I decided to install some exterior door handle lighting like I have on my 7 after reading a post by another member who had just installed his.

I figured I'd snap some Pics and do a DIY for everyone.

Tools needed:

13mm Wrench
10mm Socket
Ratchet
Panel remover tool
Phillips screwdriver
Small standard screwdriver
Duct tape

And of course you will need some of these
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/1.jpg

I ordered a few set's.... You will just need one. I got them from hyperledz.com they sell these on Ebay. for 10 + 10 Shipping
They are 4 - 3" LED strips
They don't have the 3" LED strips on their site but you can email them.

Step 1. DISCONNECT BATTERY AND DISCHARGE RESIDUAL POWER
This is in CAPS because it's very important we will be working with airbags here and they are dangerous. And if you disconnected them while there is power in the system you will create a fault in the SRS system and the light will come on and have to be reset.

Get your 13MM wrench out of your tool kit and disconnect both the positive and negative battery cables and touch them together for 10-15 Sec. to eliminate any residual power in the car. If they won't reach just connect them with a wire. Now put something over the cables to make sure they won't accidentally free up and make contact with the battery accidentally. I put a some old gloves over my cables.

Step 2. REMOVE DOOR PANEL

First remove the screw cover inside the door handle.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/2.jpg

Now remove the phillips screw "Some cars have a torx screw"
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/3.jpg

Now pop off the light from the bottom of the door
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/4.jpg

This is the wire we will tap for our LEDs
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/5.jpg

Remove the lens and put it aside.

Next we remove a phillips screw from inside the airvent.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/6.jpg

"Only the front doors have the vent screw"
*I started on the rear doors first because there are no airbags or additional things to remove to get the panel off. I recommend this.
On the drivers door you will have to disconnect the seat memory buttons and pop out the window button bezel. These pics are from my front Pass. install.

Now free up the handle mech. and get it ready to pass it thru the door panel.
This will stay attached to the car.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/7.jpg

Now we snap the door panel free, start at the top by the tweeter,
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/8.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/11.jpg

Try to use you fingers, but if you need to, use a panel remover tool like this
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/10.jpg

Theres about 3 clips on the hinge side of the door panel.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/9.jpg

When you get to the bottom area under the door pockets make sure to pull from as high as you can because the pocket is just glued to the panel interior and you don't want to rip it off.
Heres a pic. make sure you have that wavy unfinished part in your hand and pull from there. If you grab that lower edge under where the clips on the pocket are and pull or pry from there you will rip the door pocket off.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/14.jpg

Make sure you have all the panel clips around the edge free and pull and twist the door from the interior handle. There is a clip behind the handle that can be a pain to free up. Once the panel is free disconnect the tweeter wires. Green wire - black connector
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/12.jpg

Now I just propped the panel up and out of my way so I could work on the door. If you want to you can pop out the window switch and place the panel out of your way. I just moved mine on all 4 doors and it worked for me.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/13.jpg

Heres a full pic of the interior of the door panel so you can see all the door clips.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/15.jpg

Step 3. interior door work.

First we unmount the side airbag with a 10mm socket
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/16.jpg

Next we secure the airbag out of our way. "I didn't want to disconnect it because I didn't need to. If you chose to, so be it. But I figure
if I don't have to, I don't want to.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/17.jpg

Now that the airbag is out of the way lets get to it.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/18.jpg

peel the vapor barrier off on the latch edge.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/19.jpg


Now its time to move to the outside of the door and make a path for the LED's wiring.
Heres what the standard door handle looks like
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/20.jpg

We want to expand that edge on the right where the handle moves thru the door.
So it looks like this.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/22.jpg

I used a dremel with a grout removal tip. It ate right thru that metal.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/21.jpg

Of course take your time and remember you have a very destructive tool next to your beloved BMW.

Now, from the exterior, fish the wire for the LEDs thur the hole you just made into the interior of the door.
*You might get hung up on a foam boot/flap that protects the inside of the handle mechanism. Just put your hand on the back side of the door mech. and move the foam cover. Here's a pic. you can see the rounded edge of it to the left of the black and white LED power wire.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/23.jpg

Carefully feed the wire thru to the inside of the door, making sure not to nick or cut the wiring for the LEDs .
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/24.jpg

Now peel off the plastic from the adhesive backing on the LED and stick it on the inside of the door handle. here. vvvvvvv
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/25.jpg

The adhesive seems very strong and if it ever comes off you can just use another strip of 3M VHB adhesive. If the brand your using dosen't have adhesive I recommend the 3M stuff you can get it at most autoparts stores.

Ok, now lets hook these LEDs into our door light harness so they fade in and out with the interior lights Via. the Keyfob.

