Cup holder light installation/media bin light/glove box light

[wvlightning]

Ok I hooked everything up and the glove and media light turn on but not the cup holders. I checked that the connection had power and it does

Sponsored

 

[wvlightning]

Ok talked to @JHForman812 and got me all straightened out!

 

[MJFlanigan]

Just finished the install! Great thread and I really like the end result.

Only small issue I had is I ordered the Media Bin ML3Z-1513594-BA, and I'm not sure if I ordered the wrong part, but the mounting for the wireless charging pad is different on my 2023 Lightning. Because I had no way to transfer the wireless charging pad, I ended up reusing my existing media bin and transferring the light hole dimensions with calipers and using a fresh razor blade was able to cut it clean and accurate enough that the light popped right in and installed cleanly. I wish I remembered to take a picture of the two media bins side by side.

Do you have the dimensions of that light cut out you did for the console area by the charger by any chance? I'm about to do this as well and need to make a cut out, and wanted to make it easier for myself.

 

[JHForman812]

Do you have the dimensions of that light cut out you did for the console area by the charger by any chance? I'm about to do this as well and need to make a cut out, and wanted to make it easier for myself.

take a piece of tape, put it over the glove box light opening. shade over it, now remove it and transfer it to your media bin. the light holes are the same size.

 

[digitaldad]

Late to the game but here's something else to do - reading up now!

 

[digitaldad]

Folks, being that I have a '23 and leaning towards not doing the media light, two questions:

1. If I add the media light - does it shut off when the slider door is closed, or always illuminated when lights are on?

I currently have a usb-c cord routed through a mostly-closed slider door and deciding if I want to see light through that gap or not.

2. The usb ports are already illuminated, regardless of the media light, correct? It's been a minute since I drove at night but thought they were.

EDIT: maybe one doesnt know if it is lit when door is closed or not, lol.

 

[bmwhitetx]

1. If I add the media light - does it shut off when the slider door is closed, or always illuminated when lights are on?

Always on. In fact the media lights up when you open the door and stays lit even after the cupholders goes out (w/o even starting the truck).

But it is very faint with the small crack you would have and I could only see the light if right over the crack. From the driver position the light is blocked by the weird notching of that cubby in relation to the slider.

 

[digitaldad]

Always on. In fact the media lights up when you open the door and stays lit even after the cupholders goes out (w/o even starting the truck).

But it is very faint with the small crack you would have and I could only see the light if right over the crack. From the driver position the light is blocked by the weird notching of that cubby in relation to the slider.

TY sir! So the cup holders go dark all the time, as in temporarily lit...or only after entering truck and not driving (they timeout until driving)?

 

[bmwhitetx]

TY sir! So the cup holders go dark all the time, as in temporarily lit...or only after entering truck and not driving (they timeout until driving)?

Yes, sorry for the confusion. The cupholders and cubby are part of the interior lights that come on when you open the door. They stay lit while driving. The cubby seems to stay on longer after the truck is turned off.

If you look at the two harnesses that John offers, they tie into existing circuits - the passenger footwell light and the console storage light. So cubby, cupholder, and glovebox will go on and off the same time their respective source goes on and off. So you can look at these lights for an indication of what will happen.

I forgot which source ties to what but it is somewhere in this long thread!

Edit - from post 1 - the media bin/glove box ...lights are always on and will remain on for about 15 min after the truck is turned off. (i.e., sourced from the console storage light)
to test the cup holders, if its dark out they will come on automatically. if they do not come on you can cover the ambient light sensor, or move your light switch to the parking light position. (i.e., sourced from the passenger footwell/ambient light circuit)

 

[digitaldad]

OK thanks again, I read in the thread that someone else has the console vault like I do...I assume then we're only accessing the light connection point from within the opened center console (after trim removal) for harness tie-in and I wouldn't need to access the light from within the actual center console which I believe is blocked by the safe.

Got it, might as well do all three options then - thanks for the answers.

 

[bmwhitetx]

OK thanks again, I read in the thread that someone else has the console vault like I do...I assume then we're only accessing the light connection point from within the opened center console (after trim removal) for harness tie-in and I wouldn't need to access the light from within the actual center console which I believe is blocked by the safe.

Got it, might as well do all three options then - thanks for the answers.

Correct, - you basically unplug the connector going to the console light - and plug that into the new harness. It has a connector to plug back into the console light. At some point in 2023 I believe the cutout for the media bin was no longer there and if so, you have to cut your own rectangular opening.

Also you might want to skim the ICE thread on this.There are some issues lately with the cupholder part now not coming with LEDs. Warning - their thread is 102 pages but they have a lot more activity on this mod and thus more current information.

 

[digitaldad]

Bah, I read so much where it seemed to go towards the good sign that they were all coming with them now. OK, will do.

 

[bmwhitetx]

Bah, I read so much where it seemed to go towards the good sign that they were all coming with them now. OK, will do.

Yeah, the issue is that some cupholders don't have the leds which is part of a harness assembly. But it's just an additional part and only needed if the cupholder part is missing it.

Keep in mind there are two led/harness types - one is the just blue which is what you want. But a a lot of the ICE guys are changing out everything (cupholder, footwell, doorpanel) to be color-changing. To do that the blue led harnesses are removed and replaced with color changing led harness. It uses a different connector.

You can post there or ask John if anything is unclear. He is very helpful. I bought my harness from him.

I posted a thread on the color changing ambient lighting mod here (I have not done it):
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/color-changing-ambient-lighting-mod.22295/

 

[digitaldad]

Yeah, already in touch with John on harnesses. Sticking with the default blue, that's the color I had put in my Model Y (albeit different shade).

Sponsored