Recommend a Dome Light

drizzle · #1 02-21-2006, 12:32 AM

My friend just bought an older Jeep Cherokee with a non-functioning dome light. He tested the connections and there is no voltage at the light. He wants to put a battery powered self-contained light up there. Any suggestions?

OddBall · #2 02-21-2006, 03:14 AM

Hey

I saw a dome light suited to landcruisers or something - maybe it will suit a jeep??

I think it was a link from CPF here, maybe have a snoop around the manufacturers forum and the like. Sorry I can't give you a direct link

***EDIT: I think it was a 1 watt star LED powered by the existing electrical contacts.***

ACMarina · #3 02-21-2006, 06:27 AM

I think it's Sylvania or something, they make a little tap-light with 3 LEDs in it. You could get a few of them and use them as map lights and everything. I got mine at Advance Auto..

Monolith · #4 02-21-2006, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OddBall

Hey

I saw a dome light suited to landcruisers or something - maybe it will suit a jeep??

I think it was a link from CPF here, maybe have a snoop around the manufacturers forum and the like. Sorry I can't give you a direct link

***EDIT: I think it was a 1 watt star LED powered by the existing electrical contacts.***

See TaskLED (link below). I have 3 of these powered by the vehicle battery. Highly recommended. If you don't have power, but have wires, wire them up to the battery.

TaskLED Dome Light Link

drizzle · #5 02-21-2006, 02:28 PM

Thanks for the information. I may want to experiment with that myself.

Unfortunately that won't work for what my friend wants. If he went to the trouble to get the Jeeps electrical power wired back to the dome light he would probably just use the stock light. He's looking for a quick and easy "stick to the roof with velcro" kind of light. Maybe a converted headlamp would do the trick.

Monolith · #6 02-21-2006, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drizzle

Unfortunately that won't work for what my friend wants. If he went to the trouble to get the Jeeps electrical power wired back to the dome light he would probably just use the stock light. He's looking for a quick and easy "stick to the roof with velcro" kind of light. Maybe a converted headlamp would do the trick.

I guess the easiest thing would be a glow stick.....just keep it handy in the glove box and break it whenever you need interior lighting...plus you can pick whatever glow colors you want....really impresses the ladies.....

For me, it would be easier to fix the OE domelight than hunting down a battery unit and messing with the batteries, but to each his own.

As a side note, there are also auxiliary LED lights that plug into the cigarette lighter and come with ON/OFF switches. Just another suggestion.

zespectre · #7 02-21-2006, 02:35 PM

Does your friend want the light so he can see in the rear of the vehicle or just the front? (also, are you saying both dome lights are out front and rear?)

If he just wants to see in the front get one of these, my wife loves it for map reading... Radio Shack Map Light

Depending on where your friend lives I doubt he'll be happy long term with any battery powered "stick in place" solutions but also a lot of drug stores carry flourescent tube lights (about 5" long) that run on 4AA batts and can be put about anywhere. They work well on NiMH batts as long as he remembers to charge them once in a while.

ACMarina · #8 02-21-2006, 02:37 PM

Try this - The Sylvania Dot-it

http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/fifth/dotit.htm

Monolith · #9 02-21-2006, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACMarina

Try this - The Sylvania Dot-it

http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/fifth/dotit.htm

Any room for Luxeons? Now that would be a light worth using!

Maybe Gadget_Lover can chime in. He wrote an Amazon.com review of the light.

Bunch of posts on this but here's one (looks like just what you're looking for):

Sylvania DOT-It light thread

drizzle · #10 02-21-2006, 04:27 PM

Thanks again. I'll recommend the Dot-It to him but also recommend that he seriously consider fixing the wiring problem.

ACMarina · #11 02-21-2006, 04:36 PM

It's one of two things, I'd bet - something really simple that won't take any time at all to fix (fuse?) or it's something serious that needs to be corrected so that there aren't any more problems. Losing a dome light is one thing - losing power to the instrument cluster is a whole new ball of wax..