INSTALLING INTERIOR AMBIENT LIGHTING INTO ANY BMW 3 SERIES E9x/E90/E91/E92 USING EL WIRE

This video explains how to install EL wire into your BMW 3 series from the E9x generation.
Link to what i used:
Inverter: amzn.to/3dVIlE2
EL wire: amzn.to/2X6fwxS

[@kiemyster420]

For a better install: place inverter INSIDE of the sound insulation, since it makes noise (duh?). Also, drill at the front of the door panel instead of the back, when opening the door you wont see the wire bending in, you will see the end of the strip and it looks more clean. good video tho

[@Spirit90rex]

Those inverters can produce heat I would suggest placing them away from anything that could melt or cause a fire, heavy duty mounting tape in th door frame As far as the exit point for the wire I guess that would be a preference but you run the risk of kinking or breaking the wire at the bending point if you choose the front of the panel

[@mehdib114]

i just installed mine and get the sound issue from the inverer :/ now i don't know if it's safe to insulate it since it can produce heat... any advise ?

[@kiemyster420]

@@mehdib114 insulate with a fire retardant if your that paranoid? lol use rockwool lmfao. at the end of the day, your putting a cheap, made in china POS in your car... so you get what you get. This could literally be an issue with your specific unit, or it could have to do with what power source you tapped into. Either way, when you install this kind of aftermarket crap in your car, you run the risk of waking up to your car on fire... so it is what it is. And if you don't have a commanding knowledge of your cars wiring, modules, and so forth, you probably shouldn't be messing with it and pay a professional to do the install. BUT, to answer your question, it seems like something has gone wrong with your setup, I would disconnect it and let someone qualified inspect it, preferably someone who knows BMW's. Good luck!

[@mehdib114]

@@kiemyster420 i managed to resolve the issu, if you put the inverter near a surface it will make more noise depanding of the angle...

[@kiemyster420]

@@mehdib114 Well glad it was that easy and not something complicated. I hope you did a clean and neat install!

[@AbeNXC]

Props to you man. Most people on YT just install these by wedging the wire between crevices in between interior panels. Taking the door apart and spending time on this project is the only way to get a “factory” look. Great job

[@LifeOfEmi]

Cheers man! Everyone seems to have their opinion on how it should be done I guess 😂

[@dilshanturna9359]

That is the absolute cleanest job I've seen

[@brianclemow7483]

Mate I was super impressed im now tempted to do mine thanks to your video

[@arnolduk123]

At 6:00 I saw that drill in your hand and then heard you say little hole, I was thinking that you had picked up the wrong drill after underpinning your house :) You almost went through the cupboard work top! Great bling video.

[@Deft1-007]

Everyone..make sure you DON'T close your trunk after disconnecting your battery or you will have to jump the car if you do not have a trunk release inside the cabin. You can tie a rag around the trunk lock just incase you accidently attempt to close it.. Hope this is helpful! I'm in USA and not sure if European cars are different..

[@LifeOfEmi]

Frankie Geist good advice, I place a cloth over the lock so it doesn’t close, Some cars pre-lci will have a key on their boot next to the number plate lights, For LCI cars the only way is to use the jump terminals at the front and that’ll provide power to the car to open the boot, Otherwise some have ski hatches too

[@Deft1-007]

@@LifeOfEmi excellent added info!! And Great video!!

[@madden12]

I believe your key has a physical key inside that you can use to open tge trunk the old way

[@monikaworwa1215]

Strasznie to wykonane. Te transformatory się palą nawet nie zabezpieczył tego bezpiecznikiem

[@Ellefringnes]

Nice. I am doing the same to my car. Keep the video’s coming

[@Andrewsautofreakz]

nice and detailed video! thanks for the info. keep em coming.

[@wordtruth6116]

Great job. I wish I had seen this video before I replaced my e90 with the new g30.

[@Dayzmackers]

You bought a G30 just for the ambient lighting?

[@B2KJFF]

Loooool

[@lilnotoriginal7850]

damn that looked really good when i get a e90 im definently doing this

[@santrimbackup2751]

This was an amazing install video. Thank you!

[@Jukeseyvaeau]

"And a nice little hole through your cupboard" haha good video though 👍

[@LifeOfEmi]

Hahaha drilled through with it off the cupboard 😂 Dw

[@bradbullen2099]

Niiiice, thanks bro

[@iamian7226]

I know this is an older video so you might not remember, but do you have a link for the kit you used please, you made a nice job of breaking it down for everyone. Cheers

[@ernestoramirez2842]

Great vid btw does the light color change by any chance

[@gaz4145]

Great video thanks

[@daan5586]

looks very good

[@jaredhaynes5420]

Nice video. Did you install an inverter for each door or just the 1?

