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I wanted a bit more light in the cockpit while driving, so I could see the console area better. My solution was to pop out the dome light, change the stock, meager LEDs that are already there for something brighter, and add two additional LEDs. The result is a nice, soft red glow, just the effect I was hoping for.
The LEDs I used are ultrabright bright red, rather than amber like the stock ones. You could of course use other colors, but red preserves night vision better than other colors. The LED's I used are Vishay TLCR5800, bought from Mouser.com. The link takes you directly to this part number. The dome light can be removed quite easily by prying it out and unplugging the connector. Next I unsoldered the existing lamps and drilled these holes out to the new lamp size (13/64"). Then I drilled two more 13/64" holes, slightly outboard of the existing lamps, and inserted two additional LEDs, as shown in the photos below.
I wired all the LEDs in series with each other and then through a 120 ohm resistor, as shown in the photo below. The resistor, the cylindrical object just above the leftmost LED, limits the current through the LEDs to about 50 ma, which is the design maximum for these lamps. You can buy this at Mouser also- link here.
Considering that the total outlay for this mod was $1.25, it worked out pretty well. Happy motoring! Check out my low-profile front license plate holder. No holes required in the front of your bumper. |
