Best Under Hood LED Light Strip
What is the Best Under Hood LED Light Strip on the market? Today I’ll be exploring LED light kits for under your car or truck’s hood!
Modding cars is becoming more and more popular. Lighting mods are very common because of their simplistic installations, and relatively powerful impact.
There’s a new trend in car lighting and it’s under hood lighting. These under hood light strips help to give cars a more modern and trendy look along with helping them be seen easier.
In today’s guide I’ll be going through my top picks for under hood lighting, and giving you my opinion on which one you should get for you vehicle.
- 【Working in The Dark】The car under hood work light is super bright, 12V-14V led strip light has a length of 36cm/14.17in, which is great for illuminating engine bays and hard to see areas under the hood of your vehicle. Perfect for automotive interior ambient lighting, gives a plenty bright lights. Allows you to work normally and easily even after dark.
- 【Easy to Install】You can easily fix the car LED light bar on the car hood with the help of the self-adhesive tape on the back of the light bar or use ties, without the need for additional tools, and will not cause any damage to your car. And you can remove or reinstall the engine compartment lights at any time. (Before installation, please ensure that the installation location is clean and dry.)
- Universal Fits Any Vehicle 12V!! It’s a perfect upgrade lighting for under the hood, it is absolute must have for vehicles without factory hood lighting be worth adding these hood light strips
- If you are doing any other car general maintenance or modifications or upgrades, it means you won’t need to fumble for a flashlight , install this under hood light strip spans the engine compartment to provide light on both sides, Very nice that it comes on every time when you open the hood, this is a great additional lighting to your car
- [For Under Hood Application] – Compatible with Chrysler 300/300M/Concorde, Compatible with Dodge Durango/Neon/Intrepid/Charger/Magnum/Ram 1500 2500 3500, Jeep Wrangler/Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
- [Truly Bright Series] – Featured with High-Power LEDs to be Visually Striking & Enhance Visibility At Night
- 【2-IN-1 LED Light Kit】The NEW LED underhood light strip adopts an upgraded 2-in-1 design, with two 14.17 ” LED light strips totaling 42 LED beads, providing you with higher brightness and a wider range of lighting. Without the need to hold a flashlight or insert a portable work light, it can easily illuminate the entire engine compartment and difficult to see areas under the vehicle hood.
- 【IP67 Waterproof】Our 12v led light strips have good waterproof performance, and excellent airtightness can effectively protect the light bar from rain, mud, dirt and grit. Extend the service life of the light strip. This is a great additional lighting to your car.
- Package includes all necessary wiring
- One Cyclone puts out 516 RAW lumens of light for vibrant visibility
What is an Under Hood Light Strip?
Under hood lighting uses a combination of LED lights and the vehicle battery to create a new unique look for your vehicle. Furthermore, these lights are waterproof, and may include RGB LED’s for a variety of colorful effects.
In addition, many under hood LED lights will work in conjunction with your standard headlights/daytime running lights. This feature is proven to be useful for safety, as well as improving looks.
Do Under Hood Light Strips Improve Safety?
Under hood lighting improves safety dynamics of a vehicle in several ways. Firstly, it increases your visibility on the road. Adding any lights (with safe brightness levels) can be beneficial in increasing the visibility of your vehicle on the road. Oncoming traffic will be able to see you easier, and potentially from further away.
Additionally, under hood lights might increase your ability to see on the road. Especially in times when it is dark or raining, the bright glow of the lights can help add lumens to your already existing headlights (please consult your mechanic in further regards to the safety of your vehicle).
Best Under Hood LED Light Strip
These are my top choices for under hood LED light strips. My top picks are mostly due to the fact that they are reliable, easy to install, and include the most features.
When it comes to features, my top choice has to be the ability to tie the strip in to the turn signals. This is an extremely useful feature, especially for older cars. Not only can it improve the aesthetic of your vehicle’s lighting, but improve safety as well. The large bright amber turn signal can help to improve other drivers’ visibility of you on the road, and when you’re going to turn.
