Glovebox LED Light DIY

[OHJeeper]

Ok, so I've owned Jeeps (Wranglers and now a JT) for years and the one thing they have never had is a glovebox light. Not really a deal-breaker, but I travel a lot and often find my passengers fishing for items in the glovebox at night with their cell phone lights on so I decided to make my own glovebox light.

I have a 2022 with the LED package, which also has LED footwell lighting. I do not know what the other models have, so this assumes you have the same lights to tap into.

Items:

• 4-Pin Wiring Harnesses so you don't have to splice factory wires:
  • (1) Tyco 1456983-1 Female Harness - https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/571-1456983-1 - $1.25/ea
  • (2) Tyco 6-1419166-1 Male Harness - https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/571-6-1419166-1 - $2.78/ea
  • (8) Tyco receptacles for the male harness - https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/571-1719958-1-CT - $0.06/ea
  • (4) Tyco male pins for the female harness - https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/571-1438299-4-CT - $0.128/ea
• 18g wires - 3 colors
  • Factory colors are Black, Yellow, White (I subbed red for white because I had some lying around)
• (1) Footwell LED light - 68346813AB - $26.00
• OPTIONAL: cloth tape to match factory wiring (amazon? I can't remember where I got mine)

No the male/female doesn't make sense - yes, pins go in the female harness and receptacles go in the male harnesses in this application)

First step, make a wiring harness like so:

One end will have both a male and a female connector - this is the end you will start with under the dash where the existing footwell light is (passenger side).

Here are the pin locations (you will connect 3, even though it's a 4-pin connector).

Under the dash, disconnect the harness currently connected to the footwell light and then connect this new wiring harness in its place

One lead will plug into the existing footwell light (so it continues to work) the other end will plug into what used to plug into the footwell light (the feed from the BCM) like so:

Remove the glovebox completely so you have room to work.

Bring the wires up the left side of the glovebox opening between the metal reinforcement you can see in this pic (below) and the HVAC duct (in the pic you can see it with some grey foam near the bottom where it's touching the metal support). There is just enough room to get that wiring harness through there and route it up the left side of the glovebox. There is a nice groove to route the wires up the side.

When you get near the top, route the wires BEHIND the support that holds the glovebox arm that allows it to "soft open" instead of just falling when you open it (I hope that makes sense). Otherwise, when you reinstall the glovebox the wires will get pinched or caught in the mechanism.

I chose to mount the light on the upper left side for a few reasons:

1. Originally I thought right in the middle, on the tab that holds the glovebox in place, would be good. But, if you mount it there, that tab can no longer flex upwards and you can't ever remove the glovebox again without breaking something.
   • In the picture below, the tab I'm referring to is right in the top middle with the plastic "ribs"
2. Mounting it on the right side I was afraid any light would be coming toward the driver and could be a distraction
3. I thought about mounting it IN the glovebox frame, but it didn't light up the contents very well and required some cutting I wasn't willing to take on.
4. There is a great spot on the left side you can wedge the new footwell light there with some adhesive and it's not in the way and still lights up really well:
   • You can barely see in the pic, I put adhesive tape on the top and bottom where it contacts the plastic (on the bottom) and the upper metal dash support (above it).

Ignore the zip-tied wire in this pic: completely unrelated to this project!

Finally, the finished product in action:

Hopefully some of this was useful!

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[ShadowsPapa]

You must turn on the courtesy lights, correct?
Ever thought of just a hot and ground to a light with a switch in place?
Then open the glove box and have light?

 

[OHJeeper]

The way these are wired, they will work with the courtesy lights (i.e. Door Open) or via the ambient footwell lighting.

I thought about a switch, but also not a good spot for one with this glovebox.

 

[Kevin_D]

You must turn on the courtesy lights, correct?
Ever thought of just a hot and ground to a light with a switch in place?
Then open the glove box and have light?

Sheesh!
Logic!
With the ambient lighting, there should still be light in the glovebox, but it’ll be rather dim.

Kevin

 

[3VOLVE]

Creativity at it‘s best! Nice solution and write up!

 

[OHJeeper]

With the ambient lighting, there should still be light in the glovebox, but it’ll be rather dim.

It's actually pretty bright because it's such a small space.

And... it's better than zero light

It was a fun project, even if no one else finds it useful!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The way these are wired, they will work with the courtesy lights (i.e. Door Open) or via the ambient footwell lighting.

I thought about a switch, but also not a good spot for one with this glovebox.

Was wondering as I've dug through the glove box while the truck was in the garage, and it was dark trying to find something.
I guess much of the time the right door would be open in that case.

It's a clever idea with very few parts needed.

It was a fun project, even if no one else finds it useful!

Trust me - I've wondered about a light in there - and either using the idea directly as you did, or just as "inspiration" to do it in some other way - posts like this are useful.

I've bought strings of lights when trying to rig my wife's prior sewing machine with better lighting (she has since spent 11 grand on one with fantastic bright LED lights) - the light strings I bought run on 12 volts and can be cut to length - and still run on 12 volts.

You may be surprised as to how many find it useful either as a direct copy of how you did it, or by taking it and running with it with some mods.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

................and wouldn't you know it, I have a mouser account and order from them and digikey every so often.............

 

[OHJeeper]

I also have all the Mouser part numbers to build a "license lamp reverse lockout" if you're interested. Reversing at night without those stupid bright lights is a game changer!

 

[3VOLVE]

I can also see this as a solution to folks who want to hook up their rock lights to their footwell lighting since they are triggered when the doors are on locked with the fob.

Keep the ideas coming Austin!

 

[johnparjr]

Im too lazy to wire I used one of these but great idea

https://www.amazon.com/BUTTON-LAMP-...ocphy=9027699&hvtargid=pla-625435101014&psc=1

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I can also see this as a solution to folks who want to hook up their rock lights to their footwell lighting since they are triggered when the doors are on locked with the fob.

Keep the ideas coming Austin!

Not so sure I'd power them through that light-duty circuit but as a trigger, yeah.....
These things voltage regulate and monitor circuits.

 

[Cape taco12]

That’s wicked cool, Looks factory.

Let me know if you find the part #s to do a 2-low mod pigtail.

 

[3VOLVE]

Not so sure I'd power them through that light-duty circuit but as a trigger, yeah.....
These things voltage regulate and monitor circuits.

Yes, concur as a trigger. didnt mean to imply that it would be a direct hookup. Good to clarify so that folks wouldn’t assume it was.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I also have all the Mouser part numbers to build a "license lamp reverse lockout" if you're interested. Reversing at night without those stupid bright lights is a game changer!

You are taking ground at pin 6 and the backup light driver at pin 5- and what, a relay?
Where are you breaking the license plate lamp circuit?

BTW - anyone with the Oracle bumper mount backup lights and the plug and play harness has what you show behind your left tail light....... I modified mine so that my Oracle backup lights can be on either in reverse, or via an aux switch.

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