Installation Help

Open the hood. The first thing we are looking for is your battery, because that is where this kit gets its power. Once you have found it, find the two places we will attach to: the positive terminal and the negative ground post.

If you have looked around the engine bay and there is no battery, do not worry. On some cars the battery lives in the trunk. When that is the case, there is usually still a positive and a negative terminal in the engine bay, and the harness can attach to those instead.

You are ready to move on when you can point to the exact spot for the red wire and the exact spot for the black wire.

Pick up the wiring harness. This is the part with the relay, the 10A fuse and the on/off switch built in. The button switch's purpose is to prevent battery drainage, and it is the fastest way to turn the kit on/off.

Now the two wires. The red wire goes to the positive battery terminal. The black wire goes to the negative ground post.

Warning: Red goes to the positive post. Black goes to the negative ground post. Stop here and check it twice before you move on.

Give each wire a gentle tug. You are ready to move on when both are tight, neither one moves, and red is on positive with black on the negative ground post.

The Bluetooth controller is the brain of the kit. Everything the lights do comes from here, so this is the part of the story where we slow right down.

Take out the instruction card and find the wiring diagram. The wires from the power harness screw into the controller, exactly as the diagram shows. Then the stripped end of the extension wire screws into the controller too, again exactly as the diagram shows. Do one wire at a time. After each screw is tight, give that wire a gentle tug before you pick up the next one.

Ensure the kit is off or the button switch is red before wiring the controller.

You are ready to move on when every wire matches the diagram, no bare wire is touching the wire beside it, and nothing pulls out when you tug it.

The controller lives in the engine bay, so now we find it a safe spot. Remember our second rule: at least 6 inches from anything hot or moving.

When you have chosen the spot, fix the controller there with the included zip ties or the double-sided tape. Then tidy the harness wiring around it and secure that too, keeping the same 6 inches of space.

You are ready to move on when the controller does not move when you push it, and no wire is hanging loose.

One wire now leaves the engine bay. Take the extension wire that you screwed into the controller and route it down toward the ground, to the front bumper. Keep it 6 inches clear of anything hot or moving the whole way down.

At the end of that wire, plug in the Y-connector. This is the piece that splits one feed into two.

You are ready to move on when the Y-connector is sitting at the front bumper, fully plugged in, with its two open ends waiting for the strips.

This is the part most people want to skip, and it is the part that saves the most trouble. We are going to light the whole kit up now, while the strips are still loose on the ground. If something is wrong, we want to find out before anything is stuck to the car.

Plug the LED strips into the Y-connector. Then turn the on/off switch on.

Take out your phone and download the LOWGLOW app. Open it and pair it with the controller. Turn the lights on, try a few colors, and take a moment to look along every strip.

When you have seen them all working, turn the switch off again. We only need a brief test.

You are ready to move on when every strip lights up and changes color from the app.

The on/off switch is still out in the engine bay, and it cannot stay there. It belongs inside the car with you. This step is very important: the switch cuts all power to the system, and that is what stops the kit from draining your battery.

Look at the firewall, which is the wall between the engine bay and the cabin. We are looking for an existing rubber grommet in it. Pass the switch through that grommet and into the cabin.

Now sit in the driver's seat and decide where the switch should live. It needs to be somewhere you can reach easily.

You are ready to move on when the switch is inside the cabin, within easy reach, and it turns the lights on and off.

Before any backing paper comes off, we plan. Lay each strip on the ground, right below the place where it will be mounted. Start at the front bumper and work your way toward the rear, the same direction the whole install runs.

As you put each strip down, check which way it faces. Ensure the arrows on the strips are pointed away from each other like the instruction diagram.

Now look up at the underside of the car, at each place a strip is going to go. The car will tell you where it is safe. Look for surface scratches. Heavy scratches mean that spot hits the road a lot, and a strip mounted there will get hit too.

So do not mount a strip on a heavily scratched spot.

It is recommended that there is a slight overlap on the front 2 strips in the middle to ensure no middle gaps.

There is one more thing to look for while you are down there. The closer a strip sits to the edge of the bumper, the more light you get and the better the result. Aim for the spot that is close to the edge and free of heavy scratches.

You are ready to move on when every strip has a spot that is close to the edge and clear of heavy scratches.

The adhesive only holds on a surface that is clean and dry, so this part deserves real patience. Wipe each mounting spot with isopropyl alcohol or degreaser. Do not use dish soap, and do not use any other type of soap.

