Anyone add accent lighting to the center console?

Driving at night outside of city-lights the other day and I realized the center console is pitch black. Literally had to fumble with putting my water bottle back in the cup holder. Other cars I've owned have some sort of very dim illumination so you can see the console area at night. Either a light in the console itself, or like my wife's Honda Pilot, a tiny blue LED than shines down from overhead. There anything like this available to Tacos, or am I just going to have to rig something of my own up?

 

Either footwell lighting (a few threads on it here) or the dual color map lights.

I prefer the red map lights. Wife can futz with whatever she does in the passenger seat and it doesn't bother my night vision.

For fumbling around for cupholders, I'd recommend the footwell lights.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/footwell-lights-that-don’t-suck.735488/

 

Yeah, I saw the dual color map lights. That's on the mod-list. But I'm thinking of something that is always on, and even the red map-light would be too bright to have on all the time. Footwell lights might work, thought I don't know how much light that would give up my the console area.

 

There are also a few outside-the-box tinkerers that have put mini LEDs inside the cupholders. They would be easy to wire up if you are into some DIY soldiering.

 

I’d love this in my truck as well. My wife’s 5th gen 4Runner has a small LED in the overhead that casts just enough light. It’s the panel with the MTS/Crawl control knobs. I know some 3rd gen tacomas have the knobs….maybe could be used/swapped from 4Runner?

 

Yeah, that's exactly what my wife's Pilot has.
I have some basic red LEDs laying around somewhere... wouldn't be hard to tap into something on the overhead console. The LED would have to be in a tube of sorts, so it casts the light more focused on the console, and not all over, and not be a glaring point of light in my peripheral.

 

I plugged a USB light in the port and it adds enough light in the bottom

 

I’ve got a footwell lights kit from Vleds, with a light added in to shine down on the cup holder area. You have to be careful to not shine the lights directly at yourself. But the Vleds are a really easy way to add lights anywhere you want in there. The aqua color matches the interior lights well.

 

My Outback has this - a small, recessed bluish/purplish led in the overhead console. Could you wire something up to the dash lights or marker light circuit?

 

The temporary mount

 

I just installed VLEDS footwell lights and I love them. If I was going to add more lighting for the center console, I'd buy the add on footwell lights for the rear seating and run them back in to the center console.

https://www.vleds.com/featured-vehi...coma/all-other/rear-fwk-universal-add-on.html

 

That's a pretty good idea. Looks simpler than trying to shine down from above.

I have also seen some people with a small light in the wireless charging area, but not sure if was a DIY custom thing, or part of another kit.

 

There is a light in the charging area on mine already, is it a trim package thing? But it is one small white led, I’ve covered mine with blue laminx All those panels are pretty easy to run the Vleds through, I had it in the arm rest at first but moved it a couple of times I think. Need one in the glove box.

 

doy... Just looked at mine... It has the little light by the Qi charger.

 

This is something that I’d like to deal with at some point, but want to have a very very dim red led in the cup holder side or rear, similar for the center console.


I can’t stand the blue color, and it is the D on the shift indicator is way too bright and reflects off the pass window.

Also I can’t believe the cup holders aren’t removable to clean, bad design

 

agreed, i put silicone cupcake liners in the ones i use the most, but to clean others i use a wet wipe and a dry paper towel, it does a great job.....the center flippers come out

 

Thinking to add some of these to the cupholders. The mounting nut is fine thread M6 so it mounts in a 1/4" hole. The datasheet also describes another style with flush face but I went with the recessed bezel for a bit more shielding.




link: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/apem-inc/Q6R7BXXR02E/3153268

Flush face: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/apem-inc/Q6F7BXXR02E/3153273

 

cheaper 6mm flush mount
https://www.ebay.com/itm/386933409451

 

Thinking to tap the 12V supply for the console armrest USB to keep the console piece self-contained upon removal

 

Now that has me going to check, never thought of that. Was just thinking cup lights.