Overhead Console Lights Mod

[MapleLeafMerc]

I would love to pay someone for a mod to light up the buttons on the overhead console in my car (interior dome lights and HomeLink system). What a pain finding the correct button in the dark (which in Canadian winters is 23.5 hours per day) Please don't tell me yours are lighted...

[Bigdogjim]

OK! We won't tell all Marauders sent to the States have a back lite button.....:lol:

[jgc61sr2002]

I agree the buttons are hard to find at first. IMO once you get use to them they are no problem. Although the location is poor.

[studio460]

Yup, MapleLeaf--you hit the nail on the head! I CAN NEVER FIND THE &@$*&%!*@#&% LIGHTS MYSELF!!! WHY DIDN'T MERCURY JUST EMPLOY THE SAME "SWITCH" they used in the backseat (the ones where you only have to find the lamp housing, where the housing IS the switch)?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I'm SURE they won't fit the front lights . . . will they?

[TripleTransAm]

I agree... not only that but the switch itself is crap. No positive action, many times I end up finding the right switch, pushing it, nothing happens (not pushing hard enough for a 'click') and then I move on to other buttons... Then I have to light up the interior, look up, see that I DID have the right button initially, push it, push it HARDER... ah, there's the "click"...

[Ross]

I'll buy this if anyone invents it!

[joflewbyu2]

dab the buttons with the glow in the dark paint - the ones that glow greenish white.

[cyclone03]

Ok Gun Guys help me out here.
Don't they sell a glow in the dark paint for gun sites?
Go to a real gun shop,not major sporting goods outlet,and ask them for "site light"I think thats what it's called.

[MapleLeafMerc]

Thanks for the suggestion, joe and cyclone-

I was hoping that some member or members would be able to "McGyver" a light into them. I don't know what the glow-paint looks like in daylight, but I can imagine it looking a bit messy and amateurish, at least if I did it.

[Dr Caleb]

I don't know about the paint, but a couple well placed red or green LED's would do the job, and be unobtrusive at night. Tied in to the marker or dashboard lights would work. They could even take power from the compass, as they'd draw less than a milliamp.

[Glenn]

I also have the same problem locating the garage overhead door switch and overhead light switches. The best solution is simply a small instrument light placed inside the overhead console and wired to the compass power. It can be turned on with the ignition. The light from the small bulb will "leak" out of the slots for the switches and very nicely identify the switch location. This is a must mod that our best mod man on the net - "vegasmarauder" could easily do. How bout it vegasmarauder.

Glenn

[Directedby]

When I got the car I sent the homelink to the middle button. At night, I couldn't find it. I felt around and always pressed the wrong button. So I programmed all 3 buttons to open the garage. I call it 'dealers choice'.

However...

1. Instrument light is a great idea, but it would be trick if it is tied into the headlight switch for power.

I have an option on my stereo which at night it dimms the radio because it is tied to headlight switch.

therefore the light would only come on at night.

2. Glow in the dark paint is also a good idea. If applied well, it could work. I think the glow in the dark paint comes in a 'pen' application and maybe a large dot would be enough to see.

[Petrograde]

Originally posted by cyclone03
Ok Gun Guys help me out here.
Don't they sell a glow in the dark paint for gun sites?
Go to a real gun shop,not major sporting goods outlet,and ask them for "site light"I think thats what it's called.

Trijicon makes Nite Sites,... but, they come on new sights. I don't think they sell the paint.

Tom

[BlackVelvet]

Years ago us military guys used to put 2 strips of glow in the dark tape on the back of our patrol caps. They were called "ranger eyes" so you could see your buddy in the dark. I'm sure you can get some 3m glow tape and cut out pieces for the buttons. That's what I'm gonna try!

[MapleLeafMerc]

Right!... That's it then!

I nominate vegasmarauder as chief engineer, with Glenn and Glenn :D as assistants. All other members feel free to pile on, as necessary :lol:
Any seconders? Oh, and could someone let vegas know? :P

[gilby04]

MapleLeafMerc,

Those button switches seem to be a "maintained contact" type, rather than a "momentary contact".
I remedied the issue, similar to the mod done by Directedby, but I fitted a "japanned textured finish" rectangular shaped bar across all (3) buttons...easy to find at night and the finish affords a friction grip for a fingertip.

