Engine compartment light?

I was checking my oil and wonder'd what would happen if I plugged in a 1156 in to the empty engine compartment light socket and to my surprise it worked. My question is by what magic is it shutting off when the hood is closed, I can not find a switch and there are only a power & ground wire.

Wish i had a light under the hood. If yours is stock, do you have a pic to share?

The light should have a type of mercury switch that opens the circuit when the hood is closed there by turning the light off, IIRC.

Don't know about ours as I don't have one, but most engine compartment lights (all the ones mounted on the underside of the hood) have a gravity switch. Hood is horizontal (closed), light is out. Hood is diagonal (open) light comes on.

do you have a pic to share?

The light should have a type of mercury switch that opens the circuit when the hood is closed there by turning the light off, IIRC.

Correct. The mercury switch is internal in the light housing on mine. I also put in an inline manual switch just in case the mercury goes south. :cheers:

do you have a pic to share?

The light pulls out about 10 feet (?) and has a magnetic side to it so it can be attached to any metal part, kind off cool.

Thanks, i need to get one of those!

do you have a pic to share?

The light pulls out about 10 feet (?) and has a magnetic side to it so it can be attached to any metal part, kind off cool.

Hey, I have one of those! :D

do you have a pic to share?

The light pulls out about 10 feet (?) and has a magnetic side to it so it can be attached to any metal part, kind off cool.

Yup, probably the best factory underhood light ever.

I find them trashed and torn apart in the junk yard. Whay or why are they trashed? What are people trying to get out of them? The mercury?

The light should have a type of mercury switch that opens the circuit when the hood is closed there by turning the light off, IIRC.

 

Correct. The mercury switch is internal in the light housing on mine. I also put in an inline manual switch just in case the mercury goes south. :cheers:

:agree: I copied hornbrod's idea and put one on mine also. Most of the time I am working under the hood it's in my garage, so plenty of light and no need to drain the battery.

I find them trashed and torn apart in the junk yard. Whay or why are they trashed? What are people trying to get out of them? The mercury?

I have found many of them trashed as well. It could not be the mercury...as the amount is small at best. Most of the time folks either mess with them because they can (i.e. - "I don't know what it is but lets break it"), or they came in broken because the owner didn't know how to fix them. The internals are simplistic (except for the clock spring...be wwwery careful there - ask me how I know)....most I have seen have been hanging out and won't retract apparentl;y because the PO pulled it out and didn't feed them back in with care, causing the cable to get kinked or snagged.

except for the clock spring...be wwwery careful there - ask me how I know....

I can't let this one go, especially since you offered...so tell us, how do you know?

I only ask because I hate clocksprings, especially the ones in small 2 and 4 cycle engines that use recoil starter assemblies. I've been owned more than once by them..... :oops:

please share your experience with them, so I can laugh at someone else's misfortune other than mine, for once ;)

Jeff

do you have a pic to share?

The light pulls out about 10 feet (?) and has a magnetic side to it so it can be attached to any metal part, kind off cool.

Hey, I have one of those! :D

Hey Joe, did I sell one to you? Have you installed it? Is it working OK?

except for the clock spring...be wwwery careful there - ask me how I know....

 

I can't let this one go, especially since you offered...so tell us, how do you know?

 

I only ask because I hate clocksprings, especially the ones in small 2 and 4 cycle engines that use recoil starter assemblies. I've been owned more than once by them..... :oops:

 

please share your experience with them, so I can laugh at someone else's misfortune other than mine, for once ;)

 

Jeff

Well, the one that I finally decided to try and repair had been jammed by the PO, and after examining it for awhile I drilled out the 5 rivets surrounding the edge of the case, grasped both halfs and pulled hard. The damn clock spring emerged from all sides of the newly created opening and several loops actually sprang right out at my face.

Having no idea that the thing was possessed and wanted to slice my nose off (or worse), I abruptly yelled everyone's favorite adjective and threw it towards the ground, which only caused the evil spring to expand even further. When it finally finished flopping around like a beached fish, I grasped it firmly and finished the eviseration.

After carefully examining the parts, I noted the clock spring had been contained in a steel circle that had several pieces of steel across it. I re-seated the bent end of the spring, and then proceeded to cut the $h!t out of my fingers trying to feed it back into the "cage". Eventually, I managed to restrain it in the correct position, which could be compared to herding cats.

Compared to that feat, the rest of the re-assembly was anticlimatical. Now that I have done it, I will gladly re-build anyone's underhood light that wants me to do so, but understand when I tell you I will wrap the damn thing in a blanket first when I take it apart....

except for the clock spring...be wwwery careful there - ask me how I know....

 

I can't let this one go, especially since you offered...so tell us, how do you know?

 

I only ask because I hate clocksprings, especially the ones in small 2 and 4 cycle engines that use recoil starter assemblies. I've been owned more than once by them..... :oops:

 

please share your experience with them, so I can laugh at someone else's misfortune other than mine, for once ;)

 

Jeff

 

Well, the one that I finally decided to try and repair had been jammed by the PO, and after examining it for awhile I drilled out the 5 rivets surrounding the edge of the case, grasped both halfs and pulled hard. The damn clock spring emerged from all sides of the newly created opening and several loops actually sprang right out at my face.

 

Having no idea that the thing was possessed and wanted to slice my nose off (or worse), I abruptly yelled everyone's favorite adjective and threw it towards the ground, which only caused the evil spring to expand even further. When it finally finished flopping around like a beached fish, I grasped it firmly and finished the eviseration.

 

After carefully examining the parts, I noted the clock spring had been contained in a steel circle that had several pieces of steel across it. I re-seated the bent end of the spring, and then proceeded to cut the $h!t out of my fingers trying to feed it back into the "cage". Eventually, I managed to restrain it in the correct position, which could be compared to herding cats.

