My truck doesn't have the lighting package so I have no light under the hood.
Where can I get the factory lamp and/or has anyone found an alernative that is brighter than the factory set up?

 

I'm sure you can get it from any dealer (cha ching) or dodgeparts. com or something like that. I know there's vendors here that sell stuff like that, not 100% sure but I think so. And they'll offer you better deals. But you can do that. I'm sure you could get a 12V floresent or something like that that would work too, but how durable??? Not sure. Check out a parts place, or a junk yard, you could problably get it for 5 bucks or less off of a wrecked truck. I'm sure any year will work (say from 03 to 06)

 

I don't wont to hear it!!!(furd) I put a retractable light off a old furd bronco under my hood that will reach to the back of the car behind me if needed to help changing a tire or any thing just find the wire on the passengers side is were my wire was. Good luck.

 

The under hood light wasn't even an option when I ordered mine. I did the factory light from the parts dept when it became available. You have to order the factory wiring harness, too, to get the matching plug.

I also did the hood liner while I was at it. I asked if they could give me a break on the parts, since I just bought the truck there, and they did.

lamp #56021441 $17.50 (charged me $15.75), harness 56051176-A $26.50 (charged me $23.85).

Hood liner was 55365043-A at $71.73 and requires 11 clips at $.32.

 

I forgot about the lights those broncos had, those are nice, they are like a drop light, come out a good bit. I may have to inveset in another one of those. If anybodys not familiar with them they really are nice (bulb can get hot) works just like the stock but you can pull it out just like a shop light. I know the cord is only around a few feet long, but I'm sure you can make it longer. Good idea miles

 

I had the same kinda thing in my 79 280z it was so long it would almost wrap around the car but it was difficut to pack all that wire back in the housing.

 

We had a Suburban with the light on a leash set up; worked very well. I was also considering a light under the hood as I bought my 06 w/out the light package. One light I would like is for the center console. I have the auto w/buckets and at night the center console area is like an abyss. I checked out the Laramie package and there is no light on it; not sure if it is even an option.

 

I to find that the lower part of the dash to be to dark for my taste. I went to Radio Shack and bought some green lights and installed them in the cubby under the radio and one in the ash tray (I am a smoker). Wired them into the dash lights . They work great and our not real bright!!!

 

Hey - check out my pics for an awesome underhood lighting system: take the fog light bulbs you have left over from the fog light upgrade mod, and mount them on the underside of the hood (insulation mat removed) with a SS washer & 3 SS screws... run some wire inside the hood and cowl bulkhead to a toggle mounted on same, and voila! 110 watts of daylight shining down on your engine compartment Even though I do mod vehicles all the time, I was still surprised how well it worked - especially for the $.
Let me know if you need more details
Mike

 

Didn't see any pics of your under hood lights, I'd be intereste in seeing them.

Also, what is the fog light upgrade you speak of?

 

oops! thought that one was already up... just uploaded it, so image should be approved shortly. Fog lights - replace 55W 9005 bulbs with 75W 9007 bulbs, if memory serves; file off plastic nub, cut & splice pair of wires on each socket (leave 2" on old socket for hoodlights) - 10 minutes tops... now, poor man's ($8) workaround for a $200 + BriteBox, that's a bit more involved!

 

That looks pretty cool, what holds the bulbs to the washers? The hold up okay when you slam the hood closed? Like the idea, just would like to have some kinda hood that turns them on when the hood's open. I have the factory hood liner too, I guess that would need modifications .. ?

Also, where can I learn about the light mods? There's a thread on here about someone cuttin into the wiring and making it so HI, LOW and FOGS all come on at once. Geno's sells a box for it too. Not sure if I wanna cut into factory wiring eaither, everything is controoled by computers now and might lead to warranyt problems?

 

The bulbs are sandwiched between the stainless steel washer & the factory rib perforation, and the bulb's integral o-ring acts as a shock absorber. If you want an automatic hood light - the dealer has a wimpy 5W part # that they're real proud of (@ $80 ! )... I have one of these factory lights on my other Ram & it's a joke. Besides, you're walking to the front of the truck anyway to open the hood, so why not reach in and flip the LED toggle switch? The hood liner comes off in a few minutes by popping out the plastic button clips - everything's reuseable for re-installation if you're gentle ; ) I like helping the heat to radiate away from the engine compartment and the ability to keep the underneath of the hood as clean as the quarter panels.

You can find the fog light mod with a search on the forum, but I don't know of another solution besides mine to the HI LOW FOG idiocy (IMHO) that Dodge sold us... on the 2nd gens it was easy to jump the relays to have everthing come on simultaneously, but on these wonderful new trucks they've chosen to switch the negative side of the circuit, so the "old ways" just result in melted fuses. I just fired up my laptop, decided on the best place in the appropriate circuits to physically access them, and a few relays & 10' of 12 ga wire later - presto! I have the lights I want, when I want, plus they're brighter due to the increased voltage I've supplied. Don't worry about adding to the factory wiring... I leave the sensors & software to the techno-gods like Q'Zilla (he rocks!) - I concentrate on mechanical mods & electrical issues I can do in the shop, things I know will work. As far as warranty issues - there's probably 17 & 1/2 other things that DC STAR would fuss about on our trucks before this stuff.