Deck Light Mod

[RAD4Runner]

Decklight is puny and gets blocked often so I removed existing incandescent bulb and simply...

1. Mounted/stuck LED array above the wiper mechanism housing.
   
   
   
   (I happened to have flexible array, or else I would have installed an LED fixture on wiper housing instead.)
2. Ran wire into wiper compartment, and ran it down the rear pillar to left rear corner to join wiring harness
   
   
3. Then tapped off power to LED array from the back of the existing decklight fixture.
   
   

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Results:

Note that taillights have to be on in order to turn on deck light. Next phase would be to rewire so decklight circuit takes power from domelight circuit.

I could have mounted on roll bar but I often tie something to that and ropes would damage wiring and LED array. A bonus... is that the rollbar blocks glare of the LED light when driver looks behind or through rear-view mirror.

BTW, that's the first of two shoulder seatbelts I'm installing from second-gen 4Runner.

 

[illzoni]

Cool. Two mods I'd like to copy!

 

[ToyoTech]

nice. i did mine with an old toyota dome light. wired it to the small cargo light on the side so i can turn it on and off from the front.

 

[SV_Dude]

I think you need more rope on your spare tire.


The light looks good! I may copy that on my dome light.

 

[RAD4Runner]

nice. i did mine with an old toyota dome light. wired it to the small cargo light on the side so i can turn it on and off from the front.

Clean install! Ultra light LEDS' in that fixture would be brighter. Yeah, mine basically replaced the deck light so driver control form front remains the same. However, I will wire it to dome light fuse, instead of tail light fuse so I can turn it on form the deck,without having to scramble to the front to turn tail light on first.

I think you need more rope on your spare tire./QUOTE]

LOL! PO installed after-market bumper that blocks jack handle extension from reaching my spare tire lift- I had to disassemble the lift to get the spare tire out. It'll stay on the rollbar until I get a swing out spare carrier.

The light looks good! I may copy that on my dome light.

Yeah LED's make an evenly-spread light.

 

[Thurlo76]

hhhmmmm........ that looks so.... so similar...... does yours have a switch to turn it on and off from the back also? i have the main power switch in front then one in the back so at like the drive ins or somthing we can get all the popcorn off of us. you can also mount some under each door so when you open them the light comes on.... or you can wire one up to light up the passenger floor mat..... its pretty easy to be honest...

 

[RAD4Runner]

hhhmmmm........ that looks so.... so similar...... does yours have a switch to turn it on and off from the back also? i have the main power switch in front then one in the back so at like the drive ins or somthing we can get all the popcorn off of us.

Yes, Thurlo76. Got the standard 2-way control for the deck light. Mod still uses the switch on fixture near jack storage compartment, but I took out the stock incandescent bulb (too much power, little light and is often blocked) so only the LED array uses the current (low anyway).

you can also mount some under each door so when you open them the light comes on.... or you can wire one up to light up the passenger floor mat..... its pretty easy to be honest...

I'd prefer to stick to more functional and safety mods and to keep it simple 'tho. However, IF someday I decide to out door speakers and run wires to door anyway, then I'd surely add courtesy lights coz their so easy to make - and definitely LED's

In near future, I want to add:

• fender-mounted turn signals. It makes perfect safety sense, I'm shocked that U.S. models of even late gens are not required to have it. Meanwhile, the OLD Toyota pick-up (British model?) in Top Gear's "Killing a Toyota" feature already had it.
• Backup beeper (plug and play)

 

[Bad_Vision]

do you have a picture of the LED strip you used and how its mounted?

 

[Thurlo76]

i used a LED strip from amazon. i got 16ft of it for $8. its cuttable so it was enough to wrap up and around the whole role bar, a strip under each door, a strip under the jockey box to light up the passenger floor mat, and 2 strips under the hood so i dont have to hold a flashlight in my mouth ever again.

it had 3m sticky side on the back. and it shows no sign of coming off. ill have to post some pictures tomorrow. i cant believe i havnt yet.

 

[RAD4Runner]

do you have a picture of the LED strip you used and how its mounted?

i used a LED strip from amazon. i got 16ft of it for $8. its cuttable so it was enough to wrap up and around the whole role bar, a strip under each door, a strip under the jockey box to light up the passenger floor mat, and 2 strips under the hood so i dont have to hold a flashlight in my mouth ever again. it had 3m sticky side on the back. and it shows no sign of coming off. ill have to post some pictures tomorrow. i cant believe i havnt yet.

Bad_Vision, Thurlo's sounds similar to what I got. It's flexible, encapsulated in soft plastic (urethane maybe?), with double-sided tape on back. I bought mine a certain length when I was on travel in China- so probably same source as Thurlo's; near the border with HK, there's a market building about 5 stories high full of stuff from tools, electronics, gadgets, magnifying camera's, fried chicken cart, etc LOL!

Thurlo, I like the idea for under the hood, but not sure how that stuff will last with all that heat. However, a removable one that mounts with a magnetic strip would be nice.

 

[Thurlo76]

Bad_Vision, Thurlo's sounds similar to what I got. It's flexible, encapsulated in soft plastic (urethane maybe?), with double-sided tape on back. I bought mine a certain length when I was on travel in China- so probably same source as Thurlo's; near the border with HK, there's a market building about 5 stories high full of stuff from tools, electronics, gadgets, magnifying camera's, fried chicken cart, etc LOL!

Thurlo, I like the idea for under the hood, but not sure how that stuff will last with all that heat. However, a removable one that mounts with a magnetic strip would be nice.

i drove across oregon in 100 degree weather a few weeks ago, then i drove to northern idaho last week in 105 degree weather and it hasnt moved a bit and they still work. i only did it because i had extra haha and i know at some point in the future it will come in really handy

 

[foonanas]

I removed my deck light and rewired the switch up front to feed these two lights.

LED's I used

I put one one each side and put a SPDT switch and tied it in with the switch up front and now I can turn it on from up front and turn it off from the back. Or the other way around.. I always forget to turn it off while I am packing up from a night dive but when I get in the cab and see it on I can turn it off from the switch up front.. It's a sweet set up..

 

[RAD4Runner]

I removed my deck light and rewired the switch up front to feed these two lights.

LED's I used

I put one one each side and put a SPDT switch and tied it in with the switch up front and now I can turn it on from up front and turn it off from the back. Or the other way around.. I always forget to turn it off while I am packing up from a night dive but when I get in the cab and see it on I can turn it off from the switch up front.. It's a sweet set up..

Cool.
My controls remain stock (controllable from either front switch of decklight fixture switch in back), just basically do not need the puny deck light bulb in the hidden corner.

 

[Thurlo76]

here is what my role bar looks like. the pictures dont do it justice. these things are BRIGHT!!!!! i also wired them under the door so when you open the door the dome light (which i also converted to white LED) and the strip under the spacific door you open lights up. i dont have any pictures of the ones under the hood but its pretty simple, just wired it to a switch and a fuse in the fuse box then ran it to the lights.