How to- swap out your map lights (for LED's) *pics*
 

So recently, I became aware of a really cool appearance mod you can do to change the color of your overhead map lights. I bought the bulbs (#921 blue LED's from eAutoWorks.com) and decided to do a write up and take pics of the install. On a scale of difficulty from 1 to 10, 1 being extremely easy and 10 needing a mechanic with decades' experience, I would rate this mod a 2. It took me 15 minutes, and I really had no idea what to do or where to start. I thoroughly encourage anyone vaguely interested in this mod to give it a try or ask whatever questions you may have. It's really a cool head-turner, especially at night!

Tools I used:
Hands/fingers
Long flat-head screwdriver (with a narrow tip)
Short flat-head screwdriver (with a wider tip)

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...7/install1.jpg
^^^ On each side of the dome light assembly, there are two clips that you can disengage to remove the whole thing from the ceiling of the car. THIS MAKES THE INSTALL 1000% EASIER!

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...7/install2.jpg
^^^ While attempting to get at the clips, I recommend you place your fingers here to pull the dome light housing out. If you pull the housing far enough, you can see the clips you're trying to get at. Otherwise you're just fumbling for the clip blindly. I couldn't show you a picture of my left hand getting at the clip and my right hand pulling the housing down. Merge these first two pictures together, and you'll get what I'm saying.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...7/install3.jpg
^^^ This is what happens when you disengage one of the clips. You can see roughly where these clips are.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...nstall25er.jpg
^^^ This is a closer-up pic of the clip. The bowed-out portion of the clip is where you need to get the wedged tip of the screwdriver to catch.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...7/install4.jpg
^^^ This is how the dome lights are connected electrically. Undo this clip so you can hold the entire assembly in your hand.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...stallCLIPS.jpg
^^^ This is a picture of the bulb sockets from behind. They are located at the top and bottom of this picture. In order to remove the stock bulbs safely, simply pull these sockets out, and you can most easily get at the bulbs. No pliers required. The sockets clip right back in place. After you remove the stock bulbs, clip the sockets back as they were. The bulbs from eAuto will not fit unless the sockets are clipped back in place in the dome light housing assembly.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...installPOP.jpg
^^^ Now you have to remove the lenses. This only LOOKS harder than it is. Each lens is held in place by three tabