DIY Factory style automatic center console light

I've been adding led interior/exterior lighting lately. Footwells,bedlights etc. and I decided to add a light to my center console because I can't see in it in parking garages or at night.

I took my time and had my center console apart for a few days while I figured out what I thought was the most elegant way to add a light to it. I didn't want to drill a hole in it for a switch. Instead I used a plastic covered mercury tilt switch and a small strip of Led lights left over from my bed light install. I was initially going to use just one 5mm LED but I felt like this was more light and fit perfectly under the little lip at the back of the center console where the hinge is.

To remove the center console pull up on the back of the drink holder trim piece. Once that pops out reach under and push up on the two front retainer clips for the shifter trim piece. Pull up and it will pop out clip by clip, it takes a bit of force. Then remove the carpet from the center console cubby by pinching it and lifting up. Undo the two 10mm bolts and then undo the 2 screws that that attach the center console cubby to the rest of the trim. Unless you have small hands you will also need to undo the other 2 screws and remove all the center console to get at the illumination wire to tap into it.

Materials:

One Mercury switch which I mounted in the console lid. You can take apart the trim piece and cut one of the bracing with a pair of scissors and mount the mercury switch in the lid with double sided tape
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-Mercury-Tilt-Switch/dp/B0002ZPBKM



18 guage wire red for pos and green for ground
some quick disconnects so I could unplug the center console easily and or the LED strip to replace/remove
one 22-18 t-tap I tapped into the green +12v wire for the shifter Illumination.
a couple feet of wire loom to protect the wire all the way from the shifter illumination to up inside the console housing.

I got one M8 flanged bolt and used that for my ground where the inverter bolts would normally go (I don't have the factory inverter)

Video: testing the switch wiring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_L_p5eA05Q



I used a right angle drill to drill a small hole for the wiring inside console. This is a shot looking up from inside the console normally you can't see the led strip at all.


I tapped into the +12v illumination for the shifter led so the console light would only be active when the headlights are on. This was intentional as since I can't see the light during the day I didn't want it to be 12v anytime in case it somehow stayed on.

Here is a movie of the console light in action. the light looks alot more blue than it actually is. It's pretty much white.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eSOEAgHzsQ

This whole project cost around 10ish bucks. switch was 4.50 wire was 2 dollars loom was 3 bucks.

 

this is genius!

 

Thx the only hurdle for some ppl will probably be the right angle drill kit as they are kinda pricey if you don't own one or have a friend with one

 

Might need to attempt this

 

embeded the videos and added an additional pic

 

not that it really matters, but that thing will come on and off all the time when you hit bumps. My OCD mind couldnt handle that......

 

No it doesn't I've tested it and shaken the shit out of it. if you install it correctly and get the angle right it only comes on after a certain degree so you'd have to roll your truck. Also with no headlights on it doesn't have power anyway. Furthermore even if it did flicker on (which it doesn't) with a bump it's a couple of leds and uses virutally no power. The key is to pad one side of the switch more double sided tape.

 

A+ job here Op.

 

I like that you wired it with your headlights. I just have a decent understanding of how mercury switches work and always thought you couldnt use them for in-motion purposes. They are typically used in secirity systems for the hood lift detector. others could consider a magnet switch too, but theyre kinda big. Anway nice mod!

 

for the most part you're going to be stationary anyway when using the console. Also the advantage here is you don't put some ugly momentary switch on the top lip of the console and drill a big hole. If you were really OCD as well you could really pad the switch on one end so it didn't turn on till it was open quite a bit

 

Sub'd

 

i'm thinking about taking apart the electrical and adding a grommet to that hold inside the cubby I know it's plastic but it's the right way. trying to fight off the lazy. Maybe I'll just tape it.