Raw carbon fiber or slick/oily plastic parts do not like to be stuck by double sided tape. Either sand down the area or use an adhesive promoter on the surface, then place the strip.

Then wait. Let every surface dry completely before a strip goes near it.

Here is the moment the whole day has been building to. We begin at the front, as promised.

Recommended to mock up the strip without removing the double sided tape to ensure a proper fit. Once confirmed, remove the double sided tape. Press the strip onto the middle of the front bumper working towards the end. That pressure is what activates the adhesive. Do not over bend strips, they are not liquorice ropes.

Overlap the beginning of each front strip by about 1-2 inches to have no gaps between.

Route the connectors between the fender well either through the liner or anywhere that is not moving, dragging or getting hot.

Side strips are the easiest as usually it is straight.

Rear strips can be the most challenging as the installation spots are more technical. We recommend to everyone to find a place smooth with about 3in away from the exhaust. (6in away from the engine heat)

Once strips are in place, post heat the strips with a heat gun or hair dryer. Warm to the touch, do not overheat the strips. Heat and push your thumb on the strip to ensure a secure bond.

Use the provided mounting tabs and zip ties to secure the connectors/wire to ensure no wind drag will pull down the strips/connectors.

Post heat the mounting tabs as well.

You are ready to move on when every strip is stuck flat along its whole length, nothing is hanging down, and no wire is loose.

Sit in the driver's seat and turn the switch on. Open the LOWGLOW app and turn the lights on. Now get out and walk a slow lap around the car, looking at every strip in turn.

When you have finished, turn the switch off. Make that a habit every time you are done with the lights, because the switch is what protects your battery.

The install is finished when all six strips light up and the switch turns the whole system off.

A strip is peeling or has fallen off. Use a mounting tab and zip tie to secure it up. Post heat the strip again or use an adhesive promoter.

A strip got scraped or damaged by the road. We have replacement strips available on our website. Relocate the strip back a few inches. We don't recommend installing at the same spot unless it was a freak accident.

My battery is draining. If you are only turning off the kit inside of the app, the Bluetooth signal is still searching for a connection, draining your battery. The small light on the switch is not enough to drain your battery overnight. We have our vehicles sit for months with the red light switch on with no issues.

My battery is in the trunk. Look in the engine bay. There is usually a positive and a negative terminal there that you can attach the harness to.

The lights do not turn on. Ensure the fuse is not blown. The most common issue is when someone hooks up the power but, at the end of the harness, the power and ground end up touching. Check the fuse, and check to see if you can connect to the controller. If you cannot, the issue is either power or ground. Rarely a faulty controller.

The app will not pair with the controller. Ensure your Bluetooth is on (this happens way too much), and ensure the button switch is green. Last resort is to delete the app and re-download.

Still stuck? Message us on Instagram at @lowglow.shop or email service.lowglow@gmail.com

Pick up the main harness and look at its three wires.

• Black is the ground. It must connect to clean metal.
• Red is constant power. It has a standard size 10 amp fuse built in.
• Yellow is accessory power.

Both the red and the yellow wire need 12V power, and you have a choice in how you give it to them. The red wire can be hard-wired to constant power while the yellow goes to an accessory fuse. Or both can go to 12V accessory power, which works with no problem.

The circuit tester in your box is how we find the right power, so let us make sure it is telling the truth before we rely on it. Connect the tester to a ground location. Then check that the circuit tester (test light) works by touching it to a known positive power source, such as the car battery.

You are ready to move on when the tester lights up on a power source you trust.

Open your interior fuse box. We are looking at the 10 amp fuses, and we are going to test them twice.

First, with the vehicle off, test each 10 amp fuse. If a fuse lights the tester while the car is off, that fuse has constant power. Do not connect the harness to these.

Second, put the vehicle in accessory mode and test them again. The fuses that were off before and light up now are your accessory fuses. Those are the ones we want for the yellow wire.

You can also look up your vehicle's interior accessory power supply online if you would like a head start.

You are ready to move on when you have found an accessory fuse, and you know which fuses are constant.

Take out the accessory fuse you found. Strip the end of the yellow wire, wrap it around the leg of the fuse, and push the fuse back into its slot.

The red wire needs power too. Hard-wire it to constant power, or give it accessory power like the yellow wire.

