DIY: Strip Light- Coin Illumination

[ntextreme3]

I was insanely bored today and figured I'd go do something to my car, but I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. So, I thought about how annoying it is when I look for change at night and cant figure out what is what. I bought a pack of these pushbutton switches from radio shack (**normally closed**<-important), and decided to add a light to the coin tray that would automatically turn on when I open it. (I bought a pack of switches because I plan to so the same for the center console now that I had that idea)



If anyone decides to go through with this, read everything first and carefully or you might run into fitment issues.

Ok.. so, first step, was to take out the coin tray. I left out these pictures because it takes only a few seconds and I figure by now most people who would be interested in this diy would already have seen how to take out the coin tray. Basically pry up around the shifter, remove the screws on the tray, pop out the coin part with your fingers, and remove two more screws from behind.

Continuing on, you're left with this (My coin tray is back in here already but you can leave it out):



Now take a drill, or dremel with some type of small drill bit attachment, and make a small hole here:



Ill zoom in on that, because what im about to say is important. Don't follow the circles (blue in picture) as a guide. The arrow that says drill actually has one of those circles through it, and they are about the right size to fit the push button through so yes it is tempting, but if you follow the circle when you put the panel around the shifter back on the button wont be allowed to travel up and down. try to follow the blue circle (yes its a circle even if it looks like a square lol) and make your hole closer to the coin tray/front of the car. Try and make it just big (or small) enough so that you can almost 'thread' (twist) the switch through the hole without using the nut they give you (looks nicer in the end). It will be tight enough to hold up.



If you do it right, and thread it through it will look like this:





Now, I'm using a strip light that I cut down to 3 chips. I was originally going to carefully etch back the top cover and have the lights and the wire recessed, but since I ran into no fitment issues, and no need for it, and the fact that I dont mind it not being recessed, i just stuck it on the top, and tucked the wires through the back:



Now depending on how you choose to do you're wiring, you may want to improvise here. What I did (you'll see later on) is tucked both wires into the 12v socket connector, this way I can pull them out easily whenever I take the coin tray out again (possibly for another project.. next will probably putting manual switches in my car for the hardwired radar, usb charger, and lights, because right now everything is automated and i want some control haha)

anyway, If you use a strip light, separate the wires and figure out which is your positive. Cut it down to the size needed to just touch one of the connectors on the bottom of the switch. Stick it through the hole, and pretty much tie it to itself. I soldered it after this point, but it will most definitely hold on its own (I've done it before just fine).



Take another wire, and attach it to the other connector. Now, off to the car. With the switch attached, the bottom will not fit with the stock plastic bracket that goes across in front of the shifter, so, you have to trim it down a bit (no need to go all the way). Line it up the project with the plastic piece, mark it off, and cut it like here (don't mind the red wire in the picture, I took these out of order)



After its cut, you can tuck your wires in just like I did to mine. I lodged on in at the top on the ground side of the connector, and the red one up from the bottom on the positive side. That's so they wouldn't touch each other it one managed to slip out while driving (I wasn't too worried, their tight enough to tug on).



The of course, put everything back and smile at your new project. The stock spring isn't strong enough to force the switch all the way down, so be careful how high you make the switch. It needs almost no force to turn off the light, so don't worry if you dont have it on too far.



Here are two at night, one with the rest of the lights in the car on, and one with only the new coin light on.





I also have a video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-xF7WRXo_E

[paperboy42190]

lol nice mod! looks very cool!

[Honda247]

Thats cool. I like that its bright. The use of the switch is genius. Nice work bro......

[berg]

Not bad!

[ikethegreat]

Cool mod. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually opened the coin tray up though.

[Accordriver]

Originally Posted by ikethegreat

Cool mod. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually opened the coin tray up though.

x2 lol, I'm probably going to do a similar mod with my console compartment here soon though

[ntextreme3]

Yeah lol well iuse it a lot because I get hundreds of coins on deliveries and at night I have to dig through a lot. I'm going to also use the switch on the center console and glovebox so I figured id try it there first because there's nothing really to take out (even though the glovebox would be easier). I have a million wires running under the console for my hardwired gps, usb charger, aux port, and other lights, so I need to leave a lot of time for my console.

[A1one1nDarkness]

Not bad at all

[gatrhumpy]

Nice! Might have to do this with the center console!

[accord-boy]

i wouldnt do it but still, a good mod

[ntextreme3]

Originally Posted by gatrhumpy

Nice! Might have to do this with the center console!

I should be doing my center console tomorrow. Usually I have a buncha free time on wednesdays , so ill probably do it since I have enough stuff sitting around. Haven't decided which light I want to use yet though. May need to do some testing. Ill put pics up tomorrow if I do it.

[gentledental4u]

necessity is the mother of all invention...good job!!