I just wanted some neon-type lights around the footwells that I can control. The reason I don't like the factory ones is because
a) They fuction with the door
b) They aren't as bright as I would like them to be

I'm going to see if I can mess around with some cold cathode tubes and get them installed.

yep. i wanted to get mine installed like mikeb's... he has them wired to the dome light and on a switch next too the DSC... i dont know if i will take thet iem to get them professionally done, however. but i definately need them controlled.

I am think about hooking up red noens in my front and rear footwells. In my dad's 745i, there are are LEDs in the doors and footwells, and all over the place for that matter. They constantly are on, and look amazing. If you ever get a chance to be in a 745i or 760i at night; you will be overwhelmed at the interior.

would it be hard to have neons under the front seats (for the rear footwells), and somehow wired in the front footwells. Or should I get it done professionally? If so, how much would that cost?

Thanks,

Troy J.

listen all the people saying that the 8 is a ricer is a misunderstanding a ricer from the street racing culture is a CHEAP car with no performance either one or all of the above... stickers, fart cans (loud exhaust) chrome hubcaps, huge wings,

just because the 8 is a j'spec car (japanese) does not mean that it is a "ricer" i happen to know that many show and street racing cars that hold much credibility at the races have neons and stroblights inside their cars such as supra's 3000gt's subaru's mustang's camaro's even classic muscle cars that have them not flaming you just providing info thats all

and as to your ? it is fairly simple to connect your self if you are familiar with electricity i have preformed many installs on honda's mustang's even my own i have 2 strobelights under my dash one on the pass side n one on the drivers side

there are ways to pull the power off the internal part of your cigarette lighter but the best way i think is to run a power line from your battery to a rocker switch n then to your lights i am not familliar with the firewall on the 8 yet but be assured there are holes to run wires through if you live in ny and you want to get it done without paying more than $20 let me know n ill meet up with you n take a look ok? if not i can ask one of my friends to draw out plans n ill scan them n post.....

Alright, let's leave the "rice" discussion out of this.

---jps

where are the pics? i wanna see

i insatlled red street glows in the foot wells as soon as i got my 8... they're on a switch i put in the little tray to the left of the wheel, so i can turn them on and off.... i did this before even knowing that you could get this as an accessory from the dealer

I did the same thing and posted pics months ago

I love this mod ^^^^

Interior footwell lighting
 

I have read the entire thread and have searched a lot without finding any information on where and how the stock footwell lights are connected. Can anyone post instructions and pics on how Mazda does the job? I am not really keen at the idea of doing it differently unless Mazda's way is also a mod (vs plugging into some socket already there for that purpose).

I was thinking about getting some highluminosity LEDs but the neon idea would work the same. On all the time? Not sure if I want that, probably better to have them on when the door is open... but a possible mod could be a toggle switch so you can always decide afterwards.

Any suggestions?

O.K. Look, I'll sum up the the easiest way to Light up your footwells!
Get some 19" neon tubes - $17 to $19 dollars at autozone, advanced, etc...

While at the store, pick up some wire, two colors; black and preferably yellow or red, some line tap connects, two accessory outlets, cigarette lighter type, like the one in your center console, a small rocker switch, and some connects for the back of the rocker switch!

I bolted the cigarette lighters to the underside of the footwells, descretely placed.

The panel that houses your accessory outlet can be removed by prying at the tab opening directly underneath your accessory outlet.

Just above the accessory outlet is just enough space to mount the rocker switch sideways, you have to do some cutting, but it's on what has to be the cheapest part of the car!

I found scoring with an exacto knife the easiest way to cut to the correct size!

Using the line tap connects, tie into the two wires comming off of the accessory outlet, Green is positive, Black is negative. Connect these wires directly to the rocker switch. Then from the rocker switch, through the center console, into the two accessory outlets you previously installed!

Mount your neon tubes directly behind the stearing wheel and behind the glove compartment, you want the light to shine away from you so that the tops of your feet are illuminated! USE ZIP TIES, NO HIDEOUS DRILLING, OR STICKY TAPE! This way you can place them with a much tighter "adhesion" so they never "rattle", or come loose unless you cut them.

Plug the neon tubes into the accessory outlets with the switch in the on position so that the tube would be, theoretically on all the time.

And voilla, turn on the switch in the center console and you should have illuminated foot wells! This is the method I used, and it turned out great, plus I have a total of 3 accessory outlet within the car!

Any questions?:D

P.S. I'm working on pics!:(

Thanks for the detailed description. I actually went to a computer store and purchased a couple of blue cold cathode tubes 6 inches long. They both operate off the same circuit board and are probably even too bright. I cut off the computer connectors and installed a polarized molex connector. All I need to do now, is install the lights where you suggested and find the wires coming from the door lights so I can tap onto them (I will install the mating molex connector here so I can connect and disconnect the mod easily)... although I'd rather find a way where the modification could be removed with virtually NO damage or change to the car's electrical circuit... so I was wondering whether hunting for the right connection in the fuse box could be a way to go.

Does anyone have any information on the looks (colors) and position of the wires that go to the door lights? Anyone have an idea whether I could use the fusebox as my connection point? If so, which fuse? (Sorry I haven't taken anything apart yet, I may be asking questions with an obvious answer).

Last question... how does Mazda consider this mod? Do they make any fuss in terms of warranty coverage?