Some cars have fuses that are bigger or smaller than the kit's. If that is your car, you will need a fuse tap from an auto parts store. A fuse tap has two slots. The first slot holds the fuse that was already in your fuse box. The second slot is for the ambient kit. To use one, cut and strip the wires, then crimp them to the fuse tap.

Last, connect the black wire to a clean metal ground.

You are ready to move on when the yellow and red wires both have power and the black wire is on clean metal.

Some cars do not have one, and there are ways around it.

• A fuse box in the trunk. You can extend the power harness from the trunk to the dash.
• The cigarette port. You can tap into it with a T-tap crimp.
• The engine bay fuse box. You can power the main controller there from 12V accessory power, then use the sub-controllers for everything else.

Now we prove it. Plug the harness into the main controller. Put the vehicle in accessory mode. A correctly powered main controller lights up at the bottom left data port.

To be certain, plug one LED strip into a port labeled DATA. The strip should light up.

There is one more check. Turn other things in the car on and off, such as the headlights. If the kit turns off when another part of the vehicle turns off, find a different power point.

You are ready to move on when the test strip lights up and stays lit.

Attached to the main harness is a connector labeled button. That is your button switch for the lights. M is for brightness, and holding it for 5 seconds powers the kit off. S changes the solid colors.

Remove the door cards and interior trim as needed for the strip locations you planned.

Each sub-controller harness has two wires, a positive and a negative. There are no fuses on these.

Warning: The sub-controllers are 12V only. They will not work on 5V.

Use the circuit tester to find constant or accessory power at a connector inside the door. The window regulator motor is a good place to tap into. Once you have found a live 12V wire, push the positive wire into that connector.

For the ground, we recommend a door bolt. A separate connector wire also works. Either way, the goal is to keep the positive and negative wires away from each other.

Before you trust any black wire in the door, check it with the circuit tester. A black wire is not always a ground, and some are live power wires.

Warning: Never let the power and ground wires touch while live. Always disconnect the main harness before re-tapping any wires.

You are ready to move on when the sub-controller has 12V power, a solid ground, and its two wires are well apart.

Most modern cars now have connectors that run on 5V, or a Body Control Module that controls how much power a connector will give. If your strip is flashing, glitchy or not working correctly, you are on 5V, or a Body Control Module is blocking the extra power the kit needs.

You have a few ways out. You can extend the power wire between the doors into the cabin and tap power in another area. You can use an extension. Or you can find another connector in the door that is not affected.

Do not put a single panel back yet. Plug the strips into the sub-controller and test them now.

Remember the first rule. The sub-controllers will not turn on unless the main controller is also powered. The main controller and sub-controllers talk to each other through their own transmitter and receiver. It is not Bluetooth, the response is instant, and the range is excellent. One main controller can sync with up to 13 sub-controllers.

You are ready to move on when every sub-controller lights its strips.

The strips are a pressure fit design, which means the trim itself holds them in place.

With the door card removed, look at the back of it. There are usually bolts holding the trim. Unscrew them, or take the trim and open it up. Slide the strip's wire through to the back of the door panel. Slide the strip into the trim, and cut it to size. Then tighten the trim back down onto the strip so it holds with a pressure fit.

Do not over-bend the strips.

The 110cm strip on the dash and the 24cm strip on the center console fit the same way, pressed into the trim locations you chose.

Plug these strips into the main controller. If you need more than one strip on a controller, use the Y splits, up to four strips per controller.

Secure the wiring with the provided zip ties where needed, and tuck each controller somewhere safe. Then reinstall the door cards and interior trim.

You are ready to move on when every strip is held firmly by its trim and every panel is back on.

Put the vehicle in accessory mode, or start it. Open the LOWGLOW app. Check that every zone responds in the app.

The install is finished when the dash, the center console and every door light up and answer to the app.

The sub-controllers will not turn on. Check the main controller first. If the main controller has no power, the sub-controllers will not turn on even when they are wired correctly.

My strips do not light up. It is most likely a power or ground issue. Try a different power or ground location and test again.

A strip is flashing or not working correctly. That connector is 5V, or a Body Control Module is blocking the power. Extend the power wire into the cabin to another area, use an extension, or find a different connector.

A strip only lights up part of the way. The controller is not sending enough pixel power. Open the LOWGLOW app, go to Settings, then Installer Setup, and increase the pixel count.

The kit turns off when something else in the car turns off. Find a different power point for the main controller.

