Illuminated Door Sill Installation video

Thanks for the video! Just installed them on my 2016 F-Sport. Same install process. Only thing I had to do different was cut some of the sheething away from the wires. Mine were completely covered and were not bare wires like in the video.

Took all of 15 minutes to do each side.

I really like the rear door sills since the ones on the car were just plain black plastic.
The fronts I'm sort of on the fence with. I have the metal F-Sport "Lexus" front door sills and I really like how they look. They are a nice dark contrast with the Lexus being black.
With the illuminated ones it's all silver looking so the "Lexus" logo gets lost when it's day time. I'll take pictures here shortly as it gets closer to darkness.

These are definitely much cheaper looking than the standard illuminated door sills that Lexus has for different models. They keep the darker contrast with the logo but they still illuminate. It's ok though.

Very very easy install. Anyone should be able to do this.

Pictures:
F-Sport OEM door sill


Rear blank


New rear door sill


OEM illuminated set but only fronts illuminate


F-Sport top, illuminated below. I personally think the F-Sport looks nicer because of the contrast.


Iluuminated


Iluuminated




-Nigel

MichaelV said:

The ones under $100 are aftermarket ones, such as the one in the videos. The OEM one has one connector that connects to another connector right below the sill when you take it off and is a 1 minute install vs 15 minute.

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Nope, that's not correct. The OEM ones even in the instructions clearly tell you to tap into the two wires under the foot well lighting. There ARE some Lexus models that tap right under the door sill but the CT200h is not one of them (I just pulled the door sill and there is no connector that you speak of. The only place would be the foot well lighting). These are not aftermarket at all. They have lexus part numbers on them. I even compared them to what my dealer had just for kicks because I know someone that works there and we looked together. It is the same.

My wife's NX has the OEM connectors that connect directly to the footwell lighting. My friends previous IS you had to tap into wires per the OEM instructions.

One can however go onto japan auctions and see that there is an aftermarket item that you can solder onto the bare wires that have the oem connector to plug into the footwell lighting. Or you could make it yourself by getting the two connectors. It's the standard two pin connector toyota/lexus use everywhere in the car.

-Nigel

Yep, they will be on when you are driving. That's just how it is. That's how they are wired. If you turn down the brightness of the dial so the footwell lights shuts off then the door sills shut off. However, with the door closed you won't see the illuminated sills at all, so it doesn't matter. You could try wiring them up to the door switch, but I believe its ground switched with Toyota/Lexus, which would then not work with the door sills...etc. IE: You'd spend more time figuring how to make them work than just following their directions on how to wire them.

I will note on my wife's NX since it's tied into the footwell lighting as well and the way the door sill/door is designed you can see the illuminated door sills when you are driving at night. Again, turn the brightness down and they will shut off.

My RCF however is wired into the door switch so that when you open the door, the illuminated door sill turns on. When you shut the door or push the door plunger (to simulate the door is shut/closed), the illuminated door sill turns off and is not always on.

I wouldn't worry about it. Clearly Lexus does it both ways. Follow the OEM directions that Lexus provides, and you will have them installed in 15-20 minutes. It really is quite simple. Nice little tough and at night they are a subtle little perk.

-Nigel

CT400h said:

Cool, thanks.
Found this nice write up for the installation with color pictures.... (looks oem)
Installation Instructions CT200h illuminated door sills
on page 14 one of the checks it indicates...
Press front courtesy switch and ---> The Front door sill light should turn off after a few seconds.
is that how yours work ?
Another idea would be to tap into the puddle lights from the side mirrors, but I will do a straight install like you said.

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Yep that's it exactly. That is OEM. I'm not sure why the other dude chimed in and said it wasn't. Seems weird especially since he has no posts yet his one post on the information is incorrect...lol. Might be a bot. who knows? The door sill light would more than likely shut off when the door is shut and the lights are off via no headlights/interior lights on. So if you open the door during the day and then shut it the door sills would then shut off, since your foot well lighting isn't on. At night when you have your headlights on and the footwell llighting is on the door sill lighting is on.

I'll double check tonight and post up.

Wiring any other way than what they are showing is just going to be way more labor intensive. If you did the mirror, you'd have to take the door panel off (which is easy) but it's just more work overall...etc. Nothing wrong with the how they are doing it.

I get the whole disconnecting the battery, but I didn't in this case. It would have been more time consuming for such a tiny thing. I did shut off my dome light switch so the lights wouldn't be on when I had the doors open in the overhead console panel but other than that, I saw no need to disconnect the battery.

-Nigel