putting an automatic light under the hood that turns on and lights the engine bay when you open it? (same idea as trunk light, but better lighting)

I want to try it, but not sure if heat buildup would damage any light I put under the hood.

 

I've thought about it,but thats about it..

Several make/model cars have these factory,so i suggest visiting your local j-yard,remove an under hood light unit/as much of the wiring as possible,and the hood switch from some other make/model car..

wire it all into a un-switched source..

 

I've also thought about it but have not bothered to do anything. If anyone DOES, that'd be cool.

 

i say try one from a ford taurus/mercury sable.
they have the mercury sensor in with the light assembly.
and heat won't damage it

 

hmmm....
good suggestion
got years to go with that?

 

Hmm, I'll probably do somethign interesting with it once I have money to spend on 'non necessary' items.

 

ive thought about it also because manytimes ive had to do some "work" under her hood at night and couldnt see much without a flashlight. i dont know if my 89 came with one or not cuz my hood has been replaced, but i know there is a powered switch of some sort on the passangers side that you could probably hook the lights up to. i think it dose something but who cares lighting is more importatant. and dont use a crappy light from a "taurus/mercury" buy some quality LED light strips, theyll look better and last longer.

 

but make sure to angle the LEDs otherwise they will point at your radiator

 

Im not sure LEDs are bright enough yet for nighttime lighting of an engine bay. For asthetics or exterior lighting (except headlights) LEDs look great, but you'd need ALOT of good ones (50k+ mcd) that are well aimed under your hood to provide useful lighting.

 

I put one on mine from a ford e-150 van and just put it on a switch, I put the switch by the hood release so its right there where you wont it. You could also wire it up to come on with the parking lights. Thats how the one on my jag comes on.

 

how about you just go to autozone (or wherever) and buy one of the "under hood lights"?

i bought one, but never installed it. was like 3 bucks, and easier than trying to find which other car has one.....

 

I was at the junk yard and the one I got was there so I garbed it.

 

There's a good reason Fords and Chevys have lights under the hood.
remember ford stands for Fixed or Repaired Daily..........

 

Dont forget Ford circles the problem as well.

 

ive thought of this before as well
does anyone know if you can run straight power to the bulb assembly,
and tap into the factorys existing hood pin for ground .
which would only ground when the hood is up(hood pins out or grounding)
thereby it will turn on and off when the hood gets opened and closed?
this would be the easy way i guess....

aka... maximechanic

 

I don't see why you could not just test the wires before you do it. And that is a great idea you have there I wish I would of thought of it.

 

The hood switch that is there stock is for the alarm. I wouldn't hook into it as it might mess with the stock alarm. But it would be easy to add a second one just for the light, or just an on/off switch.

Ive thought about it but the max doesn't usually have problems happen at night, the other car otoh...But either way its not hard just gotta go do it.

~Alex

 

I've seen cars with an underhood retractable light. actually I think it was on work trucks, where people check their oil in the dark.

 

It'd be easier to just carry a flashlight in the glovebox...I have / have had cars w/ underhood lights and checking your oil in the dark is about all they're good for. Don't waste your time.

 

retro in some BMW projectors and HIDs, and mount them under your hood. While this won't actually work, your best bet is a worklight, or some other kind of high-candela light that you can just clamp onto your hood and aim down at your work area. I used a worklight to reinstall my exhaust manifold and ypipe at 11pm. worked fine. only problem is you gotta be near an outlet. Because it won't run off the battery and even if it did, not for very long.

 

the older chevy trucks and suburbans had a light on a reel. good idea, it came with a really long cord so you put the light where u neeeded it.

 

Has anyone done a light mod in thier trunks like LEDs?

 

why would you want to? Or do you mean to replace the utility light?

 

Well considering most LEDs are brighter...I'm guessing its to get MORE light in the trunk

Sometimes I'm looking for something in my trunk and that lil light in there is just not enough. A nice long BRIGHT WHITE LED strip from one side to the other would be nice with 3 different brightness settings

 

how bout you fab up something and start selling it to us who would like such a thing for our trunks.

 

If only I knew how... would you really be interested in something like that?

 

i could try no guarantees it'd be done anytime soon. my own car is first priority so it'd just kinda be a whenever-i-have-time thing.

but i'd find it more beneficial for members to just build it themselves based on a writeup of mine, rather than actually building and shipping, because then i'd have to have a vendor account on the Org and i wouldn't make that kind of money to justify being a vendor on here.

 

^^^^^^^^



just do the mod if you want,and tell members how to do it.."if you want to"

 

bro if i wanted i could figureout something running off thefactory trunk light wiring and just wiring in a led strip into the trunk and just figure out how much of a resistor i would need. im just saying for those who want one might be an interest there for them.

 

should be fairly easy, just need a sensor that can tell when the hood opens

 

I was very disappointed when I noticed our Max did not have a hood light. I have thought about putting one in, but that is as far as I have gone. Also thought about a brighter light for the trunk as well.

 

I don't have a working light in my trunk. I checked the wires running up the trunk lid and none of them have power. I dunno where to go from there.

 

check the switch. i would tell you where it is, except I have no idea where it is. but if you can find it, see if the continuity changes when you open or shut your trunk. YES this sounds crazy but crawl in and have a friend shut the trunk while you're in there. Get a flashlight, or a backlit multimeter like I have, so you can read the continuity results between trunk-open and trunk-closed. If it never changes, replace the switch.

 

get a light from a trailblazer, light switches on with the angle of the hood, tht way, all you need to do is wire it into anything, no need to worry about switches.

 

i think the trunk light switch is in the latch. i think it grounds through the latch

 

the FSM indicates a separate switch

 

the thing your thinking that grounds the light isnt a light switch its the switch that tels the anti theft that the trunk is being opened. its grounded by a brown wire in the driver side kick panel section by a big thick brown wire that is just for your anti theft to know when the trunk is opened or closed. and if it was opened by key or not.