Interior Lighthing

[Guest dew110CSW]

First off, been fiddling with the OneTen. Too many times have I been feeling around the dash in the dark looking for something so as a temporary measure....

Small LED Based Strips, plugged into cigarette lighter. Will do the job.

But it got me thinking,

does anyone know the approximate wattage that the dash lights (green ones) will run and how easy it is to access the wiring for them. Was thinking of finding some small strip lighting I could run along the inside of the dash, probably the top edge, and connect to these so that when the dash lights come on so do these. Also recommend any lights to fit the bill?

Cheers,

David.

[simonb]

Standard bulbs for the instruments are 2.2w but completely cr&p. They are actually white bulbs but there is a green lens in the dials. Fitting higher wattage ones melts the holders, better off with my led kits...

Wiring for instruments is easily accessable once you remove the speedo pod from the dash.

[NicTheOrange90]

I have put three red LED 'numberplate bolts' ( http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/number-plate-bo...34eaa4443324bf7 ) around the interior light (which is also an LED festoon and fantastically bright). I have a switch in the centre console thingy (its a 2002 model) that I scavenged from a Rangie soft dash.

I wired the LEDs into the lighting loom, and then put the switch in line, so that the red LEDs only get a feed when the lights are on, and then only when I push the switch.

So I get a nice red glow when Im driving and can see all the unlit controls and the centre console which has my radio (is a mobile storage cubby box with the radio in).

To give the LEDs some shade, I put heat shrink on, and shrunk it in two stages, one to get rid of the nasty shiny silver bold (ie shrank the bit at the back) then when the lights were in, I used an 11m long reach socket in to angle the tube of the heatshrink to their desired location.

These pictures dont give you the true picture but I dont have a tripod, so it will have to do...(well it was dark outside)

Wiring goes behind the sun visor, to the nearside A pillar, then down under the plastic trim, and into the dash. I used a CB whip aerial to get the wire into the dash. My goal was to have them so that you dont notice them unles you need to use them, and even then they are so easy on the eye you can drive with them on even on the darkest of roads.

[TheBeastie]

Not quite the same but I got two downlighters from B&Q for £4.95 each and replaced the 20w halogen bulb with LED cluster for the back of my HT and they work superbly. I have now got another two to try and set up as lighting over driver and passenger's inside shoulders to provice good front illumination but minimal discharge so can be left on overnight with no danger of battery drain.

Not sure this helps precisely but the use of LED is becoming much easier. The key difficulty is identifying what bulb will do the trick!

Malcy

[G_Cam]

Hi - I have those same LED tube lights ....free with Max Power?

I put them in but added in a few dash mounted LED's from Maplin - 4 for £5. They are very bright - and it makes it easy to find stuff lying in the dash area.

Here is a not very good pic (i now have a Mud Dash - and kept the LED's in situ).

[Stonehead1]

That all looks a bit complicated. I wear a Petzl Tac Tikka head torch when checking the pigs, then hop in the Defender and flip the red filter into place to get night vision friendly interior light. Even better, it's waterproof for when the sunroof leaks...