[@Went__Awol]

Was wondering for e36 wagon i can steal power off the door lock motor right? (Does not have electric windows at the backdoors)

[@B_Mac-yc6uy]

Very ballsy move digging into wires in a bmw like that haha

[@Spirit90rex]

A lot of modifications require tapping into the cars electrical systems it is very nerve-wracking but doing an extensive amount of research definitely pays when doing so

[@Objectional_Opinion]

@@Spirit90rex You: Extensive amount of research. Me: I just watched your video, I can do this!

[@LexusFox]

I could never haha I would have to find a customization workshop for them to do it for me.

[@kijolpolik6632]

Great work, nice install. interested in any car products review or test?

[@rts1880]

Any idea how to install controller for changing lights ?

[@helratz9627]

Look up Laser Wire. It's a side-emitting fiber optic cable that uses LEDs. They come with RGB capabilities. The good stuff is pricey, but I would steer clear of the cheap kits on Ebay.

[@rts1880]

@@helratz9627 i already got in door card these wires just dont really know how to connect them they got like plug

[@othersalem305]

I am sure someone mentioned this but it is worth saying again. Use piggybacks or wiretaps instead of cutting wires and probably want to wire up a relay as well.

[@edwincherfils647]

Great video mate question tho once I clicked the amazon links it’s the uk version are you able to attach the us links that would be great

[@LifeOfEmi]

Edwin Cherfils cheers! You’ll probably be better off searching eBay for EL wire!

[@Spirit90rex]

These inverters make a pretty audible Humm due to not having a pure wave so be prepared should you decide to install these

[@rts1880]

Good video I was wondering where to start as I bought door cards with ambient lights already there had no idea how to connect them

[@LifeOfEmi]

You may have bought e92 door cards right? They have ambient lighting in them as standard

[@rts1880]

@@LifeOfEmi no they are F10 good fit just no connection , and I got sun shades for them on roll as well

[@rasharngordon9198]

Legend🔥

[@hamzaqadir2214]

Was wondering if you still had the same car and if lighting still works?

[@ViniTheCrazzy]

nice stuff my only bad feel about it is making holes in original parts or cutting original wires too... i bought a complete kit that i will install but it comes with tons of wires to reach each point i want in 6 diferent locations and i want to use some gaps in doors to not make any hole, plus, the kit i bought had a cable i can connect in the string box of the car, making it hurtless to any original partes and totally removiable if i will sell and the people looks to it as a bad thing and another plus is RGB controlled by app using bluetooth, nice product i guess hehe ohhh i bought too floating wheel caps to make sure whenever i stop my car bmw logo will be upright! i know it is kind nosense but i like the logos all upright as rolls royce did hehe

[@TheTorkerman]

BRO! You used a masonry drill bit, LOL, easy way to destroy your trim. Please use correct drill bits people.

[@LifeOfEmi]

TheTorkerman-Adam haha i think no drill bit is meant to be used on door cards, but this did the job, and the trim is quite rugged in the place I drilled it into, don’t see any problems with doing it with any drill bit, but obviously whatever works for you

[@peterolley7159]

@@LifeOfEmi a wood or metal drill bit makes a cleaner cut though mate

[@LifeOfEmi]

peter olley I appreciate that, however this drill bit did it perfectly fine with no damage to the door card or leather

[@peterolley7159]

@@LifeOfEmi well I'm a member of the drill bit club and we are all totally offended by your choice 😂😂😂👍

[@LifeOfEmi]

peter olley well I can give my sincere apologies 😂

[@karthinaguleswaran9224]

Would you need an inverter for each door that connects to the window controller?

[@LifeOfEmi]

Karthi Naguleswaran yes you need an inverter for each door

[@Slvy3r]

Hey question , my car already has this , do I just buy a different color ? It’s orange I was thinking purple maybe .

[@lawrencesmira8219]

Hey man, Fantastic video! Thanks for breaking it down for people like me that aren’t super car savvy. I’m trying to do this to my new M240i X and I have some questions, and way I could get your email or pm?

[@LifeOfEmi]

Lawrence Smira hi sure you can message me on the email from my KZbin bio

[@LeonZedd]

How are they holding up now? Since it’s been 2 years since the install

[@bmiah]

Nice install. Do you have any recommendations where to tap the power source for the dash? I have a BMW F10, so in theory it should be similar to your car. Thanks!

