Well after having a 04 with no light in my console and now having a new 2010 with no light in the storage again I decided I am putting some light in there.

I bought some LED strips from AutoZone. It was 2 12" flexible strips with about 18" of wire, for about $20.
I had an old mercury switch I got from an old style thermostat for my home a/c.

First I decided where I want to place the strip.



I then removed console lid removing the 4 torx screws on the bottom part of the hinge.

Then once the lid is removed you can pop up the top portion of the console and at the back you will see 2 screws to remove the rear a/c panel.



I then removed the 6 screws on the lid to take apart the lid. Plus the 4 screws for the hinge.



After the lid is apart I decided on a location for the mercury switch.



I then routed the wire in the lid.



On the lid I removed one of alignment tabs to run the wire through hinge hole.





I drilled a hole in the console by the hinge to run the wires. There is a notch on the hinge I used as a guide. (note drill just above the notch, this way you should miss the metal for the screw clip).



After running the wires through the console I connected them to the 12v power outlet on the rear a/c panel.





After putting everything back together I now have a lighted console every time I open the lid.

 

Sweet you got any pic of it lite up

 

Thanks Jake.
Sorry about that. I just added them to the end of my how to.

 

sweet man, nice work

 

Thanks man.

 

Nice idea with the mercury switch. And I'm sure you'll appreciate being able to find your sidearm in a hurry if the time ever comes...

 

Thanks and didn't realize it showed up in the pic. But yes in Texas we can have one in our vehicle as long as it is concealed, without a license. Castle law.

 

Great write up and pics!

 

I like it. I like the in line iron. Did you add a inline fuse?

 

Thanks. I not sure what you mean by "the in line iron". No I did not add a fuse. The current draw is not much.

 

Outstanding!

 

Thanks for all the comments. It was actually easier than I thought it would be.

 

Nice work I've already installed footwell lighting in my '09 Platinum - and that console light looks to be a winner. Rather than a Mercury switch though, I'll use a pressure switch I already have. Another thing I'm going to see about changing out is the rear cab dome light...my '05 Lariat had the combo overhead dome and individual reading lights...

 

When I do mine in my '04 it will be a push button switch, like a hood pin. Not a big fan of mercury in my truck.

 

I recently bought an '06 FX4 and I have been pretty annoyed that there was no light in there too. I saw your post and was inspired. I made a couple of small changes (different strokes for different folks) and I thought other might want to see it too. Imitation is the best form of flattery! Thanks, tbraquet, for the great idea!

I, much like Yetti, was concerned about putting a mercury switch in my console. So, I bought a pack of normally-closed push-button switches (P/N 275-1548, $3.49/4-pack @ RadioShack) and mounted one under the hinge. Think of the switch in your fridge. I also bought the LEDs in red. AutoZone offers red, white, and blue LEDs in pre-assembled strips.

These are the packaged LEDs that I bought:


And this is the end result...I thought red might be less distracting when driving: