it's the black interior that make the colors more muted.

[fusionTX]

I'm not sure if it's my new Husky liners or if something has changed for the better in the Ambient Lighting, but t seems much brighter than before. It may be that the plastic/rubber liners reflect the light more. Really digging it now.

[acdii]

Could be the liners, I had the car on last night trying to figure out the Mykey thing and noticed, that the car was lit up nicely inside. Not as bright as the 2010 was, but neither is the Flex. Ford may have muted the light a bit. I think not having the lighted cup holders is the key, if they were lit, then it would appear much brighter.

[itschris]

I've been sick as a dog. I jammed a tissue box in the door pocket and oddly enough, the ambient lighting looks really nice... Because its shining on the tissues.

 

So the solution is have it shine on something... Or get brighter LEDs. Now that I can finally tilt mt head without having a major sinus episode...I will try to figure out what the deal is with swapping them out.

[acdii]

I have yet to drive mine at night, so I havent seen the full effect. I did notice the color change from blue to red when the door is opened so I like that.

[dalesky]

I don't think the ambient lighting is dim. I think that since everything they are near is black it is hard to see the light. If you put a white peace of paper in the door pocket you can see how much light there is. I have a box a Kleenex in the center cubby and it is brightly lit up.

I set mine to blue, and I think it's pretty bright. I was actually thinking of turning it down. Just like the light outside on the mirror, I think the interior lighting is very well done. The light under the handle opening that shines into the door storage area is amazing. Would have been nice to have lights in the cup holders, but what can you do?

[dalesky]

I've been sick as a dog. I jammed a tissue box in the door pocket and oddly enough, the ambient lighting looks really nice... Because its shining on the tissues.

 

So the solution is have it shine on something... Or get brighter LEDs. Now that I can finally tilt mt head without having a major sinus episode...I will try to figure out what the deal is with swapping them out.

One word for sinus infections (whoa, way off topic) self-cleaning. I used to suffer regularly, and finally the docs gave up finding a drug therapy and one told me to clean them myself while in the shower, which works very well.

[acdii]

One word for sinus infections (whoa, way off topic) self-cleaning. I used to suffer regularly, and finally the docs gave up finding a drug therapy and one told me to clean them myself while in the shower, which works very well.

Salt water(AKA Saline) up the nose trick?

[murphy]

For those of you that are interested in adding ambient lighting to the console cup holders, I did it.

 

See the following link in the Energi forum.

 

http://www.fordfusionenergiforum.com/topic/1049-ambient-lighting-in-console-cup-holders/?do=findComment&comment=5144

[LASooner]

I have yet to drive mine at night, so I havent seen the full effect. I did notice the color change from blue to red when the door is opened so I like that.

 

It does the opposite if your lighting is set to red.

[acdii]

 

It does the opposite if your lighting is set to red.

Ohh got to try that out!