[Mk2] [NA] Simple glovebox mod that makes me a lot happier

[inky]

The only thing that bugs me about the interior on MR2s is there's no light in the glove box ... Fumbling around there in the dark and the interior light just doesn't illuminate that far.

So today I put one in. A strip of 9 micro LEDs from Maplins costing £4.17, a bit of wire to extend it to the ignition ring bulb (easiest and cleanest source of power), so now when I'm parked just pop the door a little bit and the glove box is all bright and glowing. Result

If you have the wiring diagrams you can also splice this into the wiring for the red door courtesy light, but time was short today so I took the easy way out.





Now all I need to do is clear all the crap out of it

[JohnnyC]

I like mods like this, adding new 'modern' features that our cars lacked in the 90s

Top job

[RabRS]

Would it not be better to wire it into the instrument illumination??

As you'd only need it when it's dark. And you have your lights on when it's dark.......

Plus, saves opening the door and getting wet to get something out of your glovebox!

[inky]

Well yeah, but when I put my Speedhut dials in I found it a pain in the ar$e to get the instrument cluster out, plus the wiring on them isn't very long so now they're in place it'd be hard to take the instruments out to wire the glovebox to them.

I figured you usually have to stop anyway to look in the glovebox, or you'd be distracted trying to find something in there, so its not such a big deal to just pop the door a crack - the plungers that activate the interior light are sensitive, so you don't have to open wide to get the light on.

Hey I was in a hurry, it seemed like a good idea when I did it and it's pretty effective, so I'm happy enough. The wiring's all there, so if I get a bit of spare time one weekend I could always have a go at connecting it to something else.

Funny how we can have a light in our ash tray, but not in our glove box

[RabRS]

Fair enough! I'd have taken the 12v from the heater controls though. Easy to get to and right next to the glovebox. And I agree about the light in the ashtray but not the glovebox.....

Why would anyone want to look IN the ashtray?

[inky]

Well .. I look in mine to sort through all the screws, nuts, bolts and bullet connectors I have managed to collect while taking my dashboard to bits

[RabRS]

Well .. I look in mine to sort through all the screws, nuts, bolts and bullet connectors I have managed to collect while taking my dashboard to bits

[oBladeo]

I got my hands on a toms dash insert a while back and that seems to look really good

[JeffD]

Might be haveing total brain failure here so bear with me...

Isnt the ashtray illuminated? Wouldnt it be easier to extend the wiring from there to make aglovebox light? Or even re-locate ashtray light as the glovebox light? Dont know why you would want to light up ashtray

[inky]

Yeah taking it from the ashtray probably would have been easier - it comes on with the lights, and thats basically all you need for a power source.

Maybe change it at the weekend.

[JeffD]

Must admit its allways been a bit of a puzzle to me why they would light up an ashtray but not he glovebox - can only asume chief designer was a smoker who kept his fags in his shirt pocket LOL

[flackie666]

Well .. I look in mine to sort through all the screws, nuts, bolts and bullet connectors I have managed to collect while taking my dashboard to bits [thumleft]

haha seems a few mr owners have an ash tray full of bit and bobs

[mishadbull]

You could add a mercury type switch and then it'll only come on when you open the box.



Mike

[fearless]

you have the ciggy lighter ring aswell you can use that comes on with lights thats easy to get to

[inky]

You could add a mercury type switch and then it'll only come on when you open the box.



Mike

Or just put a plunger switch in the glovebox to cut the power, open to complete the circuit = light on when its wired to the ciggy lighter power - not the bulb

We have a winner! I'll do that this weekend.

[mishadbull]

Yeah a plunger would work too, I just was not sure ya wanted to cut your dash to install one.



Mike

[inky]

Nah that'd be ok, I've got a hole in the back of it where I had the leads to run to the PS2, so I don't think another one's going to make much difference.

Just need to find a miniature one, will have a browse on Maplins.

[Monaco]

Must admit its allways been a bit of a puzzle to me why they would light up an ashtray but not he glovebox - can only asume chief designer was a smoker who kept his fags in his shirt pocket LOL

You light up the ash tray so that if you're smoking in the car at night, you know where to tap your fag. Otherwise you end up getting ash over the carpet, and stubbing your fag out on the centre console.

As was pointed out, you only really should be looking in the glovebox when the car's stationary, whereas if you're smoking whilst driving, you do need to be able to recognize where the ashtray is out of the corner of your eye; hence the illumination.

[marcnoonan]

Cool,

Defo a design fault not having the glove box light but nice fix, I've done the same sort of thing with my boot with a 2m led strip hidden under a carpeted strip. Can see the chinese deliveries well with it.

Door thing to turn it on though isn't that good an idea, but the plunger will sort it.

Good tinking

Marc