2010 OEM Foot Well Light Install
- Thread starter Gbcue
- Start date
fateexceeds
Contributor
I just installed the kit myself tonight. It took me about two hours, and I took my good old time and got interrupted by my 3-year-old son a few times - you could probably do it in an hour without interruptions.
There is a wiring harness that needs to be run from the driver side through the center console to the passenger side, but it is very quick and easy - once you feed it in the right spot, you can easily see it and grab it from the passenger side.
The hardest part was removing the OE plastic spot lamp bracket from the frame tube above the brake pedal (which needs to be removed because it occupies the space where the LED bracket gets attached) - it was only difficult because the screw holding it in place faces the front of the car, so I had to grope around blindly with the screwdriver to get it lined up with the screw.
The other slightly difficult part was attaching the quick connector to the wire in the fuse box, and it was only difficult because I had trouble getting my fingers in around the other wires.
Other than that, it's surprisingly easy, especially since the other connectors (to the switch and the LEDs) are plug and play. The switch was the easiest thing to install, and I was pleasantly surprised that it's a dimmer switch (I was expecting just an on/off switch).
Here's a quick iPhone pic of the final result, on full brightness:
Attachments
Did this some time ago and this was extremely easy, but do agree with fateexceeds that the driver side plastic removal was a pain, but when you decide to destroy it, very little time was wasted.
I did take a little extra time and painted the chicken pox plates at the same time.
Z
I did take a little extra time and painted the chicken pox plates at the same time.
Z
fateexceeds
Contributor
Did this some time ago and this was extremely easy, but do agree with fateexceeds that the driver side plastic removal was a pain, but when you decide to destroy it, very little time was wasted.
I did take a little extra time and painted the chicken pox plates at the same time.
Z
looks good!
bikerboy2182
Member
- :
- 2010 mazdaspeed 3 blue
where do u get these light kit?
Alcohol1511
Member
- :
- 2011 Mazdaspeed 3
Looks good guys. I will do this to my car as soon as I get it back.
fateexceeds
Contributor
I bought mine from www.partsformymazda.com, which is the retail branch of a Mazda dealership in New Mexico, and it cost $125 for the kit (I believe MSRP is $200).
Last edited:
fateexceeds
Contributor
No, the lights are always on, and the kit includes a dimmer switch, which you can see in ZPrice's picture above.
Hschlick84
Member
- :
- 2010 Mazda 3 Sport 5-door
Think I'm gonna buy this once tax money comes.
fateexceeds
Contributor
no, I paid $125, and it would've cost much more than $20 to fab it considering the kit includes all the wiring, mounting brackets, plug-and-play connectors, and dimmer switch. was it a bit expensive? sure, it's an OEM kit, but knowing that it would work perfectly with my car without jury rigging anything was worth the extra expense to me.
I did this mod for around $20 give or take for the lights, wiring, connectors, fuse, etc...I used two led light strips from Ebay and hard wired them to the battery with an inline fuse to the switch and then power from the switch to the lights and everything to ground of course. I first tried the blue look and a blue light up switch, but recently switched to red lights and a red switch to match the OEM dash back-lighting. I added a few pics that I had saved on my computer.
Blue:
Red:
The piece holding the switch will be finished off better someday, I just need to find something that will hold the switch and fit in that gap. I'm fine with that for now though
Blue:
Red:
The piece holding the switch will be finished off better someday, I just need to find something that will hold the switch and fit in that gap. I'm fine with that for now though
Alcohol1511
Member
- :
- 2011 Mazdaspeed 3
That looks good. I have a question though how did you paint those trim prices in red
I just took the stock dash pieces out and painted them with Krylon Fusion plastic paint. I've seen others use vinyl to cover the dash pieces, but this is what I've used in the past and it works pretty well.
Alcohol1511
Member
- :
- 2011 Mazdaspeed 3
How did you get the vents to come out
if you just yank on the vents they come out pretty easy, painting the ring was a pain though because I couldn't separate the ring piece from the actual vent, so I had to tape the black part up and paint the silver ring red.
Alcohol1511
Member
- :
- 2011 Mazdaspeed 3
Thank you
