Ambient Lighting Retrofit (Footwell & Storage Tray)

Hi All,

Great forum, thought I would seek some advice!

I’ve done some mods to my C3, and have just got the Diagbox and Lexia system up and running. Always wanted ambient lighting in the car, so I have ordered the small LED that goes in the storage tray under the radio, and will use a boot light as a test for the footwells. However, I have problems! If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it:

1. The wiring connectors for the footwell lights don’t appear to exist. I have found what I assume is the glovebox light connector (not fitted). My handbook gives no mention to footwell lights yet Diagbox reports they are functional?

2. Have found the black connector under the radio for the central LED. Connecting it up and it is very dim. When you turn the ignition on and put the sidelights on, it flashes brightly twice and then reverts to going dim. Cycling through the display brightness option does the same again, 2 bright flashes and then it dims down. Seems an odd response as the wiring it there perfectly?

3. Referencing Citroen Technical data, it mentions that there are configuration options on the BSI menu for “Ambient and Welcoming Lighting”, however the only options I have in Diagbox’s BSI “Lighting and Signalling” menu all relate to exterior lighting, nothing at all is mentioned about interior lighting, am I missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance Citroen Guru’s!!!

Hi rroope

rroope wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2019 9:58 pm 2. Have found the black connector under the radio for the central LED. Connecting it up and it is very dim. When you turn the ignition on and put the sidelights on, it flashes brightly twice and then reverts to going dim. Cycling through the display brightness option does the same again, 2 bright flashes and then it dims down. Seems an odd response as the wiring it there perfectly?

Try connecting a conventional lamp and not an LED to see if you get the correct fade-in fade-out.

I know the LEDs don't handle dimming well at all, where as a conventional filament lamp does very well.

Thanks for the quick reply!

This is the factory LED wired with the exact connector so I’m assuming that’s what is needed?

rroope wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2019 10:46 pm Thanks for the quick reply!

This is the factory LED wired with the exact connector so I’m assuming that’s what is needed?

Ok, it was just a thought. So you have the right light and connected it correctly. That only leaves the driver. I would imagine it's driven by the BSI.

The only other thing I could suggest is updating the BSI software, assuming there is one.

But before all that maybe monitor the actual voltage at the plug to see if it's getting voltage you would expect to see for the ambient lighting.

Is it possible to do a BSI update as I don’t have access to the PSA servers (offline Diagbox).

I just find it odd that all of Citroen Technical documentation references the options in the Config menu of the BSI, yet it doesn’t appear for me? I even put my software back a few versions and nothing.

Going to try and hunt down the footwell light connectors but the lack of them being mentioned in the handbook for the 2014 model makes me wonder if they were deleted? Yet my BSI says they are functional?

Problem I have is do I put the car back together with this (currently useless flashing) light in?

Hi Guys,

If anyone is interested, I managed to work it out. The feed to the ambient light (small black connector behind the storage tray) is load specific. I have a 64 plate which used the orange bulb from the factory, however I ordered the white LED from Citroen as it was far cheaper.

I then wired in parallel 2 LED footwell light units and a small 5W load resistor in series. Long and short of it, the blinking stopped and now I have the full ambient lighting package, all 3 lights also adjust with the instrument cluster for brightness so it looks and functions as a factory fit option

Hi!
New to the forum, and been planning to the same thing to my wife’s c3. I can tell there are pre made “cutouts” for the footwell lights but don’t get where the center light for the storage compartment under the radio is supposed to be.

I have no need to use leds since it’s mainly for practical purposes I plan to install it. Could I do without the center light and just install the 2 footwell lights on either side? And if so, where should I connect them?

Do you have part numbers for what you used, I’m assuming you bought them from dealership?