Adding Rear Seat Floor Level Lighting

by southpawboston

 

The rear seat lighting on sunroof-equipped Elantras is very poor. One solution is to flush-mount a light fixture to the rear of the center console, just below the rear ashtray. Although the light would be more effective if mounted in the headliner, mounting it in the console is much easier. This DIY puts the new light under the same control as the interior room lamp (i.e., it comes on when you disarm the alarm, and it "fades out" when you shut the door, etc., just like the room light). To do this DIY, first view and print out the DIY "Tapping into the ETACS".  All of the interior lights are supplied with constant 12V, and the ETACS module provides ground when needed to activate the light (e.g., when a door is opened, it sends the signal to the ETACS which then provides ground to the interior room light). So, if you want to add lights under the control of the ETACS in different locations in the car, you need to purchase the lights themselves, two-conductor lamp cord or speaker wire, available at any auto parts store or hardware store (18-gauge or similar), and insulated female spade crimp terminals (available at most auto parts stores or Radio Shack). For each light you simply need to splice one wire into const. 12V and the other into the appropriate ETACS pin. The lights themselves are not polarity-dependent, so it doesn't matter which wire goes to 12V and which goes to the ETACS.

 

Materials and tools needed:

·      light fixture (Hyundai part # 92620-33000, same as the cargo area light)

·      insulated female spade crimp terminals (2)

·      18-gauge or similar speaker wire or lamp wire, about 4 feet total

·      electrical tape

·      crimp tool

·      solder

·      solder gun

·      phillips head screwdriver

·      drill, scroll saw, or dremmel

·      nylon snap ties (recommended)

Note: Most of these materials are available at auto parts stores and at Radio Shack. The light costs $2.80 through elantraGTclub.com member Jay Montigny, who is also the parts manager at Lia Hyundai. Retail price is about $3.50 through any Hyundai dealer.

 

The Project: 

(Total Cost: $5   Difficulty: easy/med.)

1)   Following the "Tapping into the ETACS" DIY, remove the dash fascia, CD deck, and HVAC controls. Unplug wiring harness "A" from the ETACS.

2)   Cut about a 4-foot length of speaker wire. Splice one lead into the red wire at pin A1, and the other into the yellow wire at pin A11

3)   Crimp spade terminals onto the other end of the speaker wire.

4)   Remove the center console. To do this, unscrew the shifter knob, and pry the black plastic tray/shifter bezel up from the console. Remove the three screws on either side of the console. You may have to move the seats forward and back to get to the screws. The console should lift out.

5)   Cut out a 4.5 x 2.5 cm rectangular hole in the center console, below the rear ashtray. There is enough clearance between the outside of the console and the armrest storage bin for the light to fit flush-mounted. The light should just snap-fit into the hole. The console has a slight curvature in the back, but it conforms nicely to the light, which fits in very nicely.

6)   Plug the spade terminals into the light, and pop into place. You do not have to worry about polarity, the light will work regardless of which lead is attached to each spade. Route the wiring along the inside of the console and tape in place. Leave enough spare wire to reach the ETACS unit.

7)   Fit the console back in place.

8)   Splice the two wire leads into the ETACS pins according to the illustration. After all splice junctions are properly soldered and taped, secure any loose wiring to existing wiring harnesses using nylon snap ties or electrical tape.

9)    Re-assemble the console, CD deck, HVAC controls, and dash fascia.