LED hood light project completed

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LED hood light project completed

September 01, 2011, 11:27:19 AM

So I've had the idea for a good long while now to use LED's to act not only as a hood light, but to light the whole engine bay up but never quite had the best idea how to do it. I had come up with one plan and had started it where it involved a toggle-switched circuit that powered an LED setup. However, I didn't like the LED's that I was using and I didn't like the idea of having to switch the lights on. This was that previous setup:

Those lights were frikken bright but they were designed to have two modes - one solid, and one were the light would dance back and forth. Because of that they required a control box which you can see just a little further down on the hood below the right light, where the hood light would normally be located, and I did not like that box either.

You can see the switch I installed in the bottom center of this pic at the lower right corner of the front end frame:

Nothing wrong with the switch, and I will probably leave it there for some future project, but I just wanted to be able to have the lights automatically come on.

So, I decided that there must be a way to integrate a circuit into a conventional gravity/mercury switch that powers a regular hood light. What I decided to do was take the light bulb out of a hood light, and install two banana connectors where the light plugs in. One conn in the pos side of the socket, and one conn in the neg side of the socket.

Since the stock hood light didn't function correctly for me, I went and got one out of a 90's bird, which I had in fact previously installed in my 96 which for some reason came without a hood light. I rigged it to work in the fox hood which was not difficult, just required two zip ties and a stock mounting hole.

I then grounded the neg to the hood with a self tapper and eyelet connector and ran the pos through the hood framing/bracing and around the hood hinge and down into the existing stock hood light harness, which plugged in just fine with a female spade connector.

I started two lead wires for my LED strips to be tied into and now I am just waiting to get them and place them throughout the engine bay and hood.

I checked my leads with a test light and I am getting power with hood up, and losing it with hood partially/completely down, just as it should correctly function. I also removed the hood liner as it was getting ratty and worn out, and would have made this little expedition very difficult if it had still been in place...

LED hood light project completed

Reply #1 – September 01, 2011, 02:12:25 PM

Actually, I like the switch idea better. I think I'm going to borrow that idea. That way, I can open the hood and not have to worry about the light being on when I don't need it, and at the flick of a small hidden switch, light when I do need it. Nice. Thanks for the idea that I'm going to borrow since you didn't like it. Nothing you can do about it either since it was a leftover. LOL. I may even leave the stock light in place as well. I may not even mess with this idea til next year due to other projects........

LED hood light project completed

Reply #2 – September 01, 2011, 03:10:16 PM

or you could just integrate a switch into your existing light wiring. wouldn't be very hard.

LED hood light project completed

Reply #3 – September 01, 2011, 03:48:28 PM

It'll be like wiring my fog lights. No biggie. I still have to get insulation for the new hood and paint the car before I do anything else. I've got to get focused again. Still trying to decide what I'm going to do to the new hood, if anything, or leave it alone. Drawing ideas now.

With the lights, I may end up keeping a factory style light from whatever kind of vehicle, and leave it at that. I have to do a lot of thinking before I do anything.

LED hood light project completed

Reply #4 – September 02, 2011, 04:52:20 PM

So here's the phase 2 completed:

I'll get a night shot tonight if I can get the camera to capture the light properly.

After this pair, there will be at least 3 more pairs going in, I'm thinking 4 just not sure yet. 2 more pairs on the hood and either 1 or 2 more pairs in the actual engine bay. Pics when I get em.

LED hood light project completed

Reply #5 – September 02, 2011, 10:06:49 PM

Ok, so here's the night photos. Now these were taken with NO CAMERA FLASH. That's how bright just the two of these strips are. Now imagine what 6 more are going to look like.... two more are going in tomorrow.

I love LED's:D

LED hood light project completed

Reply #6 – September 02, 2011, 10:12:26 PM

nice I'll be working on custom led tails shortly, and this might be a follow up project. Maybe I'll do a design since I can get 300 leds and resistors for $12 on ebay lol

LED hood light project completed

Reply #7 – September 02, 2011, 10:14:37 PM

wow. those are cheap. I'm keeping an eye on your tail project

LED hood light project completed

Reply #8 – September 03, 2011, 11:42:28 AM

Phase 3:

LED hood light project completed

Reply #9 – September 03, 2011, 11:07:21 PM

Phase 3 at night:

Once again, no flash. These things are frikken bright, I'm not kidding. Just with the two pairs up there, I can almost work on my engine with no extra light. I really don't even need the 3rd pair but they're going up anyway. I wish the camera could properly capture the amount of light these things are really putting out. The first picture doesn't really do it justice at all, but the second pic gives a little better idea, still not really what I'm really seeing in person though. btw, the LED's aren't as big as the pics make them out to be, they're actually very small and much sharper looking. I don't know why they look so big and fuzzy on the camera but I couldn't get the proper focus no matter what I tried.

LED hood light project completed

Reply #10 – September 04, 2011, 02:06:57 AM

Looks good man, one of these days I'll have time to do something like that.

LED hood light project completed

Reply #11 – September 05, 2011, 08:38:44 PM

Phase 4 at night:

That pic right above is the real brightness. That's what it looks like to me. I really could work in there with no extra lighting unless I'm working under the block. Its that freakin bright.

The next step now is to fabricate a sheet metal box to cover up the switch and wires cause its pretty gnarly lookin...

LED hood light project completed

Reply #12 – September 06, 2011, 07:10:09 AM

Can you lengthen the wires and move the switch to say...the front of the core support so you can't even see it. Nice and tidy.

LED hood light project completed

Reply #13 – September 06, 2011, 07:36:02 AM

I thought about different places before I started the project but in the end the location I chose became the optimal spot for a few reasons so that's where it got left. It will look fine once I get my cover fabbed up and painted and put on. I'm actually working on it right now.

LED hood light project completed

Reply #14 – September 06, 2011, 10:14:25 AM

They look good. Perfect for at the track or at night, I'm putting this on my list

I'm making mine in the shape of a cougar head... I got dibs LOL