Lighting the Glove Box

[uktotty]

Before

Empty it

Remove it
Earth it

Drill7MM Hole for PTB Switch

Insert switch and wire back to perm live behind head unit

And VOILA!

[Draggon]

Im liking that.....bit too bright for me, but then that is is the purpose.....but still liking that.
The wife is complaining about light inside the car.....she only moans in the winter months.

Have you done the Footwells as well...or planning too?

Also, what switch did you use? i suppose I could get one from local Maplin.

Thanks

[Gif]

Don't wire to permanent live!

Two problems with that in my experience

1)  Push to break switches are difficult to set correctly with limited clearance so there is a danger that you will have a glove box closed with the light on and another drain on the battery if laid up.

2)  If you leave the car parked, a good security prevention against break-ins is to leave the glove box open to show there is nothing in there to nick eg Sat Nav or Removable HU face plate. You can't do this without the light being on.

IMO it's better to wire it into the cig lighter live so it goes off with the key.

PS That's the exact same drill hole I made for a Maplins push to break switch.  It's better if you can position the LED unit up behind the glove box lip on the left hand side of the catch.  That way it shines into the glove box and not in your eyes.  Worked perfectly for me but I did have to make these to achieve it.  Also used them for footwells and they came out really subtle even if they don't look like Ikea manufactured them   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

[Gif]

Also, what switch did you use? i suppose I could get one from local Maplin.

Thanks

If you decide on doing it Draggon, PM me cos I have spare Maplins switches here FOC

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=2494

[Draggon]

Also, what switch did you use? i suppose I could get one from local Maplin.

Thanks

If you decide on doing it Draggon, PM me cos I have spare Maplins switches here FOC

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=2494

Cheers Gif...was thinking of doing the footwell lights that come on when door open or when interior light is manually turned on. Not sure about later function, but may give it a go.

[Gif]

I did my footwell lights with the same led units I made. Picked up a permanent live for these behind the kick panel, think it was the lighting circuit from memory but not absolutely certain  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  anyway it's done no harm if it wasn't and the LEDs are only low current anyway.

The door switch earth circuit is behind the same kick plate on the passenger side so all very neat.  Ran both footwell lights from here by taking the feed across under the dashboard and into the driver's footwell.

Wiring into the interior light circuit is a whole can of worms.  In order to use the light switch to isolate the footwell units you would have to run the earth line up to the interior light and then wire it into the door switch circuit I believe and it's not that simple when you get up to the light from memory.  I just couldn't be you know what!

How many times does anyone want to switch off their interior lights anyway   s:?: :?: s:?:   What are they doing in their MR2 that they don't want others to see   s:scared: :scared: s:scared:

[uktotty]

I'm liking that.....bit too bright for me, but then that is is the purpose.....but still liking that.
The wife is complaining about light inside the car.....she only moans in the winter months.

Have you done the Footwells as well...or planning too?

Also, what switch did you use? i suppose I could get one from local Maplin.

Thanks

Maplins 7mm push to break as per the other guys posts

[uktotty]

Don't wire to permanent live!

Two problems with that in my experience

1)  Push to break switches are difficult to set correctly with limited clearance so there is a danger that you will have a glove box closed with the light on and another drain on the battery if laid up.

2)  If you leave the car parked, a good security prevention against break-ins is to leave the glove box open to show there is nothing in there to nick eg Sat Nav or Removable HU face plate. You can't do this without the light being on.

IMO it's better to wire it into the cig lighter live so it goes off with the key.

No way, many many times I have gone to the car to get something from the glove box, I dont want to go and open the drivers door, turn on the ignition, get out of the car move to the other side, open the passenger door, remove my shaver, then do the complete reverse.
That was the WHOLE reason for using a perm live, the same as the rear bins.
Also if I left the glove box open people would see all the stuff I leave in the glove box!

[Gif]

Why do you need to go to the passenger side to get something from the glovebox, it aint that far away from the drivers seat   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

And I don't think your average hoody would want somebody else's shaver   s:?: :?: s:?:

I have got so fed up of people breaking my passenger window to see if the radio front is in the glovebox!  I always leave the glovebox open now as a signal that it ain't worth bothering cos there's nothing left in the car worth nicking.  Even if there is sometimes   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Or as an alternative put a switch in the circuit somewhere so you can disconnect it if you decide to !

[uktotty]

To access the glvoe box from the drivers side I need to sit in the car, just prefer to open the passengers door, open the glovebox, see what I want and remove it!
Each to there own but this is my preffered method for ease of use, never had my car broken into round here, maybe I live in a better area.

[Gif]

Hope you were touching wood there!

I had mine broken once in broad daylight outside my office in front of a street full of passers by who watched the bloke run off   s:evil: :evil: s:evil:  It is just unlucky I guess.  

Accept your point though.  My MR2 is a second car so I don't need to live in the glovebox.