License Plate lights

[ChuckTu]

My question is what was your trick for getting them in and out? There is a large crash bar in the way of mine and I don't have small enough hands/arms to get around it

 

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[pinebaron]

My question is what was your trick for getting them in and out? There is a large crash bar in the way of mine and I don't have small enough hands/arms to get around it

Quite easy since even I did not have the strength to turn light sockets; use an 11mm open ended spanner to turn it open, small enough to get in there and you only need a teeny-weeny bit of movement to turn it counter-clockwise. You can close it back up using your hand; its only hard turning it counter-clockwise to open, closing it back up is easy.

 

[SF_Ret]

One the GMC cheaped out on. I think the license plate lights are the only non LED lights? Or they are like a 2-3000k (yellow) rather than 5000k. I plan to change them to a 5000k color. I’m guessing that should be an easy swap. Has anyone done this yet and can share which lights they bought?

Even cheaper, there's no light under the hood when I check the oil in the garage. I bought it used 2021 but there is no mention of hood being replaced by the Car Facts report (Fox).

 

[pinebaron]

Even cheaper, there's no light under the hood when I check the oil in the garage. I bought it used 2021 but there is no mention of hood being replaced by the Car Facts report (Fox).

I was surprised by that myself even in my 2024 2500HD AT4X AEV. At this moment everything is brand new and it hasn't even had its first oil change; give it a year or two then one may need some illumination under the massive hood. I know some folks here have installed led strip lights under the hood however I failed to see how they wired it up; I know there's a hood open sensor, one could use that to trigger a relay for the hood light switch. Even my old 1999 Ford Expedition had a light bulb under the hood and in the 25+ years I owned it, the bulb never failed.

 

[SF_Ret]

I was surprised by that myself even in my 2024 2500HD AT4X AEV. At this moment everything is brand new and it hasn't even had its first oil change; give it a year or two then one may need some illumination under the massive hood. I know some folks here have installed led strip lights under the hood however I failed to see how they wired it up; I know there's a hood open sensor, one could use that to trigger a relay for the hood light switch. Even my old 1999 Ford Expedition had a light bulb under the hood and in the 25+ years I owned it, the bulb never failed.

Your old school. I did a similar hookup with a "lights on" alarm around 1988. I guess it was wired to the light switch. (and add on cruise...LOL)

 

[pinebaron]

Your old school. I did a similar hookup with a "lights on" alarm around 1988. I guess it was wired to the light switch. (and add on cruise...LOL)

I'm heck a lot old school my friend. Back in the 70's I built a vehicle radar alarm proximity detection system from scratch using a small waveguide horn with a rectangle cavity; it worked wonderfully well. Being a radio ham VU2VIM/G0KUA, I wired it to a 2Meter transceiver to serve as a transmitter/receiver and it would send an alert to my 2Meter 2Watt transceiver which I always had on my belt; even in a built up town it had a decent range of over a mile. I should mention my background is electronics. I still have the waveguide somewhere in my shop.

 

[gemarsh]

Even cheaper, there's no light under the hood when I check the oil in the garage. I bought it used 2021 but there is no mention of hood being replaced by the Car Facts report (Fox).

Cheap and easy cure...

Just a worthless mod, until it's needed...

I installed a IP67 flexible sticky tape led strip under the hood, controlled by a detent switch. Fender already had a hole that was the correct size. Amazon sellers' kit had enough wire to complete the job and wiring is hid under the hood insulator. I don't want to give up the 60's, 70's or...

www.at4forum.com

 

[pinebaron]

Cheap and easy cure...

Just a worthless mod, until it's needed...

I installed a IP67 flexible sticky tape led strip under the hood, controlled by a detent switch. Fender already had a hole that was the correct size. Amazon sellers' kit had enough wire to complete the job and wiring is hid under the hood insulator. I don't want to give up the 60's, 70's or...

www.at4forum.com

Perfect; ordering it now.

 

[fcodxdart]

I checked WA license plate lighting laws and found they permit white light; was a no-brainer then.

That's interesting as while reading for Texas laws it states it has to be a white light. Now I'm gonna have to double check and see what color mine are.

I guess that could mean a white light color in the traditional sense and not blue/green/red and so on so to speak.

 

[pinebaron]

I guess that could mean a white light color in the traditional sense and not blue/green/red and so on so to speak.

Exactly.

 

[RuckUSMC0351]

Hey all, new to the forum and owning an AT4. Might be dumb question (but this was an irritation of mine that these were not a cool white color and I planned to replace them with brighter ones) but how do you take off the plastic piece or get to where the bulbs are to swap out the bulbs? Any pictures to show would be helpful.

And quick side note for those asking about the color question and laws as it pertains to any state laws. I'm a former Deputy Sheriff from Ohio, this soft white versus cool white colors should not matter (now that's speaking on my knowledge of Ohio's ORC) But typically "white light" is the general term associated to a vehicles uncolored lights. So I honestly couldn't tell you why GMC did it, but in Ohio at least, you don't have anything to worry about whether you want soft white color or cool white color as they're both considered white light. Unless your "cool white" looked blue you'd be fine. But then vehicles with colored lights seems to have relaxed (even though it's still against ORC). Hope this helps and I appreciate any guidance and assistance on getting my bulbs swapped!

 

[gemarsh]

Welcome.

It's doable as it sets. You won't be able to see what your doing. Just reach up from underneath.

 

[gemarsh]

Hey all, new to the forum and owning an AT4. Might be dumb question (but this was an irritation of mine that these were not a cool white color and I planned to replace them with brighter ones) but how do you take off the plastic piece or get to where the bulbs are to swap out the bulbs? Any pictures to show would be helpful.

And quick side note for those asking about the color question and laws as it pertains to any state laws. I'm a former Deputy Sheriff from Ohio, this soft white versus cool white colors should not matter (now that's speaking on my knowledge of Ohio's ORC) But typically "white light" is the general term associated to a vehicles uncolored lights. So I honestly couldn't tell you why GMC did it, but in Ohio at least, you don't have anything to worry about whether you want soft white color or cool white color as they're both considered white light. Unless your "cool white" looked blue you'd be fine. But then vehicles with colored lights seems to have relaxed (even though it's still against ORC). Hope this helps and I appreciate any guidance and assistance on getting my bulbs swapped!

The dim, incandescent bulb gm uses, is to keep from washing the rear camera out at night.

 

[Viking Truck]

The dim, incandescent bulb gm uses, is to keep from washing the rear camera out at night.

I can believe that. A couple of nights ago I was in my buddy's Jeep Gladiator and his white license plate lights were very disruptive to the backup camera.

 

[RuckUSMC0351]

The dim, incandescent bulb gm uses, is to keep from washing the rear camera out at night.

You would think then they just change the angle of the aim of the light rather than up it'd be assumed downard so it doesn't