Color changing ambient lighting using Ford OEM parts

[Indica]

I keep checking back for more info here lol. Just got a shipping update for my first set of lights, stoked to enable this ambient lighting!

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[‘21OBX]

All said and done, how much did u spend?

Just south of $300, led’s alone were $115 harness cup holder and cup holder led were $175.

 

[‘21OBX]

Ok now If someone can wire something up to beat to the music that’d be cool.

Aftermarket has you covered for that.

 

[Mad Martigan]

Just south of $300, led’s alone were $115 harness cup holder and cup holder led were $175.

Did you find a good deal on the lights? I was able to get one set for $105.

 

[‘21OBX]

Looks like they went up slightly. You could also try to get with flip on here he works at a dealer and can get us a discount.

 

[Mad Martigan]

Ah! Yes that makes more sense now. $40 for the cup holders for me. But I don’t know people. . Thanks I will check with flip.

 

[‘21OBX]

Ah! Yes that makes more sense now. $40 for the cup holders for me. But I don’t know people. . Thanks I will check with flip.

This was fairway ford I ended up getting the cup holder from the harness guy as we did it know what all was going to be received. It did not come with the lights. It’s an exercise in Patients as I ordered just the front to see if it would work then the a second set after both sets took a month or so to receive.

 

[Mad Martigan]

thanks! I appreciate you doing the legwork and research.

 

[JHForman812]

For anyone wanting to get the color change lights for the cup holders(once I run out of stock I wont be able to supply them anymore) the part number is HC3Z-14A318-E they cost anywhere from 55-65 depending on time of day it seems lol.

 

[Mad Martigan]

Time of day is correct. And do not order form the auction site.

 

[Indica]

Man I’m dumb. Ordered lights to swap out and I never even had footwell lights to begin with. No plugs anywhere to be found. Anyone know if I can wire them in at all for sync capability or am I screwed?

 

[jacobrdoty]

This is awesome. I may do the same and record a video on it. Love the OEM+ part of it!

 

[ssr0822]

Edit this is my experience for my vehicle I cannot guarantee results for your vehicle proceed at your own risk!
Ok first attempt at trying this so I hope you can follow along.

I set out to put the color change ambient lighting in my bronco but did not want an aftermarket setup(yes aftermarket would have cheaper by far)

so I started in forscan in the plain English apim. By changing the ambient lighting type to pantatone and write that gets you the color selection screen

I also found a thread on an f150 thread that said to change a line in the as built apim as just changing the plain English does not let you actually use the options on the color change screen.

That seemed to do the trick so I then ordered some led’s from ford. Here is the list I found and what I ordered.

After a month the first two lights showed up. The drivers side was a simple swap with just having to shave off two guide nubs so it would plug in.

The passenger side factory light has a female end vs the male. I did not get pictures but I swapped the ends so I could plug it in. In the parts list the passenger footwell light may have the correct end but I ordered these particular lights because thewere the identical size/shape for our factory holders.

Once this all worked one of my sons asked are you going to put them back here for us in the back seat too. Well then I looked under the seats.

I’ll be darned if ford didn’t put a rectangle hole the size of the ambient lights built into the plastic under the seat.

I then remembered a post on the ford truck enthusiast forum of a member making and selling ambient light harnesses for the superduty and offering cup holder setups as well. I got in touch with him to make me a harness for the lights under the seats and the cup holders.

After much discussion and measurements he found a cup holder assy that he thought would work.

This part of the project is not for the faint of heart. The cup holder is not a drop in replacement. Many things had to be trimmed on both the underside of the console and on the new cup holder. All 6 mounting posts on the console had to be shortened by 1/4” or more but it was a slow trim test process. I did not get get pics of my cutting the console up. It was tedious to get it to look good. Maybe an hour and a half of work. The cup holder comes with everything except the led’s. The harness guy supplied them as well so I do not have part numbers for the leds themselves. After I received everything it was just a matter of plugging the harness into to where the drivers side light is connected. This harnes extends out from the driver side ambient light connection. Then removing the console and running the wire extensions from the drivers side ambient light under the dash thru the console and then down under the seats. The under seat leds will fit in the rectangle holes without any trimming and if you press firmly will stay. If you want a completely flush fit under the seats minor trimming is needed to the seat plastic. Then you have ambient lights that change color in five locations.

because I added the under seat lights and cupholder lights I’m in this project for near $300. I ended up ordering two seats of the under seat lights. I don’t see a difference from left to right so a guy could order 4 of one and be okay. But it’s all factory led controlled through sync and looks factory. If a guy got the connectors and made his own harness he could probably trim costs down quite a bit.

Edit I forgot a couple pics drivers side led and connector

passenger side

Any chance you would want to make some money and I can pay you to install in my 2022 Wildtrack?

 

[‘21OBX]

Any chance you would want to make some money and I can pay you to install in my 2022 Wildtrack?

Nope no chance at all lol. If a guy is not doing the cup holder it’s really very simple.
Not even sure it’s possible on a ‘22. I’ll find out since my wife just got one.

 

[SpringBreak98]

Really want to do my cup holders, but I absolutely believe I would destroy everything.

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