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73 Posts
Disclaimer:
First and foremost, I'm not responsible for any damage you cause to your vehicle. I am very comfortable with electrical projects and am very accustomed to completing wiring tasks like this. If you think this job is too difficult or may cause you problems, contact me and I will give you a hand.
1) There are two ways to wire these lights. You can wire them to the foot well lights, in that case you just need to tap into the 2 wires under the dash. Remove the bulb and socket, and splice the wires into the + and – side of the socket. Use these:
(50) 3M T-Taps/Male Insulated 22-18 Ga Car Audio Alarm Wire Terminals Connectors | eBay
2) This will light the sill treads when the doors are open and will shut off in approx 30 seconds.
3) Using Add A Circuit, (MINI) which you can pick up at any auto store, you will need to add about 2 feet of wire to the end of the Add A Circuit.

Using Add A Circuit, this will keep the lights on only when the engine is running and will shut off when the engine is shut off. I prefer to have them on.
4) If your considering adding some ambient lighting to the foot well, now is the time to do it. These are the ones that I purchased. They come in white, blue, red, amber and green.
12V 15 LED 30cm Car Motor Vehicle Flexible Waterproof 3528 Strip Light | eBay
5) Whatever ones you get please make sure that they are waterproof. I only say water proof as the coating protects the LED chip. If you get a 16 foot roll of LED to wire yourself then go with non waterproof. It’s very difficult to cut the coating off to get to the copper leads to solder wires. Buy at least 2 to 3 extra sets of LED’s just in case you make a mistake or the LED strip may be bad. They are cheap enough to have a few extra.
And or if at some point you might want to add something other 12 volt accessory, ie radar detector, now is the time to at least have an extra wire and leave the ends sealed.
If you want to change your foot well bulbs out to LED’s, these are the ones you need. They come in other colors but be sure of the wattages and pin size.
6PCS Cool White T10 192 912 W5W 5SMD 5050 LED Bulbs for Dome Reading License | eBay
6) Here is the link to the site where I got my plates. It takes about 18-25 days for delivery to the USA.
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT "CHROME" DOOR SILL TREAD PLATES FULL SET OF 4
You have to send a message to him and ask him about the cutout plates, letters and the cost.
7) The cost to have the dealer to install the OEM illuminated sill plates is $1175.00 US, (Labor and material, that’s from my dealer but other parts of the Country might have a different cost, $, +/-) plus tax.
So lets begin!!!
New sill prep.
Take a piece of tape and tape it to the weather stripping.

For the acrylic covering of the letters, I got the letters cut out so they could be inserted into the cutout.

Attach a piece of 220 grit sand paper firmly to a flat surface. Slightly in circles, keep the letters flat and lightly sand to defuse the clear acrylic. Repeat on all letters both sides. Rinse off with water and dry.


You will also have to defuse the flat piece of acrylic that goes on the back of the sill. This piece needs to be ripped to 1 1/8” wide.

Once this is done, proceed with installing the flat stock on the back of the sill plate. Insert the letters into the sill plate to make sure they fit, and then remove.

Place the flat stock in place and secure with some clamps.
Run a bead of epoxy (5 min works well) around the edge of the plate. Let dry for at least 1 hour.

Once it dries, use some WELD ON 4. I did not have any glue at the time of posting. Please review U-tube link below on how to use this glue.
Get it here: Sears.com
DO NOT USE SUPER GLUE TO GLUE THE LETTERS!!!!
Removed the plastic sill trim plate. There are 4 clips that secure the piece to the frame. Work your tool from the seat to the gas pedal and slowly the piece will get loose. When all 4 clips are loose, pry the piece off, set it aside.
You can see now that the carpet has a pre cut out for the OEM pieces. This is where the LED strip will be installed to the frame. A little bit of the carpet will have to be cut out later.


Lay your new sill plate upside down with and mark the front and back edge of the flat acrylic stock to mark the area to be cut out. Also measure from the front seat to the center of the letters, its 1.5 inches.

Cut out the marked area. I am using a metal blade in my jig saw, cut slowly and be accurate on the cut line, just follow the tape…. Drill a hole to insert your blade and cut away…..SLOWLY and ACCURATLLY!!!

***NOTE, I DID NOT SEE ANY EVEIDENC OF ANY PREWWIRE FOR THE OEM PLATES***
You also need to purchase some of this 3m black double sided tape, sold at Lowes or HD. Do not use the tape that is on the LED strip its worthless…

Cut a strip off the roll about 14 inches long and secure each end with a pin to a hard surface.
Peel the white tape off the LED strip and carefully attach/align the edge to the new tape. You can get 2 pieces on the new tape.


Do the same for the other strip. Then take a razor and cut the excess tape off.

Place your LED strip onto the frame, align LED to your lines, do not peel the backing off yet. Temporary secure the LED to the frame with some tape. Cut any carpet as necessary for the LED.

If you are adding some foot well lights, install another new LED strip under the dash, or behind the front seat in the rear for the rear lights.
If you are also adding some lights to the rear seats, here is what I did because there is no solid surface to mount the strip to.
Get some acrylic from the local HD or Lowes. ¼ inch works well. Sand to rough it up using 80 grit paper, rinse off and dry. Buy some 3/16 x ½ inch plastic nut and screws.
Cut the acrylic 5/8 inch wide by 13 inches long. Sand the edges smooth. You won’t be seeing this piece after its install so don’t be to fussy.
Drill a hole about 3.5 inches in from each end. Make sure your screw goes into the hole you just drilled.
Take a felt marker and bend the part of the seat forward and center the acrylic. Mark the holes and drill a hole in the thick felt.
Install the acrylic and tighten the screws up, then install your LED strip to the acrylic.

