illuminated exterior door handles

I was thinking it'd be useful to light the exterior door handles along with the interior dome lights.

...so that if the interior lights come 'on' when you unlock the car, so do lights in the wells under the outside door handles.

Why?

I live in a rural area and when the interior lights come on sometimes the contrast is too high to see the outside door handles. It's not that hard to guess where they are but if I have a passenger who's unfamiliar... well yeah I'm SUPPOSED to open the door for them but well I thought some light in amber or white would be a nice touch. I would not have to grope, you see.

Have any of you tried to put lights in the door handles?


And oh by the way, anyone find Chrome handles?

Albertj

I've seen this on some newer vehicles, looks great.

That's a great way of modernizing the Riv and keeping the mystery of what model year it really is.

strange....arent tehy standard?
well i buyed a riv...and dont relly know if they all have or not....but...inside have a (green) light on the door handle and same outside.



it's actualy a bit brighter but the foto dosent show the reality so good.

its kinda kool

Not standard to my knowledge.

Probably relatively easy to do.

Albertj

those doorhandles are DA BOMBz

never seen that before, but i'd love to know how it was done.

Timo,
Could you take some close up photos of the door handle lights, so we can see what kind they are.

checked it closer now and took some pictures.
last time when took off the right side door cover then saw it closer inside the door. it seems there is just a small 12V Green led light what was connected whit interijor lights.
so it lights up sametime whit interjor lights as press on remote the unlock button or just open the door.

i think it's very easy to make one.
just get one small 12V led light, some wires and one light holding tube or something....in mine i had those...and inside it was the led light.

guess thats all...shouldent be hard.
1.trill a hole what is the size of the led holding tube or how ever its called.
2.but the led light inside the light holder/tube. but befor you do but some long enaf wires on it whit what u can later connect whit the interjor light.









hope it helps

Thanks Timo,
I have to take my door panels off soon to replace speakers and wires. Now I'll find some green LED's and hook them up.
My car color is green, should look good. If I don't like it after it's done I can just disconnect and leave light sockets in the door handle area.
It appears someone took some time and added lights all over your car, none of these came from the factory that way.
I also like the one lighting your steering wheel controls.

well yes it was strange...even when opened the digital climate controll there where blue lights inside it and red one on the warm air button.
but...dosent riv's rlly have lighted steering wheel buttons?

my dad's boneville SSEi as everything lighted up...

thats what made me thinked it's normal for a american luxery car.

I've got a 1998 with every option available from the factory except chrome wheels and my steering wheel buttons don't light up.
If anyone knows if they should let me know, I might have a wire or bulbs bad.
I haven't had the need to remove the steering wheel for anything so I don't know for sure.I know what I'll do, I can just look at the Factory Wiring Diagram.

Also Timo, if your ordering parts from a US junkyard ask them to include a factory owners manual. Most of the cars that are well taken care of still have manual in the glovebox.

What year Bonnie is that? Looks very cool!

My Rivs Steering wheel controls light up

my steering wheel controls lightup

My wheel controls are backlit, and I have a '95.

it's 1994 i think

well if your steering wheel lights do not light up thn i guess it may have bad connection. should remove the airbag, then open the 1 big nut under it and remove the steerign wheel. under that should be all the connections, what slide along a line and keep connection all the time you turn the wheel. there should be like 4 lines or so. 2 for the steerign wheel buttons signal 1 for horn and 1 or 2 for airbag.
should cleen the lines and later but a litle cover of oil on it.
Should work then. dident do that on the riv. but did it on dodge ram 3500 and after that the buttons worked there.

Thanks for the tips.