Engine bay lighting w/ switch in the car.

[yuriy]

Hey guys I want to put some LEDs in the future in my engine bay and want to make a switch inside the center console(doesn't have to be mounted anywhere just be in there so I can turn the LEDs on and off) but I have a problem figuring out how to get a positive wire from the battery to get to the switch through the firewall? or the wall behind the engine, I have an 07 Camry..but wish someone could show me some either images on how I could get a wire from the engine bay(battery) to the inside of the car..

Thanks! I tried looking for an answer forever..can't really find anything useful out there except from "CTMike" but I can't really get a hold of him, maybe I was too annoying with the questions sorry! lol.

anyways, hope someone helps! Thank you.

[CamrySExxx]

you said you dont really care for the switch in the glove comparment thing and it doesnt have to be moutned or w.e, so it sounds like you just want to be able to turn the led's on and off?

So im guessing you want it to turn the light on when you pop the hood in dark situations?

if so, why not just put a switch in the engine bay and make things easier, If not then disregard this.


You could search up the threads of where users ran then power cable for their sound systems. There is like a rubber gasket thing towards the left side of the engine bay, poke a hole and slide your power wire through there.

What you could also do is find a fuse that has a power source when you want (eg. constand, accessory..etc) and then run that into your glove compartment thing than out to the engine bay instead of running one from the battery -> to the switch -> then back out to the engine bay. I just woke up so i hope i make sense

[Redline_Me]

You can run the wires through the firewall where the steering column comes through. Just drill a hole through the rubber.

[workerant]

y not plug it in directly to the battery? It sits right there and wire the switch into the hood switch so when U pop it turns on right away.

[bandit]

This is the same type of installation as the CCFL Cathode Tube behind the grille. Only difference is instead of grille, its on the hood.

Behind the grill lighting..need help!

I wanted to do the same thing but instead of a switch, I want to wire it to my hoodpin from my Viper Alarm. When the hood is propped open, the hoodpin is up and LEDs light up the engine bay. When the hood is down, the switch is pushed down and turns light off.

[yuriy]

Originally Posted by CamrySExxx

you said you dont really care for the switch in the glove comparment thing and it doesnt have to be moutned or w.e, so it sounds like you just want to be able to turn the led's on and off?

So im guessing you want it to turn the light on when you pop the hood in dark situations?

if so, why not just put a switch in the engine bay and make things easier, If not then disregard this.


You could search up the threads of where users ran then power cable for their sound systems. There is like a rubber gasket thing towards the left side of the engine bay, poke a hole and slide your power wire through there.

What you could also do is find a fuse that has a power source when you want (eg. constand, accessory..etc) and then run that into your glove compartment thing than out to the engine bay instead of running one from the battery -> to the switch -> then back out to the engine bay. I just woke up so i hope i make sense

Thanks for your information, but yeah that sounds like a good idea but then again I don't really want my hood to light up every time I pop it up, I want to be able to control it from the inside I mean like in my center console to have a switch and it doesn't have to be mounted just laying around there and I can just turn the lights on/off from there, also you're right there is this rubberish type seal on the firewall or whatever and if I do puncture that do I need to seal the hole where the wire will be going through? and how can I get the wire from the inside of the car? I know I might take a look at the glove box, but I did and apparently I have not found anything on the back except the air filter, unless theres a way to take off the whole assembly that holds the glove box itself, not sure what to do..but I think it's a good way to start from, is with that rubber type seal there.

Originally Posted by Redline_Me

You can run the wires through the firewall where the steering column comes through. Just drill a hole through the rubber.

Am I thinking of the same rubber type seal? when you pop the hood its behind the engine towards the left?

Originally Posted by TTM77

y not plug it in directly to the battery? It sits right there and wire the switch into the hood switch so when U pop it turns on right away.

Don't want it to turn on every time that I pop the hood, want to be able to control that from the inside of the car, thanks though..it's a nice idea.

Originally Posted by dcemureviews

This is the same type of installation as the CCFL Cathode Tube behind the grille. Only difference is instead of grille, its on the hood.

Behind the grill lighting..need help!

I wanted to do the same thing but instead of a switch, I want to wire it to my hoodpin from my Viper Alarm. When the hood is propped open, the hoodpin is up and LEDs light up the engine bay. When the hood is down, the switch is pushed down and turns light off.

Yeah I wanted to do that as well before just put some sort of switch whenever you pop the hood things light up etc..you get the point.

Anyways that CCFL Cathode Tube DIY is nice, but I am a bit lost with how he ran the wire..

Example of what I am planning on, and I think it's correct just need to find out how I can run the two 12v wires through the rubber seal.



Also, a very important question if I have the LEDs on right I mean if I control the lights from the inside of the car and when you're driving at night obviously through the grill you'll see some light and let's say it's raining or something while they're on is it bad if water gets on the LEDs themselves where a bare wire for 12v and ground is? if so, how do I seal it? I don't want something to happen to the battery when water "MIGHT" get in contact with the bare wires.

Thanks

[Pawel062]

it depends. you can get leds that are waterproof and most strips are. check out hidplanet's led section. they have lots of info on leds and they sell some strips cheap.

[yuriy]

Originally Posted by Pawel062

it depends. you can get leds that are waterproof and most strips are. check out hidplanet's led section. they have lots of info on leds and they sell some strips cheap.

Yeah, the thing is the LED strips are waterproof but the wiring isn't I mean the ends aren't where you splice the wires to make the connections..how do I fix that? and is it bad for them to be bare? Thanks.

yeah i wanna some light there too, but i dont much stuff under there so there no point right now.
when u do it do a DIY so u can share to other pp

[Pawel062]

well you can just cover the wires in tubing like the harness' for hids are. it depends how and where you run the wires. you might just get away with them being bare.

[Netforcer]

Originally Posted by Pawel062

well you can just cover the wires in tubing like the harness' for hids are. it depends how and where you run the wires. you might just get away with them being bare.

They're called shrink wraps... you can get it at radio shack or any hardware store.. best method is to slip the sleeve in, solder the end, slip the sleeve up and heat it.

[Pawel062]

yea was trying to remember the name. i think i'm ready for bed. i'm way out of it.

[yuriy]

Originally Posted by Kenny_el2003

yeah i wanna some light there too, but i dont much stuff under there so there no point right now.
when u do it do a DIY so u can share to other pp

Yeah, after I accomplish a DIY will most likely be done for TN.

Originally Posted by Pawel062

well you can just cover the wires in tubing like the harness' for hids are. it depends how and where you run the wires. you might just get away with them being bare.

You mean the plastic tubing stuff that Toyota uses on most wires in the engine bay right? I mean in some, they are black that kind of look like a spring lol, sorry don't know how to explain their look.

Originally Posted by Netforcer

They're called shrink wraps... you can get it at radio shack or any hardware store.. best method is to slip the sleeve in, solder the end, slip the sleeve up and heat it.

Thanks, got to look into those, these will prevent water from getting into the connections right? not talking about floods or anything just like rain type or car wash water..

[Pawel062]

yea the shrink wrap will prevent water.

[touringcamry]

That looks like a pain in the butt install. I would add a relay to that circuit. At least that way I only have to run 1 wire through the firewall.

There's a hole in the firewall behind the glove box. Just use something to poke a hole in it.