First and foremost, I'm not responsible for any damage you cause to your vehicle. I am very comfortable with electrical projects and am very accustomed to completing wiring tasks like this. If you think this job is too difficult or may cause you problems, contact me and I will give you a hand.
1) There are two ways to wire these lights. You can wire them to the foot well lights, in that case you just need to tap into the 2 wires under the dash. Remove the bulb and socket, and splice the wires into the + and – side of the socket. Use these:
(50) 3M T-Taps/Male Insulated 22-18 Ga Car Audio Alarm Wire Terminals Connectors | eBay
2) This will light the sill treads when the doors are open and will shut off in approx 30 seconds.
3) Using Add A Circuit, (MINI) which you can pick up at any auto store, you will need to add about 2 feet of wire to the end of the Add A Circuit.

Using Add A Circuit, this will keep the lights on only when the engine is running and will shut off when the engine is shut off. I prefer to have them on.
4) If your considering adding some ambient lighting to the foot well, now is the time to do it. These are the ones that I purchased. They come in white, blue, red, amber and green.
12V 15 LED 30cm Car Motor Vehicle Flexible Waterproof 3528 Strip Light | eBay
5) Whatever ones you get please make sure that they are waterproof. I only say water proof as the coating protects the LED chip. If you get a 16 foot roll of LED to wire yourself then go with non waterproof. It’s very difficult to cut the coating off to get to the copper leads to solder wires. Buy at least 2 to 3 extra sets of LED’s just in case you make a mistake or the LED strip may be bad. They are cheap enough to have a few extra.
And or if at some point you might want to add something other 12 volt accessory, ie radar detector, now is the time to at least have an extra wire and leave the ends sealed.
If you want to change your foot well bulbs out to LED’s, these are the ones you need. They come in other colors but be sure of the wattages and pin size.
6PCS Cool White T10 192 912 W5W 5SMD 5050 LED Bulbs for Dome Reading License | eBay
6) Here is the link to the site where I got my plates. It takes about 18-25 days for delivery to the USA.
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT "CHROME" DOOR SILL TREAD PLATES FULL SET OF 4
You have to send a message to him and ask him about the cutout plates, letters and the cost.
7) The cost to have the dealer to install the OEM illuminated sill plates is $1175.00 US, (Labor and material, that’s from my dealer but other parts of the Country might have a different cost, $, +/-) plus tax.
So lets begin!!!
New sill prep.
Take a piece of tape and tape it to the weather stripping.

For the acrylic covering of the letters, I got the letters cut out so they could be inserted into the cutout.

Attach a piece of 220 grit sand paper firmly to a flat surface. Slightly in circles, keep the letters flat and lightly sand to defuse the clear acrylic. Repeat on all letters both sides. Rinse off with water and dry.


You will also have to defuse the flat piece of acrylic that goes on the back of the sill. This piece needs to be ripped to 1 1/8” wide.

Once this is done, proceed with installing the flat stock on the back of the sill plate. Insert the letters into the sill plate to make sure they fit, and then remove.

Place the flat stock in place and secure with some clamps.
Run a bead of epoxy (5 min works well) around the edge of the plate. Let dry for at least 1 hour.

Once it dries, use some WELD ON 4. I did not have any glue at the time of posting. Please review U-tube link below on how to use this glue.
Get it here: Sears.com
DO NOT USE SUPER GLUE TO GLUE THE LETTERS!!!!
Removed the plastic sill trim plate. There are 4 clips that secure the piece to the frame. Work your tool from the seat to the gas pedal and slowly the piece will get loose. When all 4 clips are loose, pry the piece off, set it aside.
You can see now that the carpet has a pre cut out for the OEM pieces. This is where the LED strip will be installed to the frame. A little bit of the carpet will have to be cut out later.


Lay your new sill plate upside down with and mark the front and back edge of the flat acrylic stock to mark the area to be cut out. Also measure from the front seat to the center of the letters, its 1.5 inches.

Cut out the marked area. I am using a metal blade in my jig saw, cut slowly and be accurate on the cut line, just follow the tape…. Drill a hole to insert your blade and cut away…..SLOWLY and ACCURATLLY!!!

***NOTE, I DID NOT SEE ANY EVEIDENC OF ANY PREWWIRE FOR THE OEM PLATES***
You also need to purchase some of this 3m black double sided tape, sold at Lowes or HD. Do not use the tape that is on the LED strip its worthless…

Cut a strip off the roll about 14 inches long and secure each end with a pin to a hard surface.
Peel the white tape off the LED strip and carefully attach/align the edge to the new tape. You can get 2 pieces on the new tape.


Do the same for the other strip. Then take a razor and cut the excess tape off.

Place your LED strip onto the frame, align LED to your lines, do not peel the backing off yet. Temporary secure the LED to the frame with some tape. Cut any carpet as necessary for the LED.

If you are adding some foot well lights, install another new LED strip under the dash, or behind the front seat in the rear for the rear lights.
If you are also adding some lights to the rear seats, here is what I did because there is no solid surface to mount the strip to.
Get some acrylic from the local HD or Lowes. ¼ inch works well. Sand to rough it up using 80 grit paper, rinse off and dry. Buy some 3/16 x ½ inch plastic nut and screws.
Cut the acrylic 5/8 inch wide by 13 inches long. Sand the edges smooth. You won’t be seeing this piece after its install so don’t be to fussy.
Drill a hole about 3.5 inches in from each end. Make sure your screw goes into the hole you just drilled.
Take a felt marker and bend the part of the seat forward and center the acrylic. Mark the holes and drill a hole in the thick felt.
Install the acrylic and tighten the screws up, then install your LED strip to the acrylic.
