I know this DIY is for an ISx50 but im pretty sure the 3GS's are pretty close to the 2IS's so I just wanted to share this with all you GS guys and gals!

Just a warning...this mod is not an easy one to do it yourself. It takes time and patients because if everything does not go back together properly, you could have a serious problem. For example, not getting the handle set in properly and the handle not work after shutting the door or getting the cables backwards and shutting the door. There are alot of things that can go wrong but for the do-it-yourselfer's this is a very cool mod!

Est. time of completion: 4 to 6 hours

Materials needed:

• 4 LED's that will work on 12V
• 20 to 30 feet of 24 guage wire
• Wire connectors
• Electrical tape
• Masking tape
• Heat shrink tubing
• Water resistant glue or silicone

Tools needed:

• Wire cutter/stripper
• Flat head screw driver
• Phillips head screw driver
• razor blade
• Power Drill
• Appropriate size drill bit
• 4mm Allen Wrench
• Marker
• Stiff wire

STEP 1: Removing Door Panel

A. To remove the door panel first make sure the window is rolled down. There are two (2) screws and eight (8) pop pins holding it in place. To get to the screws, remove the switch panel (shown in fig. 1) and the interior handle back plate (shown in fig. 2). To properly remove the switch panel, pull up on the edge and the two pins towards the front and rear of the panel should easily pop-up, then unplug the wiring plug(s) on the bottom side of the panel. To properly remove the interior handle back plate, with your fingers or carefully with a flat head screw driver, pull out on the rear part of the plate (next to the lock indicator) and it should pop off easily.

fig. 1

fig. 2


B. After removing both screws with a Phillips head screw driver, there are eight (8) pop pins still holding the panel in place. To remove these, starting from the bottom of the panel, up out firmly but carefully and the pop pins should pop out. Once you have removed the bottom pop pins, work up the front and rear of the panel. The pop pin holes are shown in fig. 3.

fig. 3


Once all eight (8) pop pins are removed, the inner side of the window seal needs to be removed. To do so, lift straight up on the panel starting from the rear and the seal should slide off the door frame. After this, make sure to unplug the interior panel light and the speaker wires the are attached. Also remove the two (2) cables that are attached to the interior handle and lock indicator.

NOTE: the green cable is for the interior handle only

STEP 2: Remove the Door Handle

NOTE: Before you begin to remove the door handle, make sure to cover the exterior part of the door that is around the handle with masking tape to prevent any accidental scratches to occur.

A.To remove the exterior door handles, first start by pulling back the plastic sheet in the top, back corner on the inside of the door frame. An easy way to do this is to use a razor blade to cut the rubber sealent as your pulling the plastic back.
Once the plastic is pulled back far enough, unplug the wire connector and loosen the bolt on the front part of the handle (shown in fig. 4). The bolt is a large star bolt. To remove this, I used a 4mm Allen wrench.

NOTE: screw will not fall out

fig. 4


B. After loosening the front screw, move to the exterior door handle and carefully remove the rear over with the key in your key fob or a flat head screw driver. There is a slot in the bottom of the plastic cover where the key or screw driver goes.
C. Next, move to the back part of the door (inside the door gap) remove the round plastic cover with a flat head screw driver. An easy way to do so is to push in on the middle of the cover so that the edge lifts up enough for the screw driver to slide under it. After removed, loosen the screw that is behind it (shown in fig. 5). This screw also can be loosened with a 4mm Allen wrench.

fig. 5


D. Once this screw is loosened, the rear part of the handle (where the key slot is on the drivers door or the black cover on the passenger door) can be slide out of the door.
E. After the back part of the handle is removed, the main part of the handle is ready to be removed also. To do so, carefully slide the handle towards the back part of the door until you hear a click. Then rotate the back part of the handle out towards you while guiding the front part out of the door. After removing the handle, if the plastic gaskets fall off, replace them back on the door (shown in fig. 6).

fig. 6


STEP 3: Preparing Door Handle

A. To prepare the door handle for the mounting of the LED, you first have to remove the plastic backing to the handle. To do so, first remove the two (2) screws on either end of the back part of the handle with a Phillips head screw driver (shown in fig. 7).

fig. 7


B. After these screws have been removed, using a flat head screw driver, pull out both sides of the back cover on the front part of the handle (looks like a cross in fig. 8). Once removed, pull up on the front part of the back cover to pop off the cover in the middle part of the handle.

fig. 8


STEP 4: Mounting LED

A.To mark the hole for drilling, place a piece of masking tape on the front part of the cover. With a marker, mark where the hole is to be drilled. The place in the handle with the most room the the LED is in the front bend of the cover where it is the thinnest (shown in fig. 9). To mark the hole in this part, turn the cover to where you are looking at it from the side and with the marker, line it up with the thinnest part that is seen from the back. After this spot if marked, turn the cover back where you are looking at it from the front and mark the spot where it is in the center of the cover from side to side if it is not already.

fig. 9


B. Drill an appropriate size hole in the cover to match the diameter of the LED or LED holder. The LED I used was bought from Superbrightleds.com and is made for a 12V application (shown in fig. 10). The LED came ready to go with the resistor in place, heat shinked, 30 inches of wire already attached, and the LED Holder.

fig. 10


C. After hole is drilled, push the Holder or LED into the hole (shown in fig. 11).

NOTE: I recommend a holder due to the professionalized finished look and the stronger mounting in the cover.

Fig. 11



D. After LED is pushed into the cover, with water resistant glue or silicone, fully surround the back part of the LED to the cover for a water tight seal. This will also hold the LED firmly in place.

STEP 5: Replacing Door Handle

A. To put the back cover back on the handle, start towards the rear part of the handle and pop the cover back into place. Make sure that the wires from the LED go around the screw hole in the front part of the handle.
B. Once back cover is back on, feed the LED wires throught the front hole in the door for the door handle, and rotate the front part of the handle in.

NOTE: DO NOT force the handle into the hole. This might cause damage to the handle or the door skin.

C. Once the handle is rotated all the way around, the back part of the handle needs to be slid forward. This is kind of tricky and needs to be done correctly for the door handle to operate the door latch properly. Before sliding the handle forward into place, there is a lever that needs to be pushed outwards over the part of the handle that is inside the door. This lever can been seen from the hole in the back part of the door in the door gap area. To do so, reach your hand into the door and push the lever (zinc plated and goldish color) outwards and push the handle forward so that the handle will engage the lever when the handle is pulled out (door opening action).
D. After the handle is under the lever, the back part of the handle can be slide back in and the screw in the back door gap can be screwed back in. Also tighten the front screw that is inside the door back into hold the front part of the handle back in place, and plug the wire connector back into the wiring harness.

STEP 6: Wiring

A. The LED's need to be wired into the puddle lights in the side mirrors. The wires running to the puddle lights can be found on the front part of the door. The pair of wires that need to be tapped into are yellow wires (shown in fig. 12).

fig. 12


B. To run the LED wires to these yellow wires, follow the wiring harness from the handle to the yellow wires.

CAUTION: Make sure to run the wires where the window will not pinch or cut them.

C. The rear door handle LED will also be wired into the two yellow wires in the front door. To run the wires from the back to the front, you will need to remove the front and rear lower door seal plates and the B pillar plastic. After the B pillar plastic is removed, used a flat head screw driver to remove the blue cover that is covering the wire connector to the back door. After removed and the connector is unplugged, push the rubber hose that runs from the pillar to the door out from either side.
D. Using a stiff piece of wire (I used a piece of welding rod) carefully guide the wire through the rubber hose from the door to the pillar, making sure not to harm any of the wires that are already inside the rubber hose. Once through, using electrical tape, securely fasten the 24 guage wire to the door side of the stiff wire and carefully pull the stiff wire and 24 guage wire though the rubber hose making sure not to loose the 24 guage wire inside the hose. Once through, run the 24 guage wire down the B pillar, along the wiring harness to the front part of the front door.
E. I could not find a way to get to the rubber hose on the front door so I used heat shrinking tubing and ran the wire separatly from the cab to the door.
F. Once the wire is in the front door, wire in with the yellow puddle light wires.

NOTE: If the wires from the LED are not connected to the right puddle light wires, the LED will not light up. If this occurs, switch the LED wires around on the yellow wires, then it should light up. Make sure to check this before you finalize your connections.

Repeat all Steps for the other three (3) doors or how ever many necessary.

Rear door differences

Removing door handle:
A. On the rear doors, the handle is removed alittle differently. To get to the back screw that holds on the back part of the exterior handle, you will have to remove the rear plastic door gap covering and remove the three (3) screws that hold in the door latch. Also unplug the wiring connector on the back part on the inside of the door. Once all removed, push the latch in and it will fall down alittle, uncovering the screw for the back part of the handle through the latch hole. Then proceed as normal steps direct.

STEP 7: Finishing

After all the wiring is ran and door handles are replaced, make sure that all the screws are tightened. With all the windows down, check all four (4) doors to make sure the exterior handles funtion properly. Also check the remote locking and unlocking to make sure that works properly.

Once everything is working properly, you can replace the B pillar covers, door sills, and door panels.

To replace door panels, start by reconnecting the speaker wires and lower light wires into the harness connectors. Then reconnect the cable to the interior handle and lock indicator.

NOTE: Make sure to connect the GREEN cable to the handle.

After that, slide the top seal over the door frame. Do this back starting from the front and sliding it forward as you push the door panel down into place. Once the seal is in place, push all the pop pins in so they hold the door panel in. Then replace the two (2) screws and reconnect the wires to the switch panel and put both panels back in place.

STEP 8: End Product



I think this is a really cool and inexpensive modification that can be done. Total cost for me was around $40 with the LED's, shipping, and all the materials.

If you decide to do this to your car, I hope that you do it as careful as possible and that the outcome is as good or better than mine!

Good luck!! and I hope you enjoy!

 

very cool idea, but there is a company in Emeryville that sells this mod and it doubles as the side turn signals. they light similarly to the sill plates. They can be had on eBay or direct and color matched to the car.....

 

oh really? i didnt know that! whats the name of the company? id like to see their product.

 

Way too much work.

 

i agree it was alot of work but i think it gives the car a sweet look when u walk up to it at night and the handles light up! i love mine

 

Nice, thanks. Might have problems with the GS touch sensor though...or it might be even easier by just tapping into its power source!

 

the IS has the touch sensor too and there where no problems with it. im thinking the only differences between the IS and GS would be how u get the door panel off but that might be really minor.

 

This is such a good work. Allow me to point out several issue:
1. We are lucky to have KeyLight Handles, which light up for 90 sec after we unlock the door.(There is a computer micro-chip inside to control)
2. There is a big issue here concerning about "PATENT".
As I know, there is a Patent of the Light-Handle. All the handles lighting will be prohibited due to this Patent, only to the patent owner KEYLIGHT TECHNOLOGY INC. Reference on www.LexusSignals.com
Please visit our web site for more details. All questions welcome!

 

nice post make the GS look hella different

 

Looks nice but the end result doesnt justify all the work and you might have created a few more rattles by doing this

 

I personally thing it is HOT!!! too bad i dynamatted the doors while putting in the mirror blinkers.. looks great however and big ups to you for taking on such a pioneering task!

 

here is how i feel about my 3GS rattles:

 

so basically, you are saying its illegal to modify the door handles to his own taste? its not like he is trying to sell these, just showing people how to do it yourself if they want. these are completely different from what you are selling as well. this is more similar to what bmw has on the e90. you should call bmw and let them know.

props to the op. that looks really good, and I'm very happy to see more DIY modifications showing up around here.

 

No I think he is just saying something like, he has premade handles, others imitate but he has the patent on them or something like that

I think this mod is a very advanced DIY type of mod and if I were to do it, I would probably use the lighted handles that are premade...but again, this is a huge big deal for a small gain IMHO. Makes the LED turn signal thing look like a walk in the park....

 

its not against the law for you to do this mod...its not going against any patant laws because im not trying to sell this. I cant sell it cuz i dont have a ton of handles laying around to do this to.

Im just trying to share this mod with as many people as possible cuz i personally think that this is a really cool looking mod and not very many lexus owners have it.

Im just trying to share