Console Light Idea...

[stevenr2185]

Has anyone done this or heard of it? I want to put a L.E.D. inside the console compartment so that when you open it the light will come on. I am just thinking of where I should put the light. The bottom or the top or both? tell me what you guys think.

[RocketFast321]

that is a good ideal, if you can put some on the side.

[highflyer]

I put an LED at the back of my center console in the space below the HVAC controls, and it looks great. I'm thinking about doing the same idea, so that I can see my CDs at night. Still thinking about where to put em....

[fleurie]

i would say put it on both the top and bottom of it, make it nice and bright for when you open it up

[Dragonsys]

How are you gonna make only come on when open?

[tenspeed]

Put a bunch in the bottom, then place a clear plastic shelf over them.

[grandizzle]

Originally posted by Dragonsys
How are you gonna make only come on when open?

use a push button, wire it backwards....when the button is pressed it kills the circuit, when its not (box open) the lights come on.

much the same way the door ding bells work on most cars, tehre is a button in the door jam that knows the door is open/clsoed

[tenspeed]

You could just wire them up to the dash lights. LED's last for thousands of hours, you'll never wear them out.

[highflyer]

I would just let them stay on with the panel lights - not really worried about LEDs burning out. Like tenspeed said, they'll never really wear out like a regular light bulb.

[T3rry]

yea, just let them run, it'd give a neat little effect with the light slightly leaking out win the dark.... just hook em up to yer auxility power

[stevenr2185]

Yeah I don't know if I want them to stay on all the time cause at night I might be able to see it through the space between the lid and console. But then a switch could be a little ugly....

Tenspeed the idea with the clear plastic, I had that idea and think I will try it out.

Anyway I am very busy with school so I don't know when I will get a chance to work on it. I gotta do this and try and fit a 99+ CAI in my 97.... Any ideas on that...... Thanks

[tenspeed]

Put a flash light in there and close the lid. You can see any light leaking that way. If you must have a switch, maybe one from a glove box would work.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by grandizzle
use a push button, wire it backwards....when the button is pressed it kills the circuit, when its not (box open) the lights come on.

much the same way the door ding bells work on most cars, tehre is a button in the door jam that knows the door is open/clsoed
False

A push button's on/off is the same no matter which way you wire it.

If it's 'ON' when pushed it it means that two contacts are completing a curcit. I'm not even sure what "Wiring it backwards" is supposed to mean, but if he thinks putting the button in the negative or reversing the terminals it still won't work. No matter how it's wired, the contacts in the button will not be touching unless they are pushed it.

I would personally wire them to the dash lights, or you can go to a salvage yard and snag a switch from a glove box that turns the glovebox light on and wire that in. Or even purchase a pin switch from a alarm system.

[ssvejiita]

hey where are you getting the lights from ??
and do you kno where your gona run the wires thro and hook em up to????
im really clueless when it comes to electrical

[stevenr2185]

about switches .... they have "on" and "off" switches meaning that some are always on unless you push down the switch and some are always off unless you push the switch.

as for where i got them.... I haven't yet but i will get some off of ebay. i really like the plexi glass (or acrylic) idea. I don't know what I will hook it up to... hook it up directly to the battery seems like an option but i am not sure... does anyone think i should run it through the fuse box or do you think it will be ok....

[tenspeed]

Those switches are call normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC). Some switches have both functions.

Electric switch tutorial (http://www.1728.com/project2.htm)

[highflyer]

I was thinking about doing the clear plastic idea which would look awesome, except that I modified the inside with a my own little custom CD holder to where I can't illuminate from the bottom. I think I'll do it with an LED in the rear of the inside of the console aimed forward.....