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95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners 4th gen pickups and 3rd gen 4Runners

Lights in the engine compartment???

Old 12-10-2003, 07:05 AM
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Lights in the engine compartment???

Has anyone tried to do this? I know that GM (cough cough) puts lights under the hood to illuminate the engine compartment. Do I sense a new mod?? What do you think?
Old 12-10-2003, 07:13 AM
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Yeah, it's simple... go grab yourself a light from auto-boys and mount anywhere it makes sense too. Add an in line fuse right off the batt. terminal and stand in awe as your engine glows!
Old 12-10-2003, 07:28 AM
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I was told that Toyota doesn't add this because they don't need to, they don't break down like the rest.
Old 12-10-2003, 07:33 AM
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yeah i know but just like for checking the fluids at a dark gas station or something like that...i have found a need for it on different occasions.
Old 12-10-2003, 07:35 AM
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I was J/K I actually bought one I haven't installed it yet.
Old 12-10-2003, 07:36 AM
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I'm not 100% sure, but I think Jason B. already did it to his rig.

edit: if you go to his website and look under his mods section, he's got a page about it.

Last edited by Toyo_Runner96; 12-10-2003 at 07:38 AM.
Old 12-10-2003, 07:37 AM
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Jim,
where did you get the kit...i can't imagine that it was too expensive...
Old 12-10-2003, 09:00 AM
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or, how about a spring-assist to keep the hood open? if it can be done with the tailgate, why not the hood?

creed
Old 12-10-2003, 09:42 AM
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yeah that too!!!
Old 12-10-2003, 10:26 AM
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I know where you can get a good light

Gentlemen GM (hack, cough, choke, hack wheeze) made a very good light for their C/K series trucks in the eighties. It was a kind of trouble light on a self retracting reel. it had a switch on it and the bulb was a standard 1104 type. Some of the ones I saw where a little melted from the light being on too long but today we could use one of those new LED 1104s and solve that problem. There was an article in four wheeler i think about 12 years ago about mouning one of these in a jeep engine bay. all you would need to do is run a line from the batt. to the light with an inline fuse in it and you'd be .
I think the demensions of the unit were about 1.75" thick X 4.0"tall X 6.0" long. The cord was long enough to reach the rear wheels on an extracab long box so it could be used on ours to light up almost anywhere. i think you can still get the part from the GM stealers, if not there try your local puul n' save. I believe it was a standard part not an option.
Oh... and the 2 gen hilux did have an under hood light but it is awful it is small and dim and on the wrong (pass.) side of the hood all the way at the back so it does not light up squat. Those of us that have it need to check it carefully the reed switch that activates it is prone to failure causeing it to stay on constantly. If you have a mysterious batt. drain this could be it. cheers Aviator

Last edited by aviator; 12-10-2003 at 10:29 AM.
Old 12-10-2003, 10:54 AM
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here's one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2446754556
Old 12-10-2003, 11:31 AM
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My mom's old '88 Bronco XLT had one of those reel type lights stock;an rare good idea from Ford.
Old 12-10-2003, 05:03 PM
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Yea I got one from the junkyard the other week from an old celica/supra. It was tied into the parking lights(I think). I ended up using the bracket that it came with and used an in line fuse from radio shack and hooked it up. So that it wouldn't run constantly I ran it through a toggle switch that I mounted to the bracket. The light has a long cord that coils up inside the light so that it will reach all around the engine. The cord is ~2 ft long.
I wish that I had looked for one of those GM lights that will reach all the way to the rear of the truck.
Since it came off a Toyota it kinda looks stock.
Old 12-10-2003, 05:45 PM
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What a co-inki-dink. I was just thinking about this the other day. I just dumped a hood from my old Escort but salvaged the hood light. I was going to sell it on eBay, but decided to install it under one of my truck's hoods.
Old 12-11-2003, 09:49 AM
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Originally posted by saintsteve
here's one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2446754556
That one went for a kinda' pricey amount. I just won an auction for one at $18 (sorry if I outbid someone here!).

There are a couple of more up there... use this search if you're still looking:
http://search.ebay.com/search/search...rty=1&from=R10

The search looks for various combinations of "underhood", "under hood", "light", and "lamp".

These were the next on my watch list:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2446985319
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2447510308

The guy behind that top one has a bit of a chip on his shoulder though... But that may work in the buyer's favor by keeping people away.
Old 12-11-2003, 10:09 AM
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i saw that...dude thats harsh!!
Old 12-11-2003, 01:29 PM
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I know it seems a bit ricey but what about rope lights?


I'm thinking about putting these into the bed rails of my truck - hidden away but a good source of light for late night packing.
Old 12-11-2003, 01:31 PM
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Junkyard parts baby!! This type of light came in lots of different vehicles, mostly American. My roomates Cherokee and F150 both have them. A bunch of GM junk has them to. I can't imagine the's be more than about $8 at a yard where you have to pull your own parts. If you are lucky it might be more like $3.

Browsing junkyards dosen't suit everyone, I personally love it. Cool cheap stuff abounds!
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