ElectroBoy
Banned
I installed my version of cargo dome lighting in the back headliner of my 18 ORP. I got inspiration from these threads that document the process through text and photos as how to run cabling from the hatch door into the headliner.
[MENTION=122109]DATX[/MENTION] 15' Limited Cargo Light Mod - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
[MENTION=54940]Snooperstyle[/MENTION] Cargo area LED light mod!
[MENTION=51572]gmoney35c[/MENTION] Cargo Dome Light Install - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
And of course [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION]
I wanted the light overhead in the headliner, not surface mounted on a side panel. And I wanted a switch to provide the typical ON-DOOR-OFF function of the other interior lights. I did not want to cut a big hole in the headliner to install a Toyota OEM dome light module, so I used a flush mount Oznium bolt LED 3W. It only needs an 11 mm hole poked into the headliner with an exacto blade. This thing is very bright but it gets rather hot to the touch if it’s powered on for a while, so I mounted it with a stainless washer and to an aluminum plate above the headliner to act as a heat sink.
LED Bolt Flush Mount Lights | Bright + 12 Volt | Oznium LEDs
There’s about 1-2 inches of room above the headliner in the angled area near the rear window to do the install. It was a long reach and I didn’t want to crinkle the headliner fabric with my arm in there, so I used a long flexible grabber tool to position the backing nuts on the LED threads and a wooden dowel rod to spin them on and snug them up to the aluminum plate. Kind of like robotic surgery.
It’s not a difficult mod but it took me a few days to accomplish it, being very careful and deliberate, since I’ve never dug into this area of the truck before. Fishing the cable wires through the hatch door, through the rubber boots, into the headliner and down into the rear brake light access panel took a good amount of time.
I made three solder connections to the driver side hatch door light wires instead of wire taps like others have used. I hate wire taps. Especially in the hatch door which takes a lot of impact when being slammed shut. The LED/switch circuitry is connected in parallel with the hatch door switch/light. All wires and cables are sleeved and tie wrapped/taped for abrasion protection and to look OEM.
Cable sleeve TechFlex https://www.amazon.com/TechFlex-F6N...20+Feet&qid=1561662593&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr2
Tesa Tape 51036 https://www.amazon.com/Tesas-Advanc...s,+BMW,+Audi,&qid=1561663229&s=gateway&sr=8-3
The switch (ON-OFF-DOOR) is mounted in the driver side brake light access cover and wired through a pin/socket connector for ease of removal.
The switch is a small ESwitch SPDT (ON-OFF-ON) RB145E1100 from DigiKey https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/e-switch/RB145E1100/EG4748-ND/2116227
The switch and LED work well. It lights up when the hatch door opens and fades out when closed. It also provides on/off control of the headliner light for nighttime illumination when sleeping in the back.
The previous thread postings and the photos below tell the story.
[MENTION=122109]DATX[/MENTION] 15' Limited Cargo Light Mod - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
[MENTION=54940]Snooperstyle[/MENTION] Cargo area LED light mod!
[MENTION=51572]gmoney35c[/MENTION] Cargo Dome Light Install - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
And of course [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION]
I wanted the light overhead in the headliner, not surface mounted on a side panel. And I wanted a switch to provide the typical ON-DOOR-OFF function of the other interior lights. I did not want to cut a big hole in the headliner to install a Toyota OEM dome light module, so I used a flush mount Oznium bolt LED 3W. It only needs an 11 mm hole poked into the headliner with an exacto blade. This thing is very bright but it gets rather hot to the touch if it’s powered on for a while, so I mounted it with a stainless washer and to an aluminum plate above the headliner to act as a heat sink.
LED Bolt Flush Mount Lights | Bright + 12 Volt | Oznium LEDs
There’s about 1-2 inches of room above the headliner in the angled area near the rear window to do the install. It was a long reach and I didn’t want to crinkle the headliner fabric with my arm in there, so I used a long flexible grabber tool to position the backing nuts on the LED threads and a wooden dowel rod to spin them on and snug them up to the aluminum plate. Kind of like robotic surgery.
It’s not a difficult mod but it took me a few days to accomplish it, being very careful and deliberate, since I’ve never dug into this area of the truck before. Fishing the cable wires through the hatch door, through the rubber boots, into the headliner and down into the rear brake light access panel took a good amount of time.
I made three solder connections to the driver side hatch door light wires instead of wire taps like others have used. I hate wire taps. Especially in the hatch door which takes a lot of impact when being slammed shut. The LED/switch circuitry is connected in parallel with the hatch door switch/light. All wires and cables are sleeved and tie wrapped/taped for abrasion protection and to look OEM.
Cable sleeve TechFlex https://www.amazon.com/TechFlex-F6N...20+Feet&qid=1561662593&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr2
Tesa Tape 51036 https://www.amazon.com/Tesas-Advanc...s,+BMW,+Audi,&qid=1561663229&s=gateway&sr=8-3
The switch (ON-OFF-DOOR) is mounted in the driver side brake light access cover and wired through a pin/socket connector for ease of removal.
The switch is a small ESwitch SPDT (ON-OFF-ON) RB145E1100 from DigiKey https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/e-switch/RB145E1100/EG4748-ND/2116227
The switch and LED work well. It lights up when the hatch door opens and fades out when closed. It also provides on/off control of the headliner light for nighttime illumination when sleeping in the back.
The previous thread postings and the photos below tell the story.
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