How to install led door handles 2nd gen expy(03-06)

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WHOISMOOTOO

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OK I KNOW IVE BEEN SAYING ILL POST THIS FOR A WHILE SO HERE IT IS
FIRST I ORDERED MY 3 LED STRIPS FROM EBAY (x4=ALL 4 DOORS)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-x-...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27b4e51952

it was around $11 for all 4 shipped, it takes 2 weeks to arrive(comes from hong kong) if you want it sooner then it will be more expensive to purchase it from the states or autozone about $10 for 2 strips.

next step is to have tools handy if you dont have a set of those torx keys or screw drivers, get one! anything you do on your truck you will need them!!

torx set
flat tip + cross tip screwdriver
high temp hot glue gun (or gasket sealant if your cheap)
7/16 wrench and socket
at least 5" extension
7mm socket
electrical tape
18 gauge wire
drill w/ 5/16 drill bit (or big enough to drill the hole for the bulb you bought)
*knife
roughly 2-3 hours (if you never removed your panels before)

**************************************make sure your windows are all the way up at this time*******************************************

identify the power source, i wanted them to turn on when i hit the unlock button. ive got the eddie bauer with the courtesy lights under the side mirrors so thats what i tapped into. if you dont have them on your trucks find another 12v source or possibly run them straight to the battery with a toggle switch (this way wont turn them on when you hit the unlock button)

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fold the mirror forward till you can locate the torx screw (dx10) once you remove it then move the mirror so you can see the clip that holds the turn signal lense to the mirror housung

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push the clip down and the outer side of the signal lense will drop out then there is a tab that holds the inner side in place pull down and away from the vehicle.

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z168

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that is awesome! post more pics of the install
 

GAINMOB

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i'm going to do this one of my free weekends in alabama...
 
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WHOISMOOTOO

WHOISMOOTOO

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ok nets back up, now im cooking with oil lol!

once you have the turn signal in your hands identify which set of wires go to the courtesy light (this is a good time to install leds here too if you want bulb size t10) once you do tap into the wires i just shave a little bit of the plastic off of the wires and make the connestion there i dont like to use the pre fab connectors that cut into the wires i have had too many of these break the main wire in the past.

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once you do wire in your 18gauge wire to the positive and negative wires then make sure to tape them up good using the electrical tape or the butt end connectors i just used tape. as seen above

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now its time to remove the door panel
1st step is to remove the cover that hides the 2 torx screws that hold in the panel to the door itself (behind the actual grab handle of the door panel)

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next is to remove the cross-tip screw on the outer edge of the door panel

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and finally remove the 2 7mm screws that hold the bottom of the panel to the door.

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now that this is complete its time to remove the door panel itself

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slightly rotate the door panel toward the vehicle towards the vehicle to remove the manual door lock from the upper potrion of the panel next carefully slide the door panel away from the door guiding it around the door handle then disconnect the power window connector from the bottom of the switch

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all 4 door panels come off the same way with the exception of the drivers door panel it simply has more connections under the arm rest and the mirror control plug
 
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WHOISMOOTOO

WHOISMOOTOO

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once that is complete now lets look into peeling back the liner, do this with a pearing knife if available or you can use a steak knife carefully. there is a foam "gasket" that holds it into place peel back and carefull cut (it will re-seal itself when the door panel is re-installed) once you peel it back about halfway

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run the wires through the inside of the mirror housing untill you can see them come thru the inside of the door itself

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once you do pull them thru then you can re-install the turn signal housing

(im sure you dont need a pic of this)

remove the door handles. they are secured with 2 7/16 nuts they are extremely hard to reach in 2 rear doors!! this is why the extension is needed but if i can do it im sure anyone can

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once you get the nuts off its a good idea to have a magnetic retriever handy because since there so akward to get to they might fall into the door itself

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pull out on the handle as if your attempting to open the door then lift the entire handle assembly up then out, keep in mind the connecting rod that acutally opens the door is still attached to the handle its pretty sturdy just take care not to bend this.once you have removed the handle assembly from the door itself, disconnect the rod from the handle theres a green clip that holds it in place.

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if you havent decided where you want to position your lights then you need to do so now. originally i wanted to go with the center of the handle but once i pulled them off then i decided to go slightly higher to minimize the chance of getting any water into the door. another thing is to make a template of some sort it looked good from the back but the front slightly out of line i free handed the entire thing. connect your lights to the wire leads from the courtesy lights.

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install your lights put the lights into the drilled holes and using a high temp hot glue gun place 2 coats of glue on the back of the lights make sure it covers it completely so no water gets through. once the glue dries make sure to pull the handle as your opening the door to make sure the handle moved freely without hitting the lights

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re install the rods that connect the handle to the locking mechanism then rre-install them to the door itself. this is by far the hardest step.aligning the nuts to the door handle itslef and tightening the nut

run the wires to the rear doors. connect a second set of wires to the wire leads and tape them off. make sure you put spots of glue along the wire to the outside part of the door frame so that when the window comes down it will not hit the wire.


run the second set of wires thru the opening where the factory wires go to the truck body itself

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this pic is just for the concept run the wire thru the plastic tubing then into the truck once you do this your done with the front doors you can go ahead and re install the front door panels.

to do so just align all 3 of the bottom hooks then open the inner door handle feed it thru the door panel and slightly lift up on the outer side of the panelto slide the manual lock in the hole once this part is done press in on the door panel and slide down its might take a few trys but this is normal, if theres a gap in the outter edges all of the hooks are not hooked and they are bending pull it off straighten the hooks and re-try. replace teh torx screws first then the 2 7mm bottom bolts and then the cross tip screw. after this make sure to clean off your door panel because it will be dirty fabuloso or 409 works good then put on protectant after. just my techniques

this should take you through the process of installing the lights in the front doors
 
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WHOISMOOTOO

WHOISMOOTOO

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now remove the kick panels the can be popped off with a swift pulling motion, next pull up on the plastic step panel and pull off the bottom weather stripping (black rubber piece)

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run the wire back to the pillar where the bottom end of the seatbelt connects to. that panel will just come loose not be removeable so just pop it loose like the other panels

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now run the wire lead up and thru the same plastic tubing like the front door. run the wire along the inside (outer portion of door assembly) of the door and spot glue the wire all the way to the door handle itslef. connect the lights then repeat the drilling of teh holes and glue the lights in place with the hot glue gun. reinstall the handles and door panels and your good to go. bling bling

post pics of your finished products if you have any questions please ask i know ive asked hella questions on here and had answers the same day! good luck to all that do this mod

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NC-Expy

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that's pretty awesome man... if isn't too costly I'd like to try and do something like that with my expedition.
 

reg442

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Well of course i stealing another good idea. lol just did it to the driverside door just to get an idea and here is what i got so far.. and i'm going to try and tap into the harness inside the door for power i will let you know what i find. also i got these lights from auto zone normally 20 bucs but they had them on the discount table so i got them for 8 bucs.. sorry for the poor pics but i still can't find my real camera.. all i got to take pics is a old my touch 3g..
 

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