My torch only works in the holder and have been disappointed with the light within the boot area after my twindoor. So I decided to add some LED strip to the boot. 

 

20161205_180712 by Nathan Quick, on Flickr

 

I opened the torch, soldered some wires to the power pads (upper is gnd, lowest is 12VDC for boot open), opened a small hole on the other face for the wires to come out. Soldered onto a length of strip I had in the garage. 

 

20161205_180719 by Nathan Quick, on Flickr

 

Now much better. I may go for some more powerful strip in the future as this was really a proof of concept. 

Is there a cover you can get for the LED strip. I'd be nervous about the bare components being exposed with the amount I throw in the boot on occasion. The other question is how hot do they get. Plastic car trim isn't the best route to sink heat, so that might limit the LED power you can safely run.

 

I swapped the lights on the boot door to LEDs quite soon after I got the car and they now work quite well as floodlights over the boot area. These bulbs aren't monitored on the canbus, so no need to mess with coding or resistors to install it.

Is there a cover you can get for the LED strip. I'd be nervous about the bare components being exposed with the amount I throw in the boot on occasion. The other question is how hot do they get. Plastic car trim isn't the best route to sink heat, so that might limit the LED power you can safely run.

 

I swapped the lights on the boot door to LEDs quite soon after I got the car and they now work quite well as floodlights over the boot area. These bulbs aren't monitored on the canbus, so no need to mess with coding or resistors to install it.

 

It's waterproof ones with the clear rubber coating over the top. No electrical contacts exposed. The soldered end is heatshrinked. 

 

Power draw is 300mA per 1m I think. I used around 60cm. There is no real heat felt off the front face. They are mounted on to a 3mm thick foam tape as well so not directly on the plastic trim. 

 

I have already swapped the two lights in the door to LEDs, but I have found that in the evenings you can't see into the very back  as you block the light. 

That looks really handy, can you post a link to where you got the LED strip from please?

That looks really handy, can you post a link to where you got the LED strip from please?

 

It was just some I had left over from another project. Probably eBay special. I had enough to do the Superb and the Fabia. 

 

Something like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5M-Strip-Light-Car-SMD-3528-300led-DC-12V-Lamp-Flexible-Waterproof-Cool-White-/252290227180?hash=item3abdab5bec:g:0bwAAOSwezVWxCnD

I've used some of those strips on various projects, they are quite durable. I had a 300mm strip as an all around marine white light for a few years on salt water with no problems..

I use it all over the place at home. I like to use the 24VDC stuff though in the house as its brighter and uses less current than the 12VDC for the same brightness

Thanks Nathanio