My fuses are a different size. Use a fuse tap from an auto parts store. The original fuse goes in the first slot and the kit goes in the second.

My car has no interior fuse box. Extend the power harness from a trunk fuse box, tap the cigarette port with a T-tap crimp, or power the main controller from the engine bay fuse box.

Still stuck? Message us on Instagram at @lowglow.shop or email service.lowglow@gmail.com.

Connect the main harness to an accessory fuse using the included fuse tap. There are 4 fuse taps in the box, but only 1 will fit your vehicle.

We recommend finding your interior fuse box, then using a test light to find 10 amp 12V accessory power. First, test all the 10 amp fuses with the vehicle off. If a fuse lights up while the vehicle is off, that is constant power. Do not install there.

Next, put the vehicle in accessory mode and test only the 10 amp fuses that did not light up before. If they light up now, that is accessory power. Super simple.

Then locate a clean ground.

If the kit does not light up, try a different ground or a different power source.

Scan the QR code on your instruction pamphlet, or search your app store for the StarrySky app. Open it and connect to the device whose name starts with "TD5322A".

Now we chain the star projectors together, and this is where direction matters.

Look at the two ends of a projector. One end is marked OUT. The other end is the in side.

The chain runs like this. The controller plugs into the in side of the first projector. The OUT end of that projector plugs into the in side of the second projector. The OUT end of the second plugs into the in side of the third.

Warning: The projectors will not work if they are plugged in backwards. The OUT end must always point away from the controller, toward the next projector in the chain.

The order you connect them in also gives each projector its number. The first projector connected to the system becomes Projector 1. The second becomes Projector 2. The last one connected becomes Projector 3. Remember which is which, because Projector 3 carries the shine feature.

With everything plugged in, turn the system on from the app. Check that all the LEDs are working.

You are ready to move on when every LED lights up and you know which projector is 1, 2 and 3.

Warning: Make sure the vehicle's battery is disconnected before taking apart your interior.

Remove the headliner from the vehicle. Take your time and be careful not to crease or fold it. A crease in a headliner does not come back out.

You are ready to move on when the headliner is out of the car, flat, and uncreased.

This is the grid that gives the install its name. We are going to divide the headliner into even rows, one for each star channel, so every part of the sky gets its fair share of stars.

Measure the headliner from top to bottom. Then divide that number by 13.

Why 13? The kit has 15 LEDs. Two of them, LEDs 14 and 15, are saved for the shine feature. That leaves 13 star channels, and each channel gets its own row.

Here is an example. A 42 inch headliner divided by 13 gives about 3.23 inches per row. That 3.23 inches is now your gap size.

Using that spacing, draw light horizontal guide lines across the headliner with the black marker, evenly spaced from top to bottom.

You will only draw 12 lines. Twelve lines make thirteen rows.

Your kit size decides how many stars go in each row.

• 750 stars: 50 stars per bundle
• 1050 stars: 70 stars per bundle
• 1500 stars: 100 stars per bundle
• 2100 stars: 70 stars per bundle (30 bundles)
• 3000 stars: 100 stars per bundle (30 bundles)

So if you bought the 1050 star kit, each row gets 70 stars.

Now mark where each star will go. Work one row at a time and place that row's stars from one end of the headliner to the other.

Randomize the dots. Do not line them up neatly. Real stars do not sit in rows.

Place dots right on the grid lines as well. That blends the rows together so the stars read as one sky.

Important: Do not place the dots too close together. You want a little space between each star so the finished sky looks clean, natural and factory-style instead of clustered.

This is the part of the kit most people do not know about, and it is one of the best things it does.

The last two LEDs on Projector 3, LEDs 14 and 15, are reserved for the shine feature. They run a different animation from the other thirteen, a twinkle that moves on its own. That is what makes the sky look alive instead of still.

For it to work, the fibers from those two LEDs must be randomized throughout the entire headliner. They do not get a row of their own. They go everywhere: front, back, left and right, mixed in between the regular stars.

If you put all the shine fibers in one area, you will get one twinkling patch and a still sky everywhere else. Spread them across the whole headliner and the entire sky shimmers.

The shine fibers go in after the regular stars are inserted, so leave room for them as you dot.

Once the stars are dotted, lay out your shooting star lines. Draw them to whatever lengths and directions suit your design.

Recommended lengths per line:

• 15 dots for a shorter shooting star, about 5 inches
• 20 dots for a longer shooting star, about 7 inches

Whatever size they are, dot them evenly.

To work out the fibers, take the number of dots in a line and divide it by 5, because each projector has 5 LEDs that flash in sequence from 1 to 5. For example, 20 dots divided by 5 LEDs is 4 fibers per LED channel.

You can have more than one shooting star line on a single projector.

Once the stars and shooting star lines are drawn and you are happy with them, take the poker from the box and poke through every marked dot.

You are ready to move on when every dot on the headliner is a hole.

We recommend putting the projectors along the edge of the headliner. When you insert the fibers later, you will start closest to the projector and work further away, which keeps everything organized.

Star projectors go down the left side of the headliner.

• Projector 1: front left
• Projector 2: middle left
• Projector 3: rear left

Shooting star projectors go down the right side of the headliner.

• Projector 1: front right
• Projector 2: middle right
• Projector 3: rear right

This keeps everything balanced and stops the fibers from crowding into one area.

Most headliners have factory plastic spacers or supports built into them. Place each projector near one of these whenever you can. The spacer guarantees there is room for the projector once the headliner goes back in, which prevents pressure points and bulges.

Double check the clearance at every projector location before you commit to it.

Before you move on, check the direction of the star projectors one more time. The OUT ends point away from the controller.

You are ready to move on when all six projectors have a spot with clearance.

When inserting fibers, always start with the strands closest to the projector, then work outward toward the opposite side of the headliner. This order keeps the fibers organized and stops them crossing and tangling.

Each channel comes with two fiber sizes, 0.5mm and 0.75mm. You will be able to feel the difference between them. Mix both sizes throughout each row. Do not put all of one size in the same area. Mixing them is what gives the sky its depth.

Keep your regular star fibers separate from your shooting star fibers. The shooting star fibers come in smaller quantities and must be saved for the shooting star lines.

Once the regular stars are in, pick up the fibers from LEDs 14 and 15 on Projector 3. Scatter them across the entire headliner, as far and as randomly as they will reach.

Once all the regular stars are in, it is time for the shooting star fibers.

Each shooting star projector has 5 channels with 40 strands per channel, which is 200 strands per projector.

A shooting star works by lighting one channel at a time, from Channel 1 through to Channel 5. That is what makes the light travel. So for a line to animate correctly, it needs fibers from every channel.

Build each line like this, starting at the rear of the line and working up:

• 5 strands from Channel 1
• 5 strands from Channel 2, into the same line
• 5 strands from Channel 3, into the same line
• 5 strands from Channel 4, into the same line
• 5 strands from Channel 5, into the same line

One complete shooting star line uses 25 strands.

Repeat for each line you drew. You do not need to use every shooting star fiber.

You are ready to move on when every hole has a fiber through it.

Now comes the fun part. Start row by row and glue each strand in place on the back of the headliner. You want a strong bond, but do not over-glue.

Warning: Keep the glue gun on LOW HEAT ONLY. If the glue gun is too hot, it can melt the fiber strands and damage the finish.

You are ready to move on when every strand is held in place.

If you can, power the starlight system while the headliner is still out of the vehicle, and trim the fibers now. This keeps the mess out of your car.

Turn the system on and confirm everything lights up. Then trim each fiber.

• Cut each strand flush with the headliner for the cleanest, factory-style finish.
• Do not press into the headliner while cutting.
• Use zip tie cutters or fingernail clippers.

Run your hand across the headliner when you are done. It should feel smooth, with no fibers poking through.

Reinstall the headliner, and enjoy your new starlight setup.

The install is finished when the headliner is back in the car and the whole sky lights up.

A projector will not light up. Check its direction first. The projectors only work one way. The OUT end must point away from the controller and plug into the in side of the next projector.

The twinkle only shows in one area. The shine fibers from LEDs 14 and 15 were kept together. They need to be spread across the entire headliner.

A shooting star does not move, or only part of it lights. That line is missing fibers from one or more channels. Every line needs strands from all five channels.

All my shooting stars fire at once. Shooting stars on the same projector always fire together. Move a line to a different shooting star projector for different timing.

My fibers melted or look damaged. The glue gun was too hot. Use low heat only.

The headliner bulges after reinstalling. A projector does not have enough clearance. Move it next to a factory plastic spacer.

Still stuck? Message us on Instagram at @lowglow.shop or email service.lowglow@gmail.com.