# Light for under the hood **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792 "2017-04-08T23:46:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 3:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/21 "2017-04-11T03:16:29Z")
I have a 12 volt light gadget with a magnet on it that has clip leads I attach to the car battery. It has no power source itself. It has come in handy at times. For looking around in the engine compartment, or finding something that dropped on the ground. I’ve used it as a warning light for other drivers, if I’m on the side of the road fixing a flat or something. It isn’t permanently installed, I just keep it in the trunk. It has it’s own on/off switch. One thing I like about it, it’s quite a bit brighter and throws a broader beam than a conventional flashlight. I’ve had it for probably 30 years, have no idea where I bought it. If I had a 12 volt power source in the Corolla’s trunk I’d use it as a trunk compartment light. But I’ve never found a 12 volt always on source back there. The Corolla came with an option for a trunk light, but the wiring for that option must have only got installed in the option was ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/22 "2017-04-11T12:36:54Z")
Interesting. Maybe run a wire under your car ? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/23 "2017-04-12T03:46:56Z")
All of my Fords have underhood lights but theyr’e all near worthless. They may help find the dipstick for an oil level check and that’s about it. A small portable LED light is a better option. I carry 2 lamps. One is a 2 D cell flashlight and the other one of those LED head lamps which was mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/24 "2017-04-12T04:08:32Z")
Thanks for the input. Can I ask about your experience with Fords ? My experience with Ford’s has been horrible. As a teen, I saved up $4000 and bought a Ford Pinto station wagon brand new. Within 6 months, the handles of all four doors had broken off. Then my thermostat stuck which overheated my engine, which left me stranded 15 miles from my home. When car shopping and I told the salesman how much I had to spend, Ford’s were always first on the list. I prefer to buy American cars, but they do not hold up. What kind of mileage have you gotten with Fords. I heard that Ford trucks last longer that their cars. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/25 "2017-04-12T04:14:36Z")
Your Ford experience is probably about 40 years old I’d say the current lineup is better than your Pinto wagon was[quote=“andrew\_kennedy7, post:24, topic:102792”] What kind of mileage have you gotten with Fords. [/quote] That’s kind of a vague question . . . Fusion hybrid, F-350 crew cab diesel dually, Focus, Mustang, etc. . . . which one are you asking about? > [@andrew\_kennedy7](#): > > I heard that Ford trucks last longer that their cars. We have several Fords in our fleet . . . trucks AND cars. The trucks last just fine, when properly maintained ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/26 "2017-04-12T04:31:00Z")
Nothing vague about asking for mileage. I had a Mazda that reached 242,000 miles. At that time it was getting 40/30 mpg. You gave no mileage that the Fords got to without major repairs. Do your work for Ford ? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/27 "2017-04-12T04:32:30Z")
> [@andrew\_kennedy7](#): > > Do your work for Ford ? No, I work for a fleet ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/28 "2017-04-12T04:49:34Z")
What is a fleet ? ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 10:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/29 "2017-04-12T10:17:47Z")
> [@andrew\_kennedy7](#): > > As a teen, I saved up $4000 and bought a Ford Pinto station wagon brand new. > > Within 6 months, the handles of all four doors had broken off. Should have held on to that one. The only 4 door Pinto made would have to be worth something, even if was a piece of crap 💩 ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/30 "2017-04-12T13:10:53Z")
It was a money pit. 🙂 With less than 50K on the odometer, Thermostat stuck and engine overheated. Replaced flywheel at least 3 times. Replaced 2 starter motors. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/31 "2017-04-12T13:17:09Z")
> [@andrew\_kennedy7](#): > > It was a money pit. > With less than 50K on the odometer, > Thermostat stuck and engine overheated. > Replaced flywheel at least 3 times. > Replaced 2 starter motors. Yes, but as PvtPublic pointed out, owning the only 4 door Pinto ever made certainly meant that you had a unique vehicle that would have been worth **_a lot_** of money as a collector’s item. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/32 "2017-04-12T14:52:08Z")
I am sure they made plenty of 4 door Pinto SWs. I occasionally see some driving around. (The owners must be rich to afford the maintenance.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/33 "2017-04-12T15:01:51Z")
4 door Pinto wagons? Really? 😲 A quotation from Mark Twain is surely appropriate here: > **[Josh Billings Quotes](https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/josh_billings_109624)** > > "You’d better not know so much, than to know so many things that ain’t so." - Josh Billings quotes from BrainyQuote.com ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/34 "2017-04-12T15:27:11Z")
there are more Fords on the roads today than any other make. the other makes all made it home… [/fordhumor] 😲 😀 😀 ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/35 "2017-04-12T17:17:46Z")
> [@andrew\_kennedy7](#): > > I am sure they made plenty of 4 door Pinto SWs. > > I occasionally see some driving around. You might be sure but you are wrong. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Ford Pinto of any kind except on Ebay. You seem to making things up. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/36 "2017-04-12T17:25:47Z")
Perhaps you had a Ford Escort wagon, that vehicle would be more likely to develop cooling system problems and has 4 doors. ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/37 "2017-04-12T18:36:41Z")
It was definitely a Ford Pinto Station Wagon. 1973 I do not think they made Escorts that far back. It had a tailgate that opened. ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/38 "2017-04-12T18:38:02Z")
> [@VOLVO\_V70](#): > > You seem to making things up. Do I detect some anger ? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/39 "2017-04-12T18:52:58Z")
No anger. No such thing as a 4-door Pinto wagon. They only ever came with 2: ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/d/d00738eace972bea05ebb59e5445c50edbcf45a4.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792/40 "2017-04-12T18:55:53Z")
I didn’t think someone could spend $4000 on a Pinto, that is why I thought it was a later Ford compact. As a teen I had a Mercury Bobcat wagon, I believe I paid $125. This is a Pinto wagon, it doesn’t have the flip-up door handles like the Escort that break easily. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/4/4a7efd5613946e970ad7d6fd93ddbeff252315d0.jpg) [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/light-for-under-the-hood/102792.md?page=3)