Underhood Work Light LED Replacement

[kramttocs]

SBL order arrived today. Happy with the results. Clearance is good and light output is an improvement. It's not a huge improvement but the reduction in heat alone is worth it to me.

This is the cool white vs the GE90.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Scott, that's kind of surprising given the advertised 30% increased lumens.

I may have to get a picture of my 1156 hood light.
Of course, I can't use it to change a tire or anything like that, but it does seem to light up my engine bay.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Scott.  I think I'll get one for when the time comes I can actually install my light.

[Danny G]

I don't have the under hood light but have been kicking around the idea of putting some LED's in the engine bay with a rocker switch.

[Rusty_S85]

Look at KC Lights, they got some LED pod lights that can be used under hood.  Im looking at those as a possible recessed under hood light if I run the abs plastic hood liner with the ford oval.

[kramttocs]

Yeah, I didn't expect a huge improvement in the brightness but still happy it is a little brighter. Knowing that I can leave the hood open for long periods of time and not worry about melting or yellowing the dome/cover is well worth it.

Rusty - I don't see why the factory light still wouldn't work. Would just need to drill some holes. I've thought about the Ford oval one also.

[Rusty_S85]

I think its because you would lose your ground as the ground screws to the hood and you cant ground it through the abs plastic.  Since I am rewiring my light itself if I dont destory it in the process I am thinking of making a connector at the light then I can run my own ground from else where for the light.

If I cant make it work I am looking at recessing the KC led under hood/truck lights and wire it into a mercury switch if I can find a stand alone, otherwise ill use an alarm plunger on the core support to activate the lights.

[kramttocs]

It does but that would just require drilling a hole larger than the eyelet through the abs.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Why couldn't you just put the eyelet under the screw head?

I mean the led draw is incredibly small.

[kramttocs]

You could and it would work just fine. I was going to say that but I figured someone would comment about wanting the eyelet to have direct contact instead of just through the screw(gambled and lost  ) You could also just wrap the ground cable around the edge of the abs but would be more of a pain to install.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm pedantic but not ridiculously OCD and paranoid.

[kramttocs]

Just keeps us on our toes

[Danny G]

My mindset on recessing lights in the hood is the angle of the light will be more towards you and less into the engine bay unless you angle it, then will the pods like being that close to the top of the engine. I was leaning towards installing them around the perimeter of the engine bay.

[ArdWrknTrk]

You could get a 'neon' kit and install it under the fender flanges on each side, but that wouldn't do music to help you see the carb, coil, thermostat or things that will cause you to sit on the side of the road.

I went out this morning to get a picture of my simple 1156 led set up in the rib of the hood.
I discovered that the socket was badly corroded.
Better to know now, and fix it, than to need it and not have it.

Of course I have a headlamp and I hope to pick up another of those Bauer magnetic 18650 rechargeable worklights to keep in the truck.
Man! can't say enough positive things about that item.

[Danny G]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

You could get a 'neon' kit and install it under the fender flanges on each side, but that wouldn't do music to help you see the carb, coil, thermostat or things that will cause you to sit on the side of the road.

I went out this morning to get a picture of my simple 1156 led set up in the rib of the hood.
I discovered that the socket was badly corroded.
Better to know now, and fix it, than to need it and not have it.

Of course I have a headlamp and I hope to pick up another of those Bauer magnetic 18650 rechargeable worklights to keep in the truck.
Man! can't say enough positive things about that item.

I have one of those HF flashlights in the van with the side COB led and magnetic base. I carry around a Leatherman surge with the specialty bit set, but I also have the extension that allows normal bits on one side of the pouch and on the other side I have a small rechargeable 150lumen flashlight.

Location got me thinking, what if you mounted them on the front of the hood where it angles down to meet the grill. I think when the hood is open at that point then it should shine straight down.

[Danny G]

Looks like someone did just that with a 12v led strip in a rigid aluminum track.

[grumpin]

Which one do you like Jim? 18650 didn’t come up on the HF website.

[Gary Lewis]

Wouldn't your head be in the way when working on something?  Or would the other LED's in the strip fill in?

[Danny G]

These on Amazon are adhesive backed, but if you go that route I would use something more robust to glue it down. Waterproof and 12v. And  you could put multiple down the hood to fight shadowing.

[ArdWrknTrk]

That looks a great solution!

Maybe I have to rethink replacing the socket.
LED's have come a LONG way since the late '80's when I bought my truck.