Why don't most car makers install an engine bay light?

[GO FURTHER]

I've often wondered, especially in this day and age with all the tech, gadgets and options available in new cars, why car makers don't offer a simple under bonnet engine bay light?

I mean we have courtesy lights in foot wells, the boot, cabin, glove boxes, back seat passenger reading lights, make up lights in sun visors, even under door "puddle lighting" so your shoes don't get wet

So why no engine bay light?

Would be so useful for checking your oil in the dark, roadside breakdowns at night, etc.

I know its not the expense, especially on luxury cars or high end models, as an LED light would cost manufacturers no more than a few bucks.

I know it’s not because of the heat in the engine bay or the chance of the light causing a spark and explosion, etc., because its quite possible to make both heatproof and spark proof lights and casings.

Even buying an aftermarket purpose built flat dome type light with the above criteria, you could install under your bonnet with wiring kit is not readily available at auto shops.

So in your opinion.... Why is this?

In fact, can you name any "production" cars that come with them off the top of your head?
(No googling or cheating)

[Yellow_Festiva]

We all already carry an engine bay light in our pockets.

I think because most new cars are near bullet proof and 99% of owners don't have a need to open their bonnets.

Actually - come to think of it my own car is 1.5 years old and has near 30k km on it and I have NEVER opened the bonnet.

And it saves the manufacturers many millions of dollars!

[OzJavelin]

Production cars with an engine bay light? Not sure if you mean current or historic .. but my rear engined Corvair has one .. by accident (or design .. not sure). Number plate light is attached to the hood, so works as an engine bay light ..

[Sabantien]

I saw a documentary with some car designers, and they were saying what's only a few cents on a single car adds up to millions overall.

Mechanics have lights.
Anyone willing to work on their own engine i'm guessing also has a light.

Oh. I also noticed the Audi R8 has lights in the engine bay, and a clear lid so you can see the engine. Because why the heck not.

[Top_Ghia]

Jeep have them.

[Jastel]

Most people don't even open bonnets nowadays...and apart from checking that the engine is actually not on fire wouldn't know what to do even if they opened it.

[Captain Stubing]

With modern day cars, the manufacturers only want you to check the oil levels, water levels, anything with a yellow handle on it. It might be a hang over from when engines weren't so reliable, when you needed a light under the bonnet to adjust the points, or tinker with the carby.

Nowadays, the average car owner wouldn't know what to fix under the bonnet if the car stopped, and if a component has failed they couldn't see it anyway, so why put a light there?

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by Jastel

Most people don't even open bonnets nowadays...and apart from checking that the engine is actually not on fire wouldn't know what to do even if they opened it.

Topping up your windscreen washer reservoir?
Checking oil levels?
Checking fluid levels?

[Jastel]

You do this at night often??

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Actually - come to think of it my own car is 1.5 years old and has near 30k km on it and I have NEVER opened the bonnet.

So you've never topped up your windscreen washer reservoir in 1.5 years?

[MrEL]

My old 1984 Chev Camaro had a factory fitted one.

[Sabantien]

Originally Posted by BAXRSIX

So you've never topped up your windscreen washer reservoir in 1.5 years?

My girlfriend doesn't use her windscreen washer, just leaves it dirty until she takes the car for a wash. When the reservoir ran empty (from me using it) she left it empty until the next service. Or until I get sick of the beeping and top it up.

So yes, it's possible...

[SSVPom]

My 1989 mk2 Vauxhall Astra Estate 1.3L had one !

[Moby Vic]

In the US at least, engine bay lights started disappearing in the early 2000s. Manufacturers started decontenting the extras they didn't think buyers would notice, so they could build the vehicles more cheaply.

Ford stopped painting rear axle housings, too. My '95 Mustang and '01 Crown Vic Police Interceptor both have engine bay lights and black-painted rear axle housings. I think it was '03 when they stopped painting the axle housings, so if you look under one of those cars, it's all rusty and ugly natural metal.

[jmack]

my vhsle that i had use to have one.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by BAXRSIX

So you've never topped up your windscreen washer reservoir in 1.5 years?

Nope! And I wash my screen all the time.

Must have a 10l tank there somewhere

[vztrt]

Why? Cause most people wouldnt care if there was one. There is better things to spend r&d dollars on then a light.

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Nope! And I wash my screen all the time.

Must have a 10l tank there somewhere

Maybe your washer jets are connected to your petrol tank instead

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by BAXRSIX

Topping up your windscreen washer reservoir?
Checking oil levels?
Checking fluid levels?

Nope.

Nope.

Nope.

The joys of a new car is that if anything did do wrong there are little lights on the dash to tell me.

I park in the same spot and there is no evidence of any leaks.

I have / had older cars and of course the bonnet goes up and down on a very regular basis but not the newer stuff.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by BAXRSIX

Maybe your washer jets are connected to your petrol tank instead

Nah - diesel would make a right mess of the screen!

[mechanic]

They used to and the early Japanese makers provided a 12v lead light in the glove box which plugged into the cig lighter from memory.

[Windsor220]

Probably wouldn't be that reliable with the heat inside the engine bay

[Pilko FNQ]

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

Jeep have them.

Would get a regular work out me thinks.......

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

Probably wouldn't be that reliable with the heat inside the engine bay

I have a light inside my oven in my Kitchen (as most people do), and my oven can reach temperatures that far exceed my engine bay temperature on a hot day, and I've never had to replace or had a failed oven light

[STINKY NINJA]

Lol,they don't want you to even open the bonnet,they want you to pay them to when it breaks...

[SumoDog68]

One of the reasons is that all the checks (fluids , hoses , leaks etc.) would be expected to be done during a day as preventative maintenance. Installing under bonnet light almost indicates admitting car is unreliable if you need to do work at night on the side of the road.

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

Lol,they don't want you to even open the bonnet,they want you to pay them to when it breaks...

Most new car owners won't be paying for the first 3 years / 100,000Km under warranty

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by jmack

my vhsle that i had use to have one.

I hash a vhsle de zame when I leffsh de pub.

[arronm]

What you can't see won't hurt you.

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by arronm

What you can't see won't hurt you.

Next time the missus asks why my Falcon does not have a light in the vanity mirror on the passenger sun visor like her own car, when doing her make up at night... I'll tell her that