Under Bonnet Light
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Under Bonnet Light
Ever broken down at night and found that the batteries on your torch are also flat?
Here is the answer which makes nightime repairs so much easier.
Drill and fix a suitable light capable of running a 21W bulb to the bonnet cross brace. Note, the light must be insulated from the cross brace.
Drill and fit a door courtesy light switch to the inner wing seam, the bit where you rest your spanners etc., where the bonnet cross brace meets it.
Run a wire from the fuse box to the light and the earth return back to the courtesy light switch. Cut the wires and re join them with bullit connectors so that you can disconnect the light when necessary.
The light will switch on when the bonnet is open and off when it is closed, leaving you with two hands to change the fan belt, plugs, points etc.<br><br>
Here is the answer which makes nightime repairs so much easier.
Drill and fix a suitable light capable of running a 21W bulb to the bonnet cross brace. Note, the light must be insulated from the cross brace.
Drill and fit a door courtesy light switch to the inner wing seam, the bit where you rest your spanners etc., where the bonnet cross brace meets it.
Run a wire from the fuse box to the light and the earth return back to the courtesy light switch. Cut the wires and re join them with bullit connectors so that you can disconnect the light when necessary.
The light will switch on when the bonnet is open and off when it is closed, leaving you with two hands to change the fan belt, plugs, points etc.<br><br>
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- Minor Legend
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- Minor Legend
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Nice idea.
I have some handy stuff too that would make it even more user friendly. Some adhesive ally tape that can be stuck inside the lense or on the back of a torpedo bulb to direct the light away from your eyes and toward the engine bay. Very handy stuff for boosting the courtesy light in-car.
I have some handy stuff too that would make it even more user friendly. Some adhesive ally tape that can be stuck inside the lense or on the back of a torpedo bulb to direct the light away from your eyes and toward the engine bay. Very handy stuff for boosting the courtesy light in-car.
Older and more confused than I could ever imagine possible.
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I have a bunch of 12V flourescent lights which I used to use in my garage for lighting, I keep meaning to fix one under the bonnet and one in the boot - they have an integral push-button switch which means you only switch them on when you need it, and when you do they take very little power ;D
One of these: http://cpc.farnell.com/_/mh103/22-fluor ... dp/CP03260
They are pretty bright, and you could leave it switched all night and still have enough charge to start the engine (I used to charge my garage battery about once a month with 5 or 6 of these running for a few hours a night)
One of these: http://cpc.farnell.com/_/mh103/22-fluor ... dp/CP03260
They are pretty bright, and you could leave it switched all night and still have enough charge to start the engine (I used to charge my garage battery about once a month with 5 or 6 of these running for a few hours a night)
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I've got far too many cars for this to be practical - I'll keep my LED head torch for now ;-) 12v recharger lives in the Eurobox, so am never without charged batteries... unless the job takes all night!
12v flourescent is a very good idea though.
12v flourescent is a very good idea though.
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block