Changed up the lights in the hatch

Decided to get rid of the festoon bulb in the hatch, and replace it with a 30 LED strip from superbrightleds. IMO I think it came out really nice. I used the backing tape that came on the back of the strip to attach it to the underside of the package tray. Lemme know what you guys think!:thumbsup:

I did the same thing in my Jetta but with white lights so that it lights up the entire trunk not just the corner.

So, how do you remove the hatch tray now with an LED strip wired up and taped to the underside of it?

Waiting for some decent quality pics......

Dredknut said:

So, how do you remove the hatch tray now with an LED strip wired up and taped to the underside of it?

Click to expand...

I used some wire caps where I had to splice the existing LED wire's with the hatch wires. That way if I ever need to remove the package tray, I can just unscrew the wire caps.

enhanced rear compartment lighting

wilo_1979 said:

I did the same thing in my Jetta but with white lights so that it lights up the entire trunk not just the corner.

Click to expand...

x2 white LEDs.
Instead of adding lights to the hatch tray, just wired up a stock fixture on the other side too :biggrin:
Upgraded the bulbs with plug and play hi-intensity LEDs :wink:





The 42 mm festoon trunk LEDs I am using are superbrightleds.com LED bulbs -
High Power 6-LED Festoon bulb, Options: Cool White - 7000K 42mm 4210-xWHP6.


Cargo area light fixture - 42 mm festoon (aftermarket LED bulb shown, in use in the photos above) bulb tipped for better view


same bulb - operating position


left side - added light fixture

I did what he did ^ The OEM housing cost me around $25, the 2 led bulbs about $15 off ebay.

Turned out great, took about 1/2 hour to do, looks OEM, and I can still remove my hatch tray.

Next project? I'd like to DIY some puddle lights as seen here:



Or, possibly place the lights on the bottom edge of the door somewhere.

^^ hell yeah, and when u figure out how to do it, remember to post a DIY thread with lots of intricate pics! :thumbsup:

i really want puddle lights!

The guy in that vid apparently dremelled out the underside of his mirrors and epoxied some clear plastic in, with an LED light source behind it. He tapped the footwell lights for power and ran the wires through the door and up to the mirror. It required removal of his external door panel, and looks like a lot of work. While it looks great, I am not sure I am comfortable doing that to my mirrors.

I think I might pursue the door mounted puddle lights. The installation would be easier (interior door card removal), and the install wouldn't be as exposed to the elements. Either way the same effect is essentially achieved, light on the ground when the door is open. A lot of high end cars such as Lexus and BMW have this feature on their models.

I just have to get off my ass and do it :biggrin: