ambient light from map light area

[theliman]

Has anyone drilled a hole in the maplight area and put in an LED for ambient lighting? I know a lot of the Hondas/Acuras had it, I think I've read the 5th gen does too. Have seen some talk about doing it but not much.

Would love to throw a very dim blue LED up there (will be swapping gauge/hvac lights out) to light up center console/gearshift area. Any thoughts?

 

[Lolrax]

I would love to have one too, it helps a lot with finding/doing things in the dark without putting the lights on.

 

[WI_4Runner]

I would love to have one too, it helps a lot with finding/doing things in the dark without putting the lights on.

Ditto, and will watch this thread to see if can be done in a clean manner.

Loved the one my Acura sedan had.

 

[theliman]

Ditto, and will watch this thread to see if can be done in a clean manner.

Loved the one my Acura sedan had.

Thinking it would be nice to find a beige, plastic LED holder that would allow the LED to be recessed a little bit. Drill a hole and fitting that in, assuming some kind of lip, and it would look clean.

Would prefer to not actually see the bright source of the light, but just the light hitting the gear shift.

Metal doesn't look horrible since it might match the reflector in the map lights (not sure if it would for ours). See the pics where the lights are off. This set-up looks a bit bright for me though (at the source). With the ones I've seen, you hardly know it's there (no glaring light up top). http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1058506

This is stealthiest way to do I imagine but I think probably too bright at source for me http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/lighting/259297-ambient-led-console-lighting.html

 

[theliman]

wish he had more/better pics of final product but this looks surprisingly good

HOW TO: Ambient Light "Macguyver Mod"

 

[CookieRoe]

or you can do the GX470 overhead console swap (more involved and more expensive). This way, you get 2 OEM ambiente LED light

link: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/109354-gx470-roof-console-install-2.html#post1010347

 

[Cornelius]

I couldn't find anything in a quick search, but I'd be willing to bet that you could pick up a couple of replacement LEDs for the Lexus to use in your T4R mod... They'd be just the right brightness and I think they're already the reddish/orange color.

Looking forward to seeing where this goes. I, too, would love to do something like this.

EDIT: Oops, I just re-read that you were looking for a blue LED... Oh well. Perhaps you could still interchange the Lexus LED mount/holder/wiring harness to make the mod easier?

 

[theliman]

I couldn't find anything in a quick search, but I'd be willing to bet that you could pick up a couple of replacement LEDs for the Lexus to use in your T4R mod... They'd be just the right brightness and I think they're already the reddish/orange color.

Looking forward to seeing where this goes. I, too, would love to do something like this.

EDIT: Oops, I just re-read that you were looking for a blue LED... Oh well. Perhaps you could still interchange the Lexus LED mount/holder/wiring harness to make the mod easier?

Thinking I will avoid the lexus swap due to cost. I think am going to try the "macguyver" mod I linked to because it will allow me to have the light very recessed (who cares how bad things look "behind the scenes"?). The hole can have a nice beveled edge and look clean.

I would maybe add a film or something also somewhere in the recessed area to decrease output. Will update this thread as I work on it - may be a slow process. Still open to other thoughts/ideas.

 

[HokieRunner]

If you sand the top of the led with a more coarse paper, it should diffuse the light and probably decrease output at the same time. Can also put a higher resistor in line to achieve the light output you want. I picked up a spare rheostat a year ago to do an ambient light install like you're discussing (plus under each door handle) but it's still in the 'to do' category.

 

[gshadow325]

I'll do this in the next two weeks

 

[gshadow325]

modification DONE!!

link here
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...d-ambient-lighting-map-light.html#post1858424

 

[theliman]

Well over half a year later I finally got around to finishing my version of this.

I started by drilling a hole in the sunglass holder and then beveling it so there will be no angle at which any light would go back into the driver's eye.

I then cut different pieces of pen to be able to have the LED recessed. I cut out a piece of plastic milk gallon jug as a diffusing lens, which was also recessed. I also had to cut into the trim a little bit to allow to tube to fit - see pictures.

I wired the LED down to the fuse box and used an add-a-circuit/fuse to the taillight so that it goes on only when I turn the lights on.

This is the LED I used: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/surface-mount-smd/little-dot-smd-led-accent-light/639/1927/

Looks crappy behind the scenes but very clean where it matters!

Bevel:



First part of tubing had to be cut at an angle since there is a slope on that part of the piece:



Since the plastic from the map light tucks under part of the trim, I had to cut a spot for the recessed light:



In between the black and grey pen tubes is a piece of plastic milk jug. I used the "finer" portion rather than the courser bit, you'll know what I mean if you look closely at a container. I ended up having the wire go to the side instead of ahead. The LED fit perfectly into the round plastic piece, but I put tape over top of it anyway. The top piece is the outer portion of a Bic pen.



Final product:



I don't think a dark picture with a cell phone camera would do any good. I have tested it in some parking garages today - initially I had two separate plastic diffusers (based on how bright it was with one in my initial testing) but that was too dim. I think it is at a good brightness now - it didn't help much in the garage but there were still external sources of light, and when it's darker I want to make sure it's not distracting.

If I need it brighter I will cut the tube a little more so the LED is closer to the diffuser. I'm no physicist, but I think that will make it brighter.

I can't see a thing from my position as a driver, no distracting glare from above or anything. Will update if that changes based on more experience.

 

[gm350reratliff]

That is pretty cool and definitely on my list of things to do. As soon as I noticed the ambient light in my 5th gen I have been wanting to do something like that in my 4th gen.

Good job! :thumb:

 

[theliman]

Drove around last night, think it was a proper amount of light. If anything a hair too much, but I'll give it some time to see if it's distracting. I think it will be good, and I really only considered that it may be too much when I compared it to the ambient light in my girlfriend's pilot.