Make a small hole in the vapor barrier with a screwdriver near the harness for the door light.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/26.jpg

Now reach around and push the wire thru the vapor barrier from the back making sure it dosent hang up on the door release cable or handle mech.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/27.jpg

Now attach the LED wiring into the door light harness. I used wire taps
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/28.jpg

They work great. you can use whatever you want...Solder/heatshrink,butt connectors...splice and tape. It's up to you.

My cars wiring was Brown - Negative and Red w/ blue stripe - Positive

BMW used random wiring colors on various cars so yours might be different.
If your unsure, pop the lights out before you start the project and disconnect the battery and use a multimeter to test it first.

Once you have connected your LEDs into the door light harness,
Mount your airbag, reconnect your tweeter, switches ect.
Fish the door light harness back thru the bottom of the door panel.
Push the interior handle mech. back thru the panel and snap the panel clips around the door back in. Screw the vent screw and handle screw back in.
refit screw cap. reconnect the door light lens.

Reconnect battery.......Reset clock and seat settings.

And there you have it L.E.D. exterior door handle lights.

20.00 and a couple hours with your car well spent.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/29.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/30.jpg

Enjoy.

ur da man :urtheman:urtheman:urtheman:urtheman

Great job! :)

Thanks for the excellent write up. I'm a wiring guy, and this is top notch!

Superb writeup! See if you can upload pics of the handle area itself. Thanks for contributing. Cheers!

ur da man :urtheman:urtheman:urtheman:urtheman

I'm flattered :D
Great job! :)

Thanks for the excellent write up. I'm a wiring guy, and this is top notch!

Thanks, I appreciate it. I probably could have installed a set in the time it took me to upload pics and write the DIY. But you guys are worth it. :)

Superb writeup! See if you can upload pics of the handle area itself. Thanks for contributing. Cheers!

Happy to contribute, I spend most of my time on the 7'er page...so I thought it was time to KICK IN shall we say :stickoutt.

What pics would you like? I posted a couple of close up pics of the handle area. and one of it lighted.

good wirte up, it should be put in the DIY section. Could you post some more pics of the car at night.

I'm flattered :D


Thanks, I appreciate it. I probably could have installed a set in the time it took me to upload pics and write the DIY. But you guys are worth it. :)



Happy to contribute, I spend most of my time on the 7'er page...so I thought it was time to KICK IN shall we say :stickoutt.

What pics would you like? I posted a couple of close up pics of the handle area. and one of it lighted.


Take pics of under handle and if you already took some pics, post some pics of the backside of the handle where the wire enters it.

Not my taste, but excellent writeup and congrats on a job well done! :buttrock

WOW. Amazing man. Very nice work and very nice outcome!

Heres some more pics.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/Driverscloseupoff.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/Driverscloseuplighted.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/Driverscloseup1.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/PassSide1.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/Passside2.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/PassSide3.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/Driversside1.jpg

Looks good!

Nice write-up. This thread just made the DIY hall of fame.:)

Sweet....
I appreciate it.
I'm happy to contribute :)

sick dude - I need to do this in the interior of my car. Without fail anyone that's never been in my ride searches for the inner door handle for a few seconds when it's dark. Pics of how they look when they light up and such?

I don't see in your replies whether they light up/darken in gradients like the cabin lights or if it's instant on and off?

sick dude - I need to do this in the interior of my car. Without fail anyone that's never been in my ride searches for the inner door handle for a few seconds when it's dark. Pics of how they look when they light up and such?

I don't see in your replies whether they light up/darken in gradients like the cabin lights or if it's instant on and off?

I have been considering doing the interior of the handles also.
I have this on my E38 and love it. I actually bought a extra set in orange for this or a possible footwell light retrofit.

The LED's fade in and fade out just like the interiors. No on off , just an nice smooth fade on and fade out.

:urtheman

Very nice, I'm about to purchase the LED's right now. You're writeup makes it look very easy for anyone who has any experience with removing door panels and wiring.

One question though. Now that you've had them for a couple months now, have you had any problems with the wiring getting hung up on the edges of the handle where you made your cuts? Would you recommend adding some sort of wire protection on the cut edge of the door to prevent cutting into the wires from consistent use of the handle?

OR... Is it still as perfect as the day you installed it with none of the above concerns?

Like i said, i'm doing it. I just want to make sure that there wasn't anything that you would do differently now that you've done it.

Thanks

I am actually in the process of doing this mod.... This writeup answered my question about how to get the wire from the outside into the car.... Thanx for the wonderful write-up...... Very ez to follow.


Update... I did it, i took a total of 2 hours to do all 4 doors. I will post pics of the finished product soon if anyone cares.... I used the exact same LED setup as OP.... Now I want to do the interior handles.... Which is a plug and play mod for 96-00 (I think those are the years)...... Thanx again for the wonderful write-up Lex...

beautiful. everyone should write diys like this!

oh and a little polishing compound and then wax will take all those little scratches right out of ur door handles. the perfect touch for those new LEDs