[@vladxxvhx2555]

You could check the push start button for a 12v and ground when the car is on. I am thinking off the top of my head, however: it would make sense.

[@theblinkstykrab3106]

Not sure how it is on the F10, but on my E60, I was able to tap it into the door unlock button's lighting (between the two air vents on the dashboard), this also allowed me to use the brightness control knob built into the car to control el wire brightness

[@Pudzian27]

hi, can you tell me what the ankle tension is? Because for me, unfortunately, it does not shine :(

[@richardpbogosian4799]

I don’t recommend drilling into the foam (vapor barrier), the door may leak into the carpet!

[@vevensundraj9621]

Hey brother.. I have an e46.. Can i tap power from the window switch?.. Also thanks for an awesome video..

[@LifeOfEmi]

Hi, im not too sure as I dont have an e46, however I feel like they may have similar wiring, and therefore you can always try give it a go, good luck with it! Cheers

[@Spirit90rex]

The driver card can get tricky as the control switch is more complicated purchase a voltmeter to locate the proper power wire i suggest using no cut clip connectors to tap into your car wires and always have backup fuses

[@AbdulRahman-vs3yv]

Would it work for e46?

[@vinnyp8574]

would it be the same with the 1 series ??

[@Chris-gi6mi]

I dont understand how they are dimmable connecting to those wires. Can you explain?

[@tanyafernando6383]

will this work for the e82?

[@singflorent]

It’s look good 👍 a bit too dim but Is fine

[@marioruiz4337]

2yrs later can you me an update on long they hold up and last?

[@jalensnijders3581]

does this also owrk on the bmw 1 series?

[@benbadal7671]

Bro do a f20 example

[@samuelbrooks7874]

Do the lights stay on whilst driving

[@wavegod9387]

can u drop a night pov with these lights on

[@kreshberbati3320]

I have mounted these according to your instructions, but 3 of the doors go out themselves after 10 seconds while the driver's door is on all the time, even if the car is closed, the light is on. what have I done wrong?

[@LeonZedd]

Best to get an electrical tester and find the correct live . Sounds like you tapped into an interior dome live judging by what you described

[@paulwilliams7374]

Nice job tho i would change a few things like hole at inside of door card other end so not seen when door is open plus a switch or control device so can turn lights on or off and maybe multicolor strips that can change color to what i feel like but id prob do red

[@paulwilliams7374]

I have a 2005 e90 so tempted on doing this

[@wayneious]

You said they make noise, do they make heat? maybe cover them with e-dead or something that kills noise.

[@Spirit90rex]

They do produce a high pitch frequency that can get a bit irritating but once the radio is on you can not hear it. I have not experienced heat but any inverter/ wire will heat up and burn when the voltage drops . Low voltage = high Amperage so pay attention to your volts and what power source you choose. Purchase a voltmeter

[@herik4006]

Why are you using a concrete dedicated drill for that job?

[@joselopez1456]

What color wire did u tape into

[@KevinNguyen-zn4vv]

What's the song at around 7:36? I've been search for it!!!

[@richardkocksworthy8423]

Sorry, don't you have to disconnect both neg and pos terminals at battery???

[@LifeOfEmi]

Nope, with any electrical work, when removing the negative terminal it breaks the circuit

[@kingb7080]

Good job bro. So do I have to have the inverter for each door?

[@GameReplays-]

Drilling a hole-Heart attack

[@ilieromicanicolaica5753]

And driver door were is so many wires?

[@yardiiietingz2920]

Would it be better to hide the hole you drilled in the end of the door panel and you don’t se the wiring !? Good job well done 👍

[@LifeOfEmi]

Yardiiie Tingz yeah I mean you could do, however the issue is if you did it in the end of the door it can get caught in the gap when opening and closing, and you don’t want too much of a curve on the wire, so it doesn’t break, cheers for the support!

[@yardiiietingz2920]

Life Of Emi no worries mate just got and e46 2.5 petrol so your videos really helpful 👍

[@Spirit90rex]

The hole is very small and when done correctly can not be seen even without the el wire installed I have also found that I prefer the larger end cap of the wire to be tucked and hidden at the front of the panel

[@flyers30mvp]

Hello!! I did this on my e90 but unfortunately the windows are not working and the window switches are no longer lighting up. Would this be because I did not use a 12v inverter and instead used the 5v inverter (car plug that goes to cigarettes lighter) that originally came with the product?

