The way to Set up a Hardwired Maglite ML150LR Flashlight in Your Truck

A flashlight is among the most helpful gadgets you’ll be able to add to your car, however merely tossing one into the glovebox or middle console is not all the time very best. In these areas, it could find yourself rolling round and getting buried beneath different gadgets you will should rummage by way of. Extra importantly, you will have to recollect to cost or change its batteries periodically, in any other case Murphy’s Regulation says the batteries will likely be lifeless when you actually need a light-weight (ask us how we all know). So, how are you going to assure you’ve got a flashlight that is all the time inside arm’s attain and all the time absolutely charged? That is the issue we got down to remedy by putting in a hardwired Maglite ML150LR in our 2022 4Runner mission truck.

Concerning the Maglite ML150LR Rechargeable LED Flashlight

Above: The Maglite ML150LR is out there in gloss or matte end, every with varied wall/automobile/hardwire charging cable configurations. A shorter ML150LRS mannequin can also be obtainable for individuals who favor a extra compact mild.

In case you grew up within the ’80s or ’90s, you are in all probability conversant in the previous D-cell and C-cell Maglite flashlights with incandescent bulbs. They had been nice for his or her time, however flashlight know-how has come a good distance since then. Fortunately, Maglite is not simply resting on its laurels. The ML150LR incorporates a 1,082 lumen LED powered by a LiFeP04 rechargeable battery. It’s going to run for 3 hours and quarter-hour in high-output mode, or may be switched to 138-lumen low mode for an 18-hour runtime. There’s additionally a 25-lumen eco mode that boasts 79 hours of runtime.

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The included charging cradle locks securely across the flashlight when it is pressed into place, and can solely launch it if the pink launch button is pushed. The charger can replenish the battery from 0% to 80% in half-hour.

Above: The ML150LR is comparable in dimension to one in every of Maglite’s traditional 3 C-cell alkaline fashions. The massive dimension provides prolonged battery life and permits it to double as an impression device in a pinch.

The ML150LR may be configured by the person in one in every of 4 operate units. Secondary and tertiary features are accessed by shortly tapping the activation button two or 3 times.

• Basic — Excessive, low, eco
• Outside — Excessive, low, strobe (our most well-liked operate set)
• Regulation Enforcement — Momentary, excessive, eco
• Tactical — Momentary, excessive, strobe

Regardless of all these trendy options, that is nonetheless a traditional Maglite at its core. It is constructed from impact-resistant aluminum, it is IPX4 water-resistant, and the top options Maglite’s twist-focus performance. Maglites are additionally standard resulting from their potential for use as an impression device, glass breaker, or baton in defensive conditions, and the ML150LR appears well-suited to these duties.

Hardwired Maglite Set up

Above: Our 4Runner mission truck has loads of forward-facing and rear-facing Baja Designs lights to light up the path, however there are lots of conditions the place we would have to scan out a aspect window or stroll away from the truck. A handheld flashlight is a necessity for these situations.

Step one is to find out the place you are going to mount the hardwired Maglite charging cradle. In our fifth Gen 4Runner, it match completely between the driving force’s seat and inside door panel, with about 1/2-inch of clearance on both aspect. We positioned it rigorously and used a pencil to mark the define of the charger onto the plastic door sill panel. You’ll want to verify clearance by shutting the door firmly and shifting the seat ahead/backward — nothing ought to make contact with the cradle or flashlight.

As soon as you’ve got decided the position of the charger, use a plastic pry device to softly pry upward across the edges of the sill panel. The clips will come out with out an excessive amount of effort, revealing a channel with a bunch of wires already working by way of it. That is the place we ran the wires for our hardwired Midland GMRS radio, which is mounted beneath the driving force’s seat.

Place the top of the charging cable subsequent to the place the cradle will likely be put in, then run the opposite finish in direction of the entrance of the car and up by way of the kick panel by the driving force’s left foot.

We cannibalized the 12V automobile charger that got here with our Maglite, snipping off the 12V DC plug and stripping the outer sheath to disclose optimistic and floor wires. In case you do not wish to do that, Maglite provides a ML150LR Straight Wire accent for $17, or you should purchase the entire ML150LR package deal with a straight wire. Both method, you will need the optimistic and floor wires routed up by way of the driving force’s aspect kick panel.

