@Ranger_b0b recently started a thread about upgrading his under hood light. His post got me thinking, so I took a few hours this afternoon and installed a new under hood light.
After some ebay searching, I located a corded under hood light. These corded under hood lights were on GM trucks between 1988 and 1998, I think.
I paid $23.00 with shipping. When it arrived it was very dirty, but a little cleaning and everything looked good. I initially connected the light to a battery and the light worked fine.
Light assembly after cleaning.
While pondering the location to install this light I decided that the center channel under the hood. I am one of those people that keep all of the extra bolts, nuts, screws, washers, bolts, etc. I located 2, 10mm self tapping screws.
The light was originally mounted using three holes with "ears" on the rear. These "ears" prevented me from mounting the light flat against the Jeep's hood, so I cut them off flush with a Dremel.
I had no intention of keeping the OEM Jeep light so I took it off and used the factory wiring to power the new light.
Cut them off flush.
The 10mm self tapping screws.
Here is the light mounted on the Jeep hood.
I then connected the light using the GM harness, wrapped the wires in split wire loom and ran the wires down the hood channel and simply connected the GM harness to the wires for the Jeep under hood light.
Here is the light connected, without the bulb cover. You MUST turn this light on and off by a lever type switch. Even the new location is a much better light than the OEM Jeep light. I am waiting on an LED, 1156 that I ordered from Amazon, so the light output then will be much, much brighter. I'll post more pictures ones it arrives.
In the picture below, all of the lights are on in my garage.
Here is a picture with ONLY the old bulb. The new location is much better.
The retractable light is really, really neat. You do not need to "un-reel" the light, you simply pull it out and go where you want. The light also does not self recoil, so it will stay out as long as you need it. When you are through, you simply reel the light in. Work very easy.
Here is the light extended down the drivers side all the way to the rear. I had plenty of wire left to extend. I measure the cord all the way extended and it was 18 feet. Yes, 18 feet. Should be standard on so many vehicles in America. I guess it's a price point issue.
This was a very simple and functional modification. I would suggest that EVERYONE find one of these and do this mod. There were not many of these lights on ebay when I started looking.
I have been informed that the back of the extended light pod was magnetized. Mine was not. I know there are two different part numbers for this GM light, so maybe one has a magnetic base and one does not.
When you install this light, you need to do something that I did not.
I simply cut the OEM Jeep light in order to get a power source, but when I made the connections, no power??? I turned the ignition switch on and noticed "nO fuSe" was blinking where there is normally miles. I tracked this down and it was NOT the 50amp IOD fuse located in the fuse box under the hood. Perplexed, I checked all of the fuses and the #26, 10amp accessory fuse was blown. I guess it happened when I "snipped" the OEM light wires.
Remove the #26 fuse before you begin.
After some ebay searching, I located a corded under hood light. These corded under hood lights were on GM trucks between 1988 and 1998, I think.
I paid $23.00 with shipping. When it arrived it was very dirty, but a little cleaning and everything looked good. I initially connected the light to a battery and the light worked fine.
Light assembly after cleaning.
While pondering the location to install this light I decided that the center channel under the hood. I am one of those people that keep all of the extra bolts, nuts, screws, washers, bolts, etc. I located 2, 10mm self tapping screws.
The light was originally mounted using three holes with "ears" on the rear. These "ears" prevented me from mounting the light flat against the Jeep's hood, so I cut them off flush with a Dremel.
I had no intention of keeping the OEM Jeep light so I took it off and used the factory wiring to power the new light.
Cut them off flush.
The 10mm self tapping screws.
Here is the light mounted on the Jeep hood.
I then connected the light using the GM harness, wrapped the wires in split wire loom and ran the wires down the hood channel and simply connected the GM harness to the wires for the Jeep under hood light.
Here is the light connected, without the bulb cover. You MUST turn this light on and off by a lever type switch. Even the new location is a much better light than the OEM Jeep light. I am waiting on an LED, 1156 that I ordered from Amazon, so the light output then will be much, much brighter. I'll post more pictures ones it arrives.
In the picture below, all of the lights are on in my garage.
Here is a picture with ONLY the old bulb. The new location is much better.
The retractable light is really, really neat. You do not need to "un-reel" the light, you simply pull it out and go where you want. The light also does not self recoil, so it will stay out as long as you need it. When you are through, you simply reel the light in. Work very easy.
Here is the light extended down the drivers side all the way to the rear. I had plenty of wire left to extend. I measure the cord all the way extended and it was 18 feet. Yes, 18 feet. Should be standard on so many vehicles in America. I guess it's a price point issue.
This was a very simple and functional modification. I would suggest that EVERYONE find one of these and do this mod. There were not many of these lights on ebay when I started looking.
I have been informed that the back of the extended light pod was magnetized. Mine was not. I know there are two different part numbers for this GM light, so maybe one has a magnetic base and one does not.
When you install this light, you need to do something that I did not.
I simply cut the OEM Jeep light in order to get a power source, but when I made the connections, no power??? I turned the ignition switch on and noticed "nO fuSe" was blinking where there is normally miles. I tracked this down and it was NOT the 50amp IOD fuse located in the fuse box under the hood. Perplexed, I checked all of the fuses and the #26, 10amp accessory fuse was blown. I guess it happened when I "snipped" the OEM light wires.
Remove the #26 fuse before you begin.