[@LifeOfEmi]

Shoes Philly2027 hi you need to use the 12V internet, the reason your windows aren’t working is probably because you’ve blown the fuse for it now, check the fuse box and replace the window fuse

[@flyers30mvp]

Life Of Emi okay thank you I’ll let you know if that works!! And great tutorial btw I think yours is better then most I’ve seen out there! 🙏

[@LifeOfEmi]

Shoes Philly2027 thanks! Appreciate the kind words!

[@Spirit90rex]

You have shorted a wire and blown a fuse, unplug the negative terminal on your battery, locate and repair the damaged wire, and replace the fuse Also you Will need the 12v inverter

[@flyers30mvp]

guido arzola Thank you for the advice!! I actually forgot to plug in the window switch into the car lol 😂😂. But I did get the 12v inverter and everything is working fine!

[@hamzahabil]

bro its look good but u need to do the dashboard too

[@truth.hurts...]

I got a bmw 1 serious coupe so hard to install

[@safiradiallo2579]

Can you install for me live in south ldn

[@juhorinkinen3779]

before you take the battery out you need to wait 10-20min to idrive turnoff

[@B2KJFF]

Why do you need to use an inverter?

[@alvincherukara4569]

how do I determine the difference between the positive wire and the negative wire?

[@djdaula7239]

Would it be the same process for an e70 x5?

[@topsa4562]

yes

[@Spirit90rex]

Any car

[@Jeff071]

is there a switch to use to turn it on/off? Just confused on how you were able to turn it on/off

[@LifeOfEmi]

Jeff it turns off by turning the headlight switch off

[@Spirit90rex]

You can install a switch but that install is a bit more complex, I have done away with the inverters and wired them directly to my car using a 7.5 fuse in my accessories port of the fuse panel, that install was quite a bit more complex and time consuming but it also gets rid of that high frequency hum

[@iSmileFX]

@@Spirit90rex How are you able to change colours if you did away with the investors, if you dont mind me asking? I presume the inverter is for the bluetooth

[@Spirit90rex]

@@iSmileFX the inverter is to convert the power source to the appropriate amount required by the unit that is being installed. In this case these are singular fixed color el wires so there is no Bluetooth connection. If you wish to change the color you will need to purchase the same amount in whatever color you choose and either attach them to the dc12v inverter already installed or run direct line to your glove box accessories input with a fuse be sure to calculate the Amperage required to power the lights the fuse will act as a safety net from causing a severe electrical short in the cars electrical system

[@iSmileFX]

@@Spirit90rex Ahh i understand we talking about 2 different things. I thought this vid was in reference to the fibre optic lighting. im getting these : www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352871673357 Fibre optic which i can install into each door and they can still connect to a main controller via bluetooth for changeable colour. any advice you recommend for the inverter? that i can do to best protect it/keep it quiet /cool. I have EL wire upfront (crimped into fusebox) and whilst it has done its purchase after a while the sun definitely effects its brightness. wanted to try fibre. Thanks for the quick reply.

[@flyers30mvp]

Nice video!! Do the lights stay on while driving?

[@LifeOfEmi]

Shoes Philly2027 as long as your headlights are switched on then yes it’ll stay on

[@Epiroc]

can you make em light up all the time?

[@Spirit90rex]

Yes it just depends on the hot wire you use to supply power to the inverter, if you can figure out which one has a constant flow you should be set

[@domenicostaropoli5038]

Buongiorno io non lo riesco ad incastrare il led nello sportello come devo fare

[@bogdanlazar9177]

You have showed the front driver door, which is where i am having issues and not sure which wires to connect the lights, any help is massively appreciated

[@32_nic]

Have you figured out a way, because i've got the same problem

[@bogdanlazar9177]

@@32_nic yes i have

[@32_nic]

@@bogdanlazar9177 and what did you do? Is it the same red/Grey and Brown wire?

[@bogdanlazar9177]

For the passanger front door is the same, however for the driver is more complicated becouse once you open up you have like 20 wires from the 4 switches and also the mirrors, you have to follow up where they actually go and make sure its from the switch. Took me 3 times before i found the right one.

[@arrriyannn]

He sounds exactly like zayn!!! Agree?

[@nancyS335]

IT was factory extra on coupe models almost sure

[@nathangoodjohn5647]

With the E92 standard ambient lighting, would installing one of these inverters brighten up the factory lighting without the need for el wire?