Above: Underneath the decrease left aspect of the sprint, the bottom wire (initially naked, now protected by warmth shrink and electrical tape) is related to a grounded bolt by way of a spade terminal. The optimistic wire (white) is connected to a fuse faucet, which connects to the inside fuse field a couple of inches away.

The bottom wire ought to be related to a floor level in your car. We crimped the wire right into a spade terminal and positioned it beneath the top of a close-by bolt that attaches on to the physique. It is essential that the bolt is not connected to plastic or one other insulated floor; naked steel is greatest for a dependable floor.

Subsequent, the optimistic wire ought to be crimped right into a fuse faucet, which will likely be inserted into our 4Runner’s inside fuse field (situated beneath the sprint by the driving force’s left knee). The fuse faucet you employ will rely upon the kind of fuses your car has; our ’22 4Runner required a low profile mini fuse faucet.

Above: A low-profile mini fuse faucet. The underside fuse (blue) is the fuse for the authentic circuit (the one out of your fuse field), and the highest fuse (orange) is the fuse on your new circuit (the hardwired Maglite).

Which Fuse to Use?

Above: The mini fuse faucet with 15A and 5A fuses put in. The order of those fuses does matter, so make sure to not combine them up!

Since we would like our Maglite to cost solely when the truck’s ignition is turned on, we have to discover a fuse for a circuit that will get ignition energy. We would suggest doing a Google seek for “[your vehicle year/make/model] ignition fuse faucet,” since somebody on-line might have already discovered an applicable fuse. In case you do not discover the reply, otherwise you wish to be additional positive, it’s best to use a take a look at mild or a multi-meter to verify the circuit. Place the bottom probe on the bottom bolt, and contact the optimistic probe to the steel contact level on the fuse in your fuse field. With the car’s ignition turned on, it’s best to see roughly 12 volts; with it turned off, it’s best to see 0 volts.

Above: The 2022 4Runner inside fuse field lid exhibits the amperage and goal of all fuses. We chosen this 15A energy outlet fuse, and examined it with a multi-meter to verify it is powered by the ignition.

For our 2022 4Runner, we eliminated the 15A “P/OUTLET’ fuse and positioned it within the backside slot on our fuse faucet. Then we added a 5A fuse to the highest slot to guard our new Maglite charger circuit, and inserted the fuse faucet into the fuse field slot the place the 15A P/OUTLET fuse had been. Maglite’s guide recommends a 10A slow-blow fuse put in in-line on the optimistic wire, however we’ve not had any points with a typical 5A blade fuse in our fuse faucet. Simply do not use a fuse higher than 10A, since that might doubtlessly result in melted wiring or perhaps a hearth if the circuit shorts out.

Above: The orange mild on the cradle signifies our ML150LR is between 0% and 80% charged. When it is between 80% and 100% charged, the sunshine blinks inexperienced.

At this level, it’s best to plug within the Maglite charging cradle and activate the ignition to verify the charger standing mild illuminates. If it does, congrats — you are performed with wiring!

Mounting the Cradle

Above: Two 3/4-inch-long hex bolts connect the cradle to the sill panel. Strips of double-sided mounting tape had been additionally used for a safe, vibration-free match.

Now that our hardwired Maglite is working correctly, it is time to end completely putting in the cradle. Utilizing the pencil marks from earlier, we set the Toyota sill panel on our work bench and punctiliously drilled two holes by way of it within the applicable areas. Maglite consists of self-tapping screws for this goal, however we positively don’t need the sharp ideas of these screws anyplace close to the delicate wiring harness that passes beneath this sill panel. So, we used some 3/4-inch-long #8-32UNC hex bolts and nuts. We additionally utilized strips of 3M heavy-duty mounting tape to the underside of the cradle — it will forestall any noisy plastic-on-plastic vibration as we’re driving.

As soon as the bolts had been tightened and the sill panel was pressed again into place, we stood again and admired our new hardwired Maglite setup. Now we’ll by no means should marvel if our flashlight is absolutely charged or fumble round for it at the hours of darkness. It is all the time close by and able to go.

For extra info on the Maglite ML150LR and different duty-grade flashlights, go to Maglite.com.

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Written by Patrick McCarthy