kurienp
Top Poster
VIP Member
Hello all, participated in the pilot for the "California light mod" - produced by a member on here and available at - https://www.shieldsworkshop.co.uk/
Disclosure: Though I participated in the pilot, I paid for this kit.
What is it:
Primary: It is a small circuit that attached to any of the cabin lights in your Cali to display the state of charge of your leisure batteries.
Secondary: Can make the cali Interior colourful with the coloured lights (more on this later)
How does it perform the function?
When you switch on any light as you would normally do, when the switch is set to ON, for about a second, the light will show the state of charge of your leisure battery by showing either red (low state of charge), yellow or green (good state of charge) and then the light comes on as normal.
Advantages:
The state of the battery is always available to you. When normally you will need to look elsewhere, here the state of your lesiure battery is displayed to you without you thinking twice about it and enables you to take action as needed.
My experience:
The installation is very easy and simple. Installed it, tested it, and forgot about it. Day before, stepped into the van to retrieve some kit and switched on the light. It showed yellow status and then the light turned on. Reminded me that I had to do my monthly plug in to charge the leisure batteries. Absolutely fantastic. I may have not remembered to plug the van in for quite some time otherwise.
A kit that is no nonsense. Does what is says on the tin and works flawlessly and most importantly, integrates into a normal workflow of operations and does not require you to change anything. Now that is what I call a useful device.
The kit:
The kit comes with:
(a) the small PCB
(b) Battery
(c) remote (I don't think I will use this currently, but more on it below)
(d) cable
(e) sticky pad
Image from the site.
Installation:
The installation instructions are to the point, easy to follow and downright simple.
1. Remove the light from its holder
2. Cut the sticy pad and attached it to the small circuit board
3. Stick the PCB board inside the light
4. Connected the wires as per the instruction manual and zip tied the wires to keep it all in once place
and reassembled and installed the light back in place.
That's it. Now when I switch on the light, it flashes green (or yellow, or red) depending on the charge status of the leisure battery and then the light comes on.
Notes:
1. It is very easy to install.
2. It does what it says.
3. In the picture on the site, it shows a van with multicolour light inside. If you need that same effect, then you will need at least 4 kits so that you can install one each in the 4 lights in the cabin area.
4. #3 is the situation in which you will use the remote - to light up the new LED that is on the board to display colours, rather than it lighting up in the usual way. I have two of these kits installed. but that is just to monitor the battery status. I do not plan to use this to create a coloured environment inside the van.
5. If installing only one, I would install it in the light that is right behind the drivers door. This is the light that you tend to switch on first, everytime you enter the van.
6. I did use one as a night light with a warm blue glow and that worked wonderfully.
Anyways, a simple mod that has helped in a good way.
Disclosure: Though I participated in the pilot, I paid for this kit.
What is it:
Primary: It is a small circuit that attached to any of the cabin lights in your Cali to display the state of charge of your leisure batteries.
Secondary: Can make the cali Interior colourful with the coloured lights (more on this later)
How does it perform the function?
When you switch on any light as you would normally do, when the switch is set to ON, for about a second, the light will show the state of charge of your leisure battery by showing either red (low state of charge), yellow or green (good state of charge) and then the light comes on as normal.
Advantages:
The state of the battery is always available to you. When normally you will need to look elsewhere, here the state of your lesiure battery is displayed to you without you thinking twice about it and enables you to take action as needed.
My experience:
The installation is very easy and simple. Installed it, tested it, and forgot about it. Day before, stepped into the van to retrieve some kit and switched on the light. It showed yellow status and then the light turned on. Reminded me that I had to do my monthly plug in to charge the leisure batteries. Absolutely fantastic. I may have not remembered to plug the van in for quite some time otherwise.
A kit that is no nonsense. Does what is says on the tin and works flawlessly and most importantly, integrates into a normal workflow of operations and does not require you to change anything. Now that is what I call a useful device.
The kit:
The kit comes with:
(a) the small PCB
(b) Battery
(c) remote (I don't think I will use this currently, but more on it below)
(d) cable
(e) sticky pad
Image from the site.
Installation:
The installation instructions are to the point, easy to follow and downright simple.
1. Remove the light from its holder
2. Cut the sticy pad and attached it to the small circuit board
3. Stick the PCB board inside the light
4. Connected the wires as per the instruction manual and zip tied the wires to keep it all in once place
and reassembled and installed the light back in place.
That's it. Now when I switch on the light, it flashes green (or yellow, or red) depending on the charge status of the leisure battery and then the light comes on.
Notes:
1. It is very easy to install.
2. It does what it says.
3. In the picture on the site, it shows a van with multicolour light inside. If you need that same effect, then you will need at least 4 kits so that you can install one each in the 4 lights in the cabin area.
4. #3 is the situation in which you will use the remote - to light up the new LED that is on the board to display colours, rather than it lighting up in the usual way. I have two of these kits installed. but that is just to monitor the battery status. I do not plan to use this to create a coloured environment inside the van.
5. If installing only one, I would install it in the light that is right behind the drivers door. This is the light that you tend to switch on first, everytime you enter the van.
6. I did use one as a night light with a warm blue glow and that worked wonderfully.
Anyways, a simple mod that has helped in a good way.
![Comfort Insurance](https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/square20ad20image.jpg"")