Best with Turn Signal: YM E-Bright Dynamic Hood Light Strip
First, we have the YM E-Bright Dynamic Hood Light Strip. This flexible LED strip features a daytime running light effect, along with a switchback amber turn signal. While the specific example listed above has an amber signal, there also is red available.
The YM E-Bright strip is IP68 waterproof, and can be used on pretty much any type of vehicle (car, bus, van, truck, SUV, pickup truck, trailer, etc.). In addition to the turn signal animation, there also is a “dynamic” start-up animation. This animation runs through an effect when the car starts up. But, you can choose to turn it off. The turn signal animation works as a sequential flow effect. It syncs to the left/right turn signal and coordinates appropriately.
The package includes all the appropriate hardware including fuses, a test pencil, hot glue, and the strip itself. While this included hardware is fit for most vehicles, it is recommended to check with your manufacturer to ensure the fuses are appropriate.
Best with RGB: Tockmoon Car LED Hood Lights
Next up is the Tockmoon RGB Car LED Hood Lights. This lighting strip by Tockmoon has RGB LED’s built into it. The strip has 120 different modes that can be controlled via the included remote control or wireless phone app.
Did you want a bright light strip? Because, the Tockmoon strip is 3000 lumens, and provides excellent illumination. Additionally, the strip is IP68 waterproof, and is long enough for most applications (70-inches). However, it can be cut to length if needed.
The light strip ties into your car’s battery source, and can be installed pretty much anywhere around the car. While this light strip can change colors, it does not have a specific “turn signal” function. So, you can’t necessarily tie into the turn signal with one strip. However, you could use multiple strips to create a very unique look.
In regards to the app/remote, they are both very straightforward to use. The app provides slightly more adjust-ability when it comes to the color profile, however, you can find the rest of the effects/modes on both.
Some reviews speak to the weakness of the adhesive, however I highly recommend cleaning your hood or the surface you’re attaching to with an alcohol based cleaner.
Best Overall: KFZMAN Dynamic Car LED Hood Lights
My favorite overall pick that includes RGB LED’s and a dynamic turn signal is the KFZMAN Dynamic Car LED Hood Lights. This lighting strip combines the best of both worlds!
It features a dynamic turn signal with dual flash effect, and an array of multi-color RGB LED’s for an enhanced look. They use high-quality 2835 LED beads to assemble a uniform solid look. Additionally, the strip is made from a high-quality PVC material is durable, waterproof, dustproof, and shock resistant.
Much like the other strips, KFZMAN uses a strong double-sided adhesive on the strip – just make sure to wipe the surface down first. Once installed, you can use the included remote to adjust the colors, lighting modes, and effects. While they don’t have an smart phone app, the included remote works well-enough for the application. Additionally, there aren’t as many effects as some of the other strips on the market, however the lighting is uniform and bright which makes up for it!
How to Install Under Hood Light Strip
Installing an under hood light strip can be relatively simple. However, it might require some knowledge about the interior of your engine bay, including the wiring harness/battery connections.
Some light strip kits may include the ability to have turn signals as well, if that’s the case please make sure to refer to the included instructions.
You might need additional tools for install as well including a power tester, electrical tape, and some method of heating (for glue).
- For most car models you’ll want to test the wiring harness to find which wire is appropriate for the turn signals and daytime running lights (DRL’s), etc.
- You should refer to specific instructions per strip for the color of wires that will attach to what points. But, for some, it will be a yellow wire for left blinker, blue wire for right blinker, red wire for ACC power supply, and black wire for negative.
- To actually install the light strip under the hood, you’ll need to use the included adhesive strips. If you need to cut the strip, then you’ll have to cut it where there is a “cut point”, and seal it with the included sealing glue – MAKE SURE TO CLEAN WHERE YOU ARE PUTTING THE ADHESIVE PRIOR TO PRESSING IT DOWN.
- Finally, once you have made sure the connections are solid and safe, turn your car on to test!
- Refer to this video on installing a start-scan system for more detailed visual instructions.
