Under hood lighting....

[aldive]

What do you folks do for a mounted underhood light? Do you have it on a switch or does it turn on when hood is oppened? What type of light id best?
Thanks....

 

[yob_yeknom]

not an answer, but a question of my own

What makes the under hood light turn on on a '95? Where is the switch and how does it work? The little light under my hood works when it wants to and never when I want it to. Sometimes I open my hood and it comes on. Sometimes it does not come on. Other times it comes on and goes off at will. This is driving me crazy! I NEED that light when I fill up with gas at night and go to check my oil. (don't know why I always check it as it is never low, just a habbit from my Daytona I guess)

 

[mdrut]

4 D cell Maglight, works great anytime I want it to...ffits neatly between the lower console and seat..hehe

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by mdrut
4 D cell Maglight, works great anytime I want it to...ffits neatly between the lower console and seat..hehe

I do not want to use any type of handheld light; I want to have a light mounted under the hood that turns on when hood is opened.

 

[mdrut]

Go to a local junk yard and look around.. I had a 83 4wd ford pickup that had a under hood light w/20' cord, spooled its self..woked off mercury swith.worked 95% of the time and usually all you had to do is wiggle the bulb to get it to come on..

 

[leebo]

I was going to do this one day when I was really bored. Just go get a small and cheap set of lights. Mount them somewhere and ground them. Make a small cut in the wire that goes into the light under the hood and tap the positive cable into that. Hook that to the positive line on the light and your off. I myself would hood it up to the battery with a switch instead, but both would work.

 

[Bill Kemp]

I had a PIAA lgt. there and changed it out for a....

Ok, OK not again.....LOL

 

[RytM1]

John, to answer your question, the hood light is a mercury switch type light. When you lift the hood, the level of fluid in the switch flows to one end, completes a contact, and the light comes on.

Aldive, I am currently in the process of wiring up a generic exterior automobile light to an old-fashioned pin switch. For some reason, Ford decided to quit putting these on Explorers after 97.

 

[mattadams]

hmmm... more light under the hood... now why didn't I think of that? It does tend to get to be kind of a pain having to bring out the trouble light every time I work under the hood in the garage (which is about every time I work on it)... hmmm... this I may have to work on...

 

[leebo]

Originally posted by mattadams
hmmm... more light under the hood... now why didn't I think of that? It does tend to get to be kind of a pain having to bring out the trouble light every time I work under the hood in the garage (which is about every time I work on it)... hmmm... this I may have to work on...

No a Piaa 80 will not be useful under the hood. So don't think of it.

 

[mattadams]

Originally posted by leebo
No a Piaa 80 will not be useful under the hood. So don't think of it.

You laugh, but I may have one spare PIAA 80 XT, depending on if I can 5 or 6 on the roof of my F-150... so don't tempt me! LOL

 

[leebo]

balk, balk, balk, balk

 

[mattadams]

Originally posted by leebo
balk, balk, balk, balk

LOL can you imagine? Let's see... my current trouble light produces well I'd imagine about 5,000 candlepower. Stick a 385,000 candlepower bad-boy in there, you certainly wouldn't have to deal with lack of light! I'd have to figure out a way to wire it some otehr way though, since most of the time when I'm working in the engine compartment, my battery is disconnected... hmmm...

 

[leebo]

you have side posts.

Hook up the relay and the switch to the side posts on the battery and it wouldn't even need the truck, only the battery itself. Well...ok....you would need the ground.

 

[yob_yeknom]

RytM1

Where is this mercury switch located? Would it be hard to replace? Would my dealership have a replacement switch? This sparratic(sp?) hood light problem is the thing I hate the most about my X. It drives me nuts!!!

 

[RytM1]

John, the switch is built into the light assembly itself. You have to unclip the light from the hood, then disconnect it from the harness its connected to. The whole unit will probably have to be replaced. It's not very expensive, even through the dealer (less than $10). Too bad you didn't post about this last weekend, I had one after the dealer told me that one from a 97 would fit my 98. After getting it, I couldn't find the wiring harness the parts guy swore was there. I talked to the service mgr., and he said that they quit putting them on the 98 - up, so I returned the light. Part # they ordered for me (off of a 97) was F6TZ15702AA, and cost $7.33. Hope this helps.

 

[Crash513]

Don't shoot me for saying this, but the old Jeep Cherokee classic has the hot set up for underhood lighting.

My '90 Jeep Laredo came with a 20' self winding retractable coil cord (like a drop light) on a mercury switch in a self contained assembly. Coolest part is that the lamp itself is big and bright, and has a magnetic panel so you can stick it to the side of the vehicle anywhere you need light. The whole ting bolts up to the inside of the hood in a small package.

I found this light very useful for camping, and it helped a lot changing a rear tire once. I am pretty sure all Cherokees had these, so it is probably available as a Mopar replacement part, or at any junkyard.

Just a thought...

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by Crash513
Don't shoot me for saying this, but the old Jeep Cherokee classic has the hot set up for underhood lighting.

My '90 Jeep Laredo came with a 20' self winding retractable coil cord (like a drop light) on a mercury switch in a self contained assembly. Coolest part is that the lamp itself is big and bright, and has a magnetic panel so you can stick it to the side of the vehicle anywhere you need light. The whole ting bolts up to the inside of the hood in a small package.

I found this light very useful for camping, and it helped a lot changing a rear tire once. I am pretty sure all Cherokees had these, so it is probably available as a Mopar replacement part, or at any junkyard.

Just a thought...

Anyone know if this is still available from a Jeep parts department? Sounds just like what I want...

 

[drmoore71]

they also used to put those retractable lights in the 88-99 ch**y pickups. i remember wishing that ford had thought of that rather than the "bad guys"! hehe i am quite certain you could get one of those from the parts dept. heck, they may still be using them on the new trucks, i just haven't been around under the hood of one yet.

 

[leebo]

the yukons have them on there. at least the 95's do. I'm sure they're still on there.