Under Hood Lighting

[$ Khalid ! 9130]

So this has been in my head for some time. A little back story on this. I went to a mod shop recently, if you could call it that, to get some things done on the POS box on wheels I have here. One thing I had done was installing some door switches, better known as door jambs in the rear doors. That really caught my eye. It kinda like the switch in refrigerator doors when you open them, the light switches on and vice versa. That got me thinking for a project I had a while ago.

What if I got one of these switches, installed my LED strips wired them together, connected it straight to the battery. And BOOM!

Under Hood lighting on the cheap and I don't need to go through the process of getting a Hood switch harness, mercury switches etc etc.

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[Capote]

So this has been in my head for some time. A little back story on this. I went to a mod shop recently, if you could call it that, to get some things done on the POS box on wheels I have here. One thing I had done was installing some door switches, better known as door jambs in the rear doors. That really caught my eye. It kinda like the switch in refrigerator doors when you open them, the light switches on and vice versa. That got me thinking for a project I had a while ago.

What if I got one of these switches, installed my LED strips wired them together, connected it straight to the battery. And BOOM!

Under Hood lighting on the cheap and I don't need to go through the process of getting a Hood switch harness, mercury switches etc etc.

Let me know what you guys think!

That'd be interesting

 

[$ Khalid ! 9130]

That'd be interesting

Hey, how you been? Been a while since I've seen you around. Just was about to reply to your suggestion until you edited it out 😂. But yeah. I'm thinking of going and picking one of them door switches tonight, just so I can play around with it and show it to you guys. It's relatively inexpensive coming at 2 bucks a piece. I love mods that don't break the bank 😊

 

[Capote]

Hey, how you been? Been a while since I've seen you around. Just was about to reply to your suggestion until you edited it out 😂. But yeah. I'm thinking of going and picking one of them door switches tonight, just so I can play around with it and show it to you guys. It's relatively inexpensive coming at 2 bucks a piece. I love mods that don't break the bank 😊

Been okay I guess bud. How big is it? Where do you plan to mount it?

 

[$ Khalid ! 9130]

Not really big. This is how it looks installed




I am planning on mounting it beside one of the rubber stoppers that hold the hood in the front when closed. There might be some adjustments needed to make sure the hood rests on the top of the switch to break the circuit

 

[Capote]

Those stoppers are a tad taller than those kind of switches, even when adjusted to their lowest position.

 

[$ Khalid ! 9130]

Those stoppers are a tad taller than those kind of switches, even when adjusted to their lowest position.

I agree, maybe it'll be better off mounting it on the sides rather than the front. We can figure it out 😁

 

[Capote]

I agree, maybe it'll be better off mounting it on the sides rather than the front. We can figure it out 😁

The inner edges of the fender would work, nothing there but a shallow stopper, which easily comes out. Looks about equal in height or maybe smaller than that switch.

 

[$ Khalid ! 9130]

Yep, that's what I was thinking 👍🏻😊. I don't think we need to take it out. I was thinking mounting it beside the stoppers rather than in their place

 

[Sparky]

Do it. I need to do similar for my truck. Dark under that hood at night.

 

[$ Khalid ! 9130]

I'd do it right now if I were home. Sadly that's not the case 😢. Will have to wait till April once I'm back home hopefully

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I bought the led strips and the plungers for trip on hood opening and never did the mod. Actually started looking for them cause I had an idea for the hood on the DD cause it lacks light as well. I think I bought 10 strips and 5 plunger switches so maybe when I I find them I can do it on both rides.

 

[Blckshdw]

I did a similar mod on mine but used a tilt switch and a relay. Worked really well, but the cheap LED strip that was gifted to me that I used was too blue for my liking after a couple of months, so I disconnected it. (that's probably why it was gifted in the first place )

Maybe this can be a cheap and easy mod to satisfy my mod bug.

 

[Capote]

I have an OEM under hood light that I never wired up. I have like zero motivation to do anything on weekends..

 

[Blckshdw]

Snapped a couple of pics for the hell of it. There was a factory ground on the hood, so I used the existing loom to run my power wire for the relay to that point. Ran the wires for the LED strip under the hood insulation. Mounting the strip under one of the lips of the hood in the front worked well for light distribution, but the strip is pretty well cooked now after being under there for about 4 years now.



Here's an old pic from when I first installed it.

 

[$ Khalid ! 9130]

I have an OEM under hood light that I never wired up. I have like zero motivation to do anything on weekends..

Should try it in the weekdays 😂

Snapped a couple of pics for the hell of it. There was a factory ground on the hood, so I used the existing loom to run my power wire for the relay to that point. Ran the wires for the LED strip under the hood insulation. Mounting the strip under one of the lips of the hood in the front worked well for light distribution, but the strip is pretty well cooked now after being under there for about 4 years now.

View attachment 83142 View attachment 83143

Here's an old pic from when I first installed it.

View attachment 83144

One of the first posts in the LED mod thread 😁

 

[Capote]

Should try it in the weekdays 😂

I work from 3:30pm to anywhere from midnight, 1, or 2am...