 

Compared to that feat, the rest of the re-assembly was anticlimatical. Now that I have done it, I will gladly re-build anyone's underhood light that wants me to do so, but understand when I tell you I will wrap the damn thing in a blanket first when I take it apart....

i rarely laugh at other peoples misfortunes, but I'm sorry that is the funniest thing ive read in a long time :rotf:

glad you were able to fix it!

do you have a pic to share?

The light pulls out about 10 feet (?) and has a magnetic side to it so it can be attached to any metal part, kind off cool.

Hey, I have one of those! :D

Hey Joe, did I sell one to you? Have you installed it? Is it working OK?

Yes you did. No I haven't. Don't know. :D Been too cold here to worry about underhood light. Just finished my custom cup holder and fixed my interior lights.

except for the clock spring...be wwwery careful there - ask me how I know....

 

I can't let this one go, especially since you offered...so tell us, how do you know?

 

I only ask because I hate clocksprings, especially the ones in small 2 and 4 cycle engines that use recoil starter assemblies. I've been owned more than once by them..... :oops:

 

please share your experience with them, so I can laugh at someone else's misfortune other than mine, for once ;)

 

Jeff

 

Well, the one that I finally decided to try and repair had been jammed by the PO, and after examining it for awhile I drilled out the 5 rivets surrounding the edge of the case, grasped both halfs and pulled hard. The damn clock spring emerged from all sides of the newly created opening and several loops actually sprang right out at my face.

 

Having no idea that the thing was possessed and wanted to slice my nose off (or worse), I abruptly yelled everyone's favorite adjective and threw it towards the ground, which only caused the evil spring to expand even further. When it finally finished flopping around like a beached fish, I grasped it firmly and finished the eviseration.

 

After carefully examining the parts, I noted the clock spring had been contained in a steel circle that had several pieces of steel across it. I re-seated the bent end of the spring, and then proceeded to cut the $h!t out of my fingers trying to feed it back into the "cage". Eventually, I managed to restrain it in the correct position, which could be compared to herding cats.

 

Compared to that feat, the rest of the re-assembly was anticlimatical. Now that I have done it, I will gladly re-build anyone's underhood light that wants me to do so, but understand when I tell you I will wrap the damn thing in a blanket first when I take it apart....

I have a factory light, but have found Chevy pickups use a extendable light on a cord that is long enough to walk all the way around the rig. It's much smaller, has a magnetic base and has a handle on it to roll it back up. It mounts to the fender and has a switch on it to turn it on and off. It also has a swinging latch to hold the light in place and any junkyard should have one. :brows:

I use the Chevy light and two mercury style underhood lights. The mercury lights are mounted about two feet apart so they light both sides of the engine bay.

I have a factory light, but have found Chevy pickups use a extendable lite.... and any junkyard should have one.

What model and year please? :huh???:

What model and year please? :huh???:

About 88-95 C/K1500-3500 pick-ups. Easy find, way longer wire lead and way smaller then the stock one. ;)

Be sure to grab the wiring pigtail with a few feet of wire too.

:cheers:

Cool, thanks. :clapping:

except for the clock spring...be wwwery careful there - ask me how I know....

 

I can't let this one go, especially since you offered...so tell us, how do you know?

 

I only ask because I hate clocksprings, especially the ones in small 2 and 4 cycle engines that use recoil starter assemblies. I've been owned more than once by them..... :oops:

 

please share your experience with them, so I can laugh at someone else's misfortune other than mine, for once ;)

 

Jeff

 

Well, the one that I finally decided to try and repair had been jammed by the PO, and after examining it for awhile I drilled out the 5 rivets surrounding the edge of the case, grasped both halfs and pulled hard. The damn clock spring emerged from all sides of the newly created opening and several loops actually sprang right out at my face.

 

Having no idea that the thing was possessed and wanted to slice my nose off (or worse), I abruptly yelled everyone's favorite adjective and threw it towards the ground, which only caused the evil spring to expand even further. When it finally finished flopping around like a beached fish, I grasped it firmly and finished the eviseration.

 

After carefully examining the parts, I noted the clock spring had been contained in a steel circle that had several pieces of steel across it. I re-seated the bent end of the spring, and then proceeded to cut the $h!t out of my fingers trying to feed it back into the "cage". Eventually, I managed to restrain it in the correct position, which could be compared to herding cats.

 

Compared to that feat, the rest of the re-assembly was anticlimatical. Now that I have done it, I will gladly re-build anyone's underhood light that wants me to do so, but understand when I tell you I will wrap the damn thing in a blanket first when I take it apart....

 

I have a factory light, but have found Chevy pickups use a extendable light on a cord that is long enough to walk all the way around the rig. It's much smaller, has a magnetic base and has a handle on it to roll it back up. It mounts to the fender and has a switch on it to turn it on and off. It also has a swinging latch to hold the light in place and any junkyard should have one. :brows:

 

I use the Chevy light and two mercury style underhood lights. The mercury lights are mounted about two feet apart so they light both sides of the engine bay.

X2 on the Chevy light, I have couple of the Stock Jeep (Ford) lights in my garage that do not retract very well.

I have a factory light, but have found Chevy pickups use a extendable light on a cord that is long enough to walk all the way around the rig. It's much smaller, has a magnetic base and has a handle on it to roll it back up. It mounts to the fender and has a switch on it to turn it on and off. It also has a swinging latch to hold the light in place and any junkyard should have one. :brows:

 

I use the Chevy light and two mercury style underhood lights. The mercury lights are mounted about two feet apart so they light both sides of the engine bay.

Can you post a pic of how your underhood lights are set up Tim?

My 94 Suburban has that light, but it does not have a magnetic base. Or it does and I never knew it did. Either way it's too cold outside right now to check.