Illuminated external door handles
 

As far as I know this was never an option on any D2, but I could be wrong.
Has anyone ever though about retrofitting it, presumably linked in to the interior lighting in some way?

Not sure how I would approach it, but probably with fibre optics piping the light from a source in the B pillar into the doors and handles.

Do you mean to illuminate the handle-well so you can see it at night? I don't see why you couldn't wire some small LEDs in to the mechanism tbh. Optical fibre might not handle the movement of the handle too well, but a couple of tiny surface-mount LEDs wouldn't be too intrusive.

You could trigger it from the interior light I think - that comes on when you unlock the car doesn't it?

Might be a nice touch :)

Exactly, linked to interior light. That's my thinking.

The light would be fixed, illuminating the handle from behind to easily find it at night.
I'm thinking fibre would be easy as for lighting it doesn't need to be very well coupled. So a single fixed LED source (each side) probably near the B-pillar (so dead easy to wire in) could be coupled across into the doors with a tiny air gap (when closed).

Saves running any electrical cables into the doors. And easy to weatherproof.

Oh I see what you mean. Interesting idea.

If you fitted in to the lower handle casing so it didn't move you could heat up a plastic fibre and bend it to shape.

I'm wondering about some logic where if the doors are shut you can hijack the puddle lights signal to power an LED, then you don't need any extra wires. Just a relay or two, and maybe some diodes. Hmm...

The problem I see with the puddle lights is that I presume they are linked to the footwell lights, so only illuminate when that specific door is opened.

Hence relays and diodes :)

With the doors shut a relay diverts the puddle light supply to the door handle (done in the door). Inside the car, with the door shut, an unlock signal which turns on the interior light also turns on all the puddle lights, but with the doors shut that lights up the handles.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dolls-Hous...Hsycj6PDW1Mhmg

I've use these in the past for car interior lighting projects, self adhesive and flexible - should be able to hide one of these under a handle/ mirror

My fx has them on the underside of the mirrors as 'welcome lights' they illuminate as you walk up with the key on you. In a multi storey car park they come on from quite a distance away.

I think MJ is on the right track here, something to mimic the footwell lighting may be the neatest solution....look forward to the write up +++

I've done this. I used LED strip lighting with an adhesive backing with a small slit in the handle underside to provide illumination. I forget which wire signals the lighting, but it is at the door lock pump and is the feed from whatever module provides signal from the key fob to lock or unlock the car. As such, it doesn't come on whenever the doors are locked from the interior or automatically by the car, but does illuminate when the fob signals to lock or unlock. I felt this was closest to an OEM-type setup.

I used a fader designed to upgrade dome lights in classic cars to have the lights illuminate and and dim gradually. I don't recall which As such, whenever I lock or unlock the car, these lights come on for approximately 20 seconds.

I will provide video after it is dark here of the effect.

Here is the dimmer:
http://www.revolutionelectronics.com/Dome_Light.html

This is sounding more intriguing. I had thought of some LED strips stuck under the door handles, but couldn't figure out how to get them to work. Andrew, you're the whiz with relays and the like. Over to you +++

I did this maybe 3 years ago now, and I always fail to write down what I'm actually doing, so, like I said, rough outline of the job is all I ca give at this point. But, it's doable and attractive at night.

I was inspired by the e38 BMW handles, and actually grabbed some from a junkyard hoping to make that system work, but the light output just wasn't satisfactory.