Decorating rooms and workstations with various lights has become a common practice. LED strip lights for decorating your car’s interior are also becoming a popular idea recently. So, I will let you know how to wire LED strips to a car battery.
Due to the affordability and simplicity, strip lights have become an easy solution to all your decorative dilemmas. In cars, these strip lights improve the attraction towards the car’s interior. It also ensures better visibility inside the car.
Wiring the LED strip lights to a car battery is relatively easy and requires only a few simple steps. Stay with me till the end of the guide, and we will dive deep into the steps and discuss a few relevant factors.
5 Steps To Wire LED Strip Lights To A Car Battery
There are quite a few steps that must be followed when it comes to wiring the lights. Even though the procedure is simple, you must pay attention to the steps. Let us look at how to wire LED strip lights to a car battery.
Step 1: Disconnect The Negative Cable
The first step of wiring LED strip lights is disconnecting the negative cable connected to the car’s battery. Use a wrench, pull the cable off the battery, and place the strips in the appropriate position.
Step 2: Set Up The Wires
Connecting the lights to both the positive and negative terminals of the battery is essential to ensure a proper connection. After disconnecting the negative cable, take the power wire of the LED strip lights and connect it to the battery’s positive terminal.
Take a second piece of wire as the ground wire of the lights and bring it closer to the battery. However, ensure that this wire does not come in contact with the battery’s negative terminal.
Step 3: Strip The Wire Insulation
Once the wires are set up successfully, the next step is to strip the insulation off the wires. Take the power wire of the ribbon and strip off the insulation from both ends, revealing the copper wire inside.
Connect one end of the wire to the positive terminal of the car battery and the other end to the longer lead or positive terminal of the LED strip lights. Then, strip off the insulation of the second wire, which is the ground wire.
Step 4: Connect The Ground Wire To The LED Wire
After stripping off the insulation of the ground wire, connect one end to the negative terminal of the lights. Leave the other end of the wire as it is and do not connect it to the negative terminal. This is because the circuit will be complete if the wire connects to the negative terminals.
Cut the ground wire about 15 inches from the battery and strip the insulation off. The measurement can be slightly different depending on the placement of the LED strips.
Step 5: Light The LED Strip Lights
Connect the remaining end of the ground wire to the car battery’s negative terminal properly. Set up the ribbons correctly inside the car according to your preference and secure the strip light in place. Check the lights and make sure that they are functioning perfectly.
5 Benefits Of Wiring Led Strip Lights To A 12V Car Battery
There are quite a few benefits that come with wiring LED strip lights to a 12V car battery. One of the top benefits is that it saves energy, saving money on electricity bills. Let us look at the benefits it offers and how it helps us.
1. Saves Money On Electricity Bills
When it comes to using LED strip lights or any other lighting source, it typically costs a decent amount on the electricity bills. However, the advantage of wiring lights with a car battery is that you do not have to worry about the electricity bill.
The LED strip lights use energy from the car battery to operate and do not rely on any other energy source. There is no need to pay any money for using the lights other than the cost of replacing the car battery. Not only that, but they have a negligible impact on the car’s battery.
2. No Manual Operations
Once the LED strip lights are successfully connected to the car’s battery, they operate automatically when the battery turns on. This prevents the hassle of manually turning them on and off. You won’t have to unplug or plug the lights every time you get in or out of your vehicle.
3. Improves The Car Interior
Decorating or making the car’s interior attractive and eye-catching is tricky and usually costs a lot of money. A significant advantage of wiring these strips to a car battery is that it allows you to give the car’s interior a new look.
4. Enhances Visibility
LED strip lights allow other cars to quickly spot the vehicle from a distance on the road. Since the lights are not reflective, they do not bother the visibility of other people. Not only that, but it will also allow you to see the car’s interior better.
5. Long-Lasting and Environmentally Friendly
The LED lights last longer, with a typical running time of 40,000 hours. This means there is no need to worry about replacing the lights often. On top of that, these lights are environmentally friendly, meaning they will not negatively impact the car or the environment.
