I dont really wanna go the cathode route and I dont think the 6 or 9 LED solution will be bright enough...I have decided to make my own. I will post some pics when I get them finished.

 

for the trunk, I got a little circuit card that has 24 LEDs on it, with a 921-style male connector, from superbrightleds ( http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/pcblamp_T10.htm ). I think that unit is made to replace a dome light bulb. Cost is about $15, and it arrived in only a few days.

The back side of the printed circuit card has some resistors on it. So I used several layers of double-stick foam mounting tape to fill in the gaps and build a flat surface. Then I just stuck the unit onto the underside of the trunk deck, right beside the factory light fixture. The 921 male connector fits right into the factory light fixture, and the little plastic cage closes over the wires. Works just fine, so far. The result is definitely enough light. It is up behind the lip of the trunk, so I think it is protected from damage. And it seems sturdy enough that I don't think it will ever have a problem.

 

I didn't even think to use those....cool.

You don't find large items hit it?

 

The board with the LED's is thin, and the mounting location is higher than the bottom edge of the lip of the trunk. I doubt if even a large suitcase would be tall enough to hit it. Of course, I rarely actually use my trunk for much more than the spare tire and the emergency kit, and maybe a small package. Big things belong in the pickup truck, not in the trunk.

BTW -- I keep an emergency kit in each vehicle, including this one. The kit is a canvass bag with a zipper closure, the type they sell as a tool bag. In it is: a wind-up LED flash light, a few emergency flairs, a fluorescent orange poncho, a fluorescent orange mesh vest, a pair of work gloves, a tire-plug kit, a small air compressor, a pair of jumper cables, and just a few hand tools. The entire kit is only about 18" long, 12" wide, and maybe 12" tall. So it's not going to hit anything at the top of the compartment.

Those wind-up LED flash lights are great -- there is no battery to be dead when you need to use it.

I haven't found a good place yet to keep the fire extinguisher. In previous cars, I have secured it in the rear passenger-side foot well, so that I could reach from the drivers seat. (Fire extinguishers need to be accessible in a hurry, so it doesn't do much good to keep them in the trunk. I actually used one a few years ago, when someone else's car caught fire and I happened to be there.) I will probably end up putting it in the rear foot well on this car, too. But reaching back there in this car is quite a stretch. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

Which one did you order that fits the trunk bulb socket?

Thanks

John

 

On the ordering page http://www.superbrightleds.com/other_bulbs.htm#pcb
It is in a section labeled "T10 PCB series LED Lamps", and the product is labeled "T10-PCB-Wxx White LED Lamp". The description says "Miniature wedge base (194/168 type) 24 or 36 Super White LEDs - Wide 100 degree beam pattern 12 VDC Operation" The "xx" in the name is for the 24 or 36 LED version. One has 24 LEDs, the other has 36 LEDs. I got the 24-LED version. It makes plenty of light, illuminates the whole trunk, and only draws about 1 watt of power.

The key is that the male end of the plug fits into the same lamp holder that the little light bulb comes out of, and there is enough wire to run over to the mounting location an inch or so away. The "194/168" size lamp holder will accept a 194 or 168 lamp. The T10 type is the same size, but there are other lamps (fluorescents) that are also called T10, so that name can be confusing.

 

Thanks! Just the information I need. When I first got into the trunk on a dark night it was so dark I thought the light was burned out!

John

 

These are my cathodes







I tried using the quick disconnect terminals in that cathode link to ToyotaNation but it wasnt secure. I wanted something more universal that would work on all cars whether it be a Lexus, Toyota, Scion, Nissan, Honda, Ford, etc. The cathode and transformer pictured is from LOGISYS PC cathode kit. The light died out on me after 1 month and the tranformer would fry if you plugged the wedge bulb the wrong way. So I started to use Oznium cathodes as it was better made and built-in reverse polarity on the transformer. This is also safer and reliable for those who purchased from me so if they plug it in the wrong way, their transformer wont be shot.

The lights have held up since September. No problems what so ever. Its been through 0° weather to 100°+. Everything still working and bright. I also have images on my CarDomain from customers who have installed white or blue. No complaints so far.

I dont go into my trunk often but the times that I do, the cathodes makes moving, finding things so easy. Here is image of a 6-LED cool white bulb. If it was the stock bulb, it would of been yellowish and probably a little dimmer.