Added DIY LEDs To Engine & Cargo Bay

[MayhemMike]

They have IR LEDs you can put in so you can use your night-vision and not blow your secret camping spot... behind Wal-Mart.

Well it isn’t a secret anymore. Way to go.

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[Bschurr]

Tron Bronco vibes

 

[HeHateMe]

I'm a fan of the "dotless"... Not a fan of the look when they're off...

 

[1st 75th ranger]

I added some LEDs to my engine bay and cargo area! There are lights under the Ford Security Enclosure lid and on the hard top.

Hood lights come on when the hood is open.
Cargo lights come on when I open the tailgate.

I configured this so I can disconnect the enclouser if I want to remove it.
The hardtop is configured so I can disconnect the lights when I remove the hardtop too.

its just beautiful

 

[josh1121]

Here is how I plan to do mine using the hood ajar switch and a relay. When the hood is ajar, the switch connection is grounded. When the hood is closed the switch connection is open.

Using a SPDT relay, tap into the BLK-GY hood switch wire and connect to pin 86 of the relay. Connect relay pins 30 & 85 to fused 12v source. Connect relay pin 87 to the + light wire (connect - light wire to ground). Pin 87 will now act as a 12v switch when the hood is opened - thus turning on the light.

I'm not an expert, and this is a great idea, but I think you may want to check the way you are planning to wire this up. I think you have it ungrounded and reversed. You may also be using a different relay. For a 30/40A Split load relay, typically you wire it like this:

86 - To the BK-GY tap
87 - 12V source (fused appropriate to your load)
85 - Ground
30 - Light + (load)
Light - (ground)

Note 87a would be for another load when the hood is closed (if you wanted), so in this case it is just terminated.

 

[Arokcrwlr]

I'm not an expert, and this is a great idea, but I think you may want to check the way you are planning to wire this up. I think you have it ungrounded and reversed. You may also be using a different relay. For a 30/40A Split load relay, typically you wire it like this:

86 - To the BK-GY tap
87 - 12V source (fused appropriate to your load)
85 - Ground
30 - Light + (load)
Light - (ground)

Note 87a would be for another load when the hood is closed (if you wanted), so in this case it is just terminated.

Thanks for double checking me - sometimes these things can be confusing. I will "breadboard" it up before I tap into the vehicle wiring, but I'll explain why I think I have it right. A SPDT relay is an electromagnetic switch with the coil terminals being pins 85 & 86. In this use case, the hood ajar switch is open when the hood is closed and grounded when the hood is open. So with +12v on pin 85 and pin 86 being connected to the BK-GY wire from the hood ajar switch, the coil is energized when the hood is open. When the coil is energized, pin 30 (connected to +12v) swings from pin 87a to pin 87. Pin 87 is connected to the + side of the light. The light turns on when the hood is open (coil energized) and off when the hood is closed (coil at rest; not energized; pin 30 swings to 87a).

 

[josh1121]

Thanks for double checking me - sometimes these things can be confusing. I will "breadboard" it up before I tap into the vehicle wiring, but I'll explain why I think I have it right. A SPDT relay is an electromagnetic switch with the coil terminals being pins 85 & 86. In this use case, the hood ajar switch is open when the hood is closed and grounded when the hood is open. So with +12v on pin 85 and pin 86 being connected to the BK-GY wire from the hood ajar switch, the coil is energized when the hood is open. When the coil is energized, pin 30 (connected to +12v) swings from pin 87a to pin 87. Pin 87 is connected to the + side of the light. The light turns on when the hood is open (coil energized) and off when the hood is closed (coil at rest; not energized; pin 30 swings to 87a).

Yeah, let me know what you find out. Just make sure that you ground the relay, not just the light. I have a relay coming today, and I plan to mock it up also, I'll let you know what I find. I really like the idea of using the already existing switch even though I have a bump switch I can use if this doesn't work.

 

[Arokcrwlr]

Yeah, let me know what you find out. Just make sure that you ground the relay, not just the light. I have a relay coming today, and I plan to mock it up also, I'll let you know what I find. I really like the idea of using the already existing switch even though I have a bump switch I can use if this doesn't work.

I'm 99.999% sure this will work. No need to ground the relay - the ground is provided by hood ajar switch.

 

[Tex]

I added some LEDs to my engine bay and cargo area! There are lights under the Ford Security Enclosure lid and on the hard top.

Hood lights come on when the hood is open.
Cargo lights come on when I open the tailgate.

I configured this so I can disconnect the enclouser if I want to remove it.
The hardtop is configured so I can disconnect the lights when I remove the hardtop too.

Oh man I hope you remembered to grab your socket after you took that pic, I just lost my 10mm wrench the other day doing the same thing.

 

[Arokcrwlr]

I'm 99.999% sure this will work. No need to ground the relay - the ground is provided by hood ajar switch.

It works! I mocked it up and it works as described in this post...using a SPDT relay.

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