Mod 19: ArcLightLEDs

The interior lights on the 4Runner, like most cars, are nothing to write home about. They are functional at best, but I really wanted to up my light game when it came to interior lighting. I was planning on picking up a set of generic white LEDs and swapping them everywhere, but that seemed too easy. That’s when a buddy of mine sent me a link to the ArcLightLEDs.

These bad boys are custom made for the 4Runner’s map, dome, and hatch lights, and if I was in for a penny, I was in for a pound. I picked up the full set of ArcLights and decided to fully kit out the inside of Po. One of the major draws to me was the fact that this kit had a button to switch the color of the light on the fly. The standard output is clean, bright white light (say that 5 times fast). When you press the built in button, it immediately switches over to a dimmer red color that is much easier on the eyes.

When out camping, I have a horrible habit of getting lost or distracted and then not actually making it to the campsite until after dark. I’m working on it, but hey, not everyone can be perfect, ya feel? With the ArcLights, I can pull in to the campsites late at night with the red mode activated and not have to worry about being absolutely blinded with white light. Even better, bugs typically aren’t attracted to red light, meaning I can leave the windows or doors open for a fair bit while cooking camp dinner without needing to call Termin-X the next day. A win-win in my book.

Installation of these ArcLights with the additional switchable button adds some complexity, but I was up to the task. The buttons on these lights need to stick out of the plastic housing that the factory bulbs normally sit in. You know what that means……time to drill some stuff!

I was VERY hesitant about drilling out these plastic covers, mainly because I was just waiting for one of them to snap and shatter my dreams. Luckily the dreams (and the plastics) are still in tact as of writing this! The easiest way to drill these is to start with the absolutely smallest drill bit you have. Slowly start stepping it up to larger and larger drill bits until you get to the correct size. I found that drilling a slightly smaller hole and then widening it a bit with a file was an easier way to get a clean hole that fit perfectly.

After having these installed for a little while now, I have to say, they are definitely a luxury, nice-to-have and not a necessity. The ArcLights put out an incredible amount of light for how small they are, and I would highly recommend them to someone with a little bit of cash burning a hole in your pocket.