[Directedby]

I put some glow in the dark stars on my son's ceiling. Actually a couple of hundred. They are different shapes and sizes and apply like stickers.

I have a sheet left over and some of the stars are round dots.

I am going to give them a try.

[Donny Carlson]

There's already an LED near the home link buttons that burns red when you depress them. Seems like you could install different colored LED's for the buttons themselves and for the map light switches, tied into the power for the other LED. except "aways on" whenever the car is on, like the lighting for the window switches and door locks. These could be installed along side the buttons/switches as a guide.

There is another method that doesn't require all this work. Don't look at the buttons. Place your hand against the console in the area just behind the buttons (towards the middle of the car), palm down (towards the floor). Move your hand slowly towards the windshield. Your middle finger should contact the middle homelink button first, the outer left button should be just at your index finger tip and the outer right button just at the tip of the finger next to your middle finger. If you don't want to use the home link, just keep moving your hand down, brushing your fingertips along the surface. The next buttons are the (left) map light, (middle) control button for the compass and (right) map light.

If you practice this, it works very well. I can operate the homelink buttons in my MM without looking at them while the car is in motion, opening my garage door and turning on the lights outside and inside the garage about 50 feet before I enter my driveway. I can also turn on either map light in the dark no problem.:coolman:

[Directedby]

Here is the sheet of stars. You can see it also has small round dots that also glow.

[Directedby]

Here is the result.

Not as bright as I would like, but you can now see the buttons.

[drgnrdr33]

I was also annoyed by the buttons hiding up there in the dark. It took a lot of work, but I now have them backlit with 3 LEDs powered off the compass. They are lit up enough @ night to easily find the LAMP and MODE buttons without being distracting. I was able to do this w/o drilling or hacking into any of the plastic housing, etc, so you see no external difference from the original look, except you can now see an outline of each button @ night. :up:

I also looked at back-lighting the 3 Homelink buttons. Because these 3 buttons are part of one long and thick rubber sheet, I can't see a way to backlight them w/o serious mods to the plastic or rubber.

If I had a digital camera I'd post pics. If any one is interested, I can post instructions later. Don't have time now....

[Racerx88]

Looks like Mercury listened to us on this one. The '04's have little green lights built in. Don't miss my '03 at all.

[TripleG]

I inserted a small flash light wrapped with a little velcro between the passenger side seat and the console. With a little twist the ceiling becomes bright enough to see the bottons.

[2003 MIB]

Ok Gun Guys help me out here.
Don't they sell a glow in the dark paint for gun sites?
Go to a real gun shop,not major sporting goods outlet,and ask them for "site light"I think thats what it's called.

www.brightsights.com sells the paint.

[vegasmarauder]

I actually am working on the setup to use micro LED's to side light all the roof buttons. Should be pretty easy to do. Wire it in the running light feed so they come on with the rest of the lights. I have the parts, and am working on the engineering to make it easy to do and work with existing parts. I am pretty sure I can get it all to work and not look or function any different. When I get it done I'll post the full tech article and pictures.

The dark buttons are a big pain for me as most of my driving seems to be at night....

[MapleLeafMerc]

I actually am working on the setup to use micro LED's to side light all the roof buttons. Should be pretty easy to do. Wire it in the running light feed so they come on with the rest of the lights. I have the parts, and am working on the engineering to make it easy to do and work with existing parts. I am pretty sure I can get it all to work and not look or function any different. When I get it done I'll post the full tech article and pictures.

The dark buttons are a big pain for me as most of my driving seems to be at night....


Thanks vegas— I knew you'd come through! :banana: :beer:

[MapleLeafMerc]

I was also annoyed by the buttons hiding up there in the dark. It took a lot of work, but I now have them backlit with 3 LEDs powered off the compass. They are lit up enough @ night to easily find the LAMP and MODE buttons without being distracting. I was able to do this w/o drilling or hacking into any of the plastic housing, etc, so you see no external difference from the original look, except you can now see an outline of each button @ night. :up:

I also looked at back-lighting the 3 Homelink buttons. Because these 3 buttons are part of one long and thick rubber sheet, I can't see a way to backlight them w/o serious mods to the plastic or rubber.

If I had a digital camera I'd post pics. If any one is interested, I can post instructions later. Don't have time now....

Thanks drgnrdr! I wonder how your solution compares to vegasmarauder's.