[@krispykream6649]

Have you found anything for a e92

[@Spirit90rex]

No

[@krispykream6649]

guido arzola dang

[@Spirit90rex]

But you can buy aftermarket replacements that do light up much brighter than the factory lighting

[@Alvaro_61_]

My Ambient Light only lighting in the back. In the front dors the Light is off. Is there any function where I can turn them on ?

[@hori_ink82]

Should never splice your wires at same intervals in case the wires ever become expose they don’t make contact and cause 🔥

[@stephenmace4383]

Do you really need an inverter? Can't you just wire straight to the window switch?

[@LifeOfEmi]

Stephen Mace so the inverter is needed otherwise the EL wire won’t power on, the inverter changes the voltage coming from the window switch

[@stephenmace4383]

@@LifeOfEmi I watched this video el wire directly from ac no inverter kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3WofnejjpyeZ68 I'm just wondering if it would work directly to the el I think the voltage for the window switch is 12.

[@LifeOfEmi]

Stephen Mace I assume it can be done but won’t be as bright as with the inverter, the inverters are cheap on eBay, 2.50 each

[@stephenmace4383]

@@LifeOfEmi yh man I thought it could be done but won't be as bright as using inverter

[@Spirit90rex]

The inverter switches the current from DC to AC the elwire will not power with Direct current

[@rts1880]

Colours ?

[@Spirit90rex]

Just depends on the elWire you purchase, but they are inexpensive and they can be easily exchanged after the initial setup of power

[@jakestella2678]

2 questions for ya bro.........why the gloves??? and why not do the wiring correctly when u did all the work to get a shit result ??? solderless butt connectors?? tap conns?? or even clip on splices are all better then tape....but hey its ur car rock on bro

[@LifeOfEmi]

Gloves to keep hands clean when working 😊 and yeah I agree with the connection thing however, they were soldered together and covered with black tape, for improvement and for anyone else doing it they can always choose other ways to tap into wires, but this was just for demonstration for the video how to tap into the wires

[@christiangarcia-ruiz6140]

What taillights are those?

[@LifeOfEmi]

Standard LCI tail lights with medium smoke tint film placed over them 👍🏼

[@markokostic1615]

you know you drilled through that counter...

[@EsspressoMan1]

I thought all bmw came with that lighting? I bought mine with it. E92 335xi

[@LifeOfEmi]

The e92’s have soft ambient lighting with them, the e90’s don’t have them at all

[@Theo-SeriesFanatic-fv6sg]

No one ever mentions my e93 ugh

[@xXLeCHuGaMeRXx]

Thank you so much for this great tutorial. For me it worked awesome for about 4 days. Then, one of the inverters melted and now, cd changer and door panel lights do not light up anymore. any thoughts? Thanks!

[@LifeOfEmi]

Possibly the fuse has blown, check your fuses and then you can place a new inverter

[@bogdanlazar9177]

Hi could you let me know a way of contacting you?

[@bxfinest271]

All of that for a strip of light 😂

[@0108daniel]

The thumbnail was Orange led. But you have White?

[@carlosmuller3565]

Click bait

[@Spirit90rex]

I am assuming he has done multiple installations with different colors in the learning process

[@filipkail2617]

Could you do mine by any chance 😂

[@x777danny]

Zici ca ii septar sa moara familia mea!

[@ProdLar]

Mine looked like shit after one winter. Lighting was broken up and uneven. Don't do this you'll regret

[@macapush2666]

Hi eveveryone, pls which colors of wires to connect the invertor on the headlight switch? I do not know which is positive and negative: BR/SW, RT/GE, SW, GN, GE/GN, GE, GE/SW, GE/WS. Thanks!

[@domenicostaropoli5038]

link

[@bbzz3157]

Can you turn it off?

[@LifeOfEmi]

Yeah it turns on and off with your headlights switch

[@BozydarSuchoklates]

Why dont instal trim front of u lol look much better

[@seriannazaryan4352]

Hey bro can you help please

[@seriannazaryan4352]

Witch one is the positive and negative for the driver ?

[@normanmanio7050]

i will not drill my door interior 😔

[@Spirit90rex]

The hole is very small and when done correctly can not be seen even without the elWire installed

[@Jeebus86]

aaahhhhh a stone drill???

[@mr.freeman2236]

Есть подсветка от е92 , а это полная ерунда , у меня была такая , ставил на е46, перестал работать ! Бесполезная штука .

[@dmytrogoncharuk6710]

Its lokks so cheap

[@dervthebeast5130]

Rather just a buy a car that brings this lol.