Things You Need To Remember When Wiring The Led Strip On A Car Battery
When it comes to wiring ribbon lights on a car battery, there are a few things that you must keep in mind. Here, we will discuss the factors every car owner must consider while connecting to a car battery.
- Do Not Use Fully Charged Car Batteries
While wiring LED strip lights to the car battery, ensure it is not fully charged. If you have recently replaced the battery of the car, wait a few days or weeks for the charge to drain slightly. The lights can explode if connected to a full battery, causing damage and burns.
- Take Proper Precautions
Accidents can happen anytime; nothing beats the importance of taking proper precautions. Before establishing a connection between the lights and the car battery, wear appropriate protective gear. Make sure you put protective eyewear on and wear gloves to avoid burns.
- Understand The Procedure
One wrong step can cause significant damage to the ribbons and the car’s battery. If you are wiring the lights to the car battery all by yourself, ensure that the steps are followed accurately and understand the process correctly.
Do not forget to consider safety and wear proper protective wear. However, if you do not have appropriate knowledge about the car battery, take help from a car expert or mechanic.
Related Questions:
How Do You Connect LED Strip Lights To 12-Volt Batteries?
Connecting LED strip lights to 12-volt batteries is relatively easy; you must follow a few steps properly. Set up the power and ground wire and strip off the cables’ insulation. Connect one end of the power wire to the battery’s positive terminal and the other end to the light strips.
Move to the other end of the lights and connect one end of the ground wire to the remaining end. Wire the other end of the ground wire to the battery’s negative terminal, and Voila! The ribbons are now connected successfully.
Can You Connect The LED Strip Directly To The Battery?
Whether the LED lights can be connected directly to a battery or not depends on the size or battery voltage in use. The connection can be direct if you connect the LED strip lights to low-voltage or household batteries. Batteries suitable for direct links include AA, AAA, C, etc.
However, a direct connection cannot be established without talking about 12V car batteries. The reason behind this is that the power from the battery can cause the lights to explode or burn out.
How Do You Wire An LED To A 12-Volt Battery?
Wiring a 12V battery to an LED strip light requires a few steps. First, set up the wires and safely strip off the wires’ insulation. Join one end of the stripped power wire to the positive battery terminal and the other to the longer strip light lead.
Connect one end of the second wire to the shorter lead of the light and the other to the car battery’s negative terminal. Check the lighting and make sure the connection is secured. Do not forget to take the necessary precautions.
How Do You Hook Up LED Light Strips To The Battery?
Establish a successful connection between the lights and the battery by completing a proper circuit. If you are working with low voltage batteries such as 1.5 volts, then connect the ends of the strip light power wire to the positive and negative terminals of the battery.
However, the process is different if you work with high-voltage batteries, such as a 12V car battery. In such cases, a power wire, LED strip lights, and a second wire are required to form a proper connection from the positive terminal to the battery’s negative terminal.
How Many LEDs Can A 12V Battery Power?
A 12V battery typically can power four LED lights of 3V each. When the circuit is complete, the voltage will be distributed if four 3V LED lights are connected to a 12V battery in series. This means that each LED light will receive 3V.
However, if you connect the four 3V LED lights in parallel, the battery will receive 12V to each LED light. Lights attached to the battery in a parallel connection will light brighter than the lights receiving 3V each due to the voltage difference.
What Happens If You Connect An LED Directly To A Battery?
Connecting an LED strip light directly to a low-voltage battery will work perfectly. It is also safe to use as the battery’s low voltage does not cause any harm or burns to your skin. However, the result is different if an LED is directly connected to a high-voltage battery.
If a 12V LED light strip is connected to a 12V battery, it easily causes the lights to burn out and stop working. It can also result in the lights exploding when connected. High-voltage batteries can also electrocute you if proper precautions are not followed.
Final Verdict:
LED strip lights are a great way of decorating homes, gardens, vehicles, and everything. Turn your car into an eye-catching ride by decorating it with LED strip light. We have reached the end of the guide, and I hope you now know how to wire LED strip light to a car battery.
While wiring the LED strip light to the car battery, ensure the proper safety precautions are followed. Take help from this guide and follow the steps properly to ensure a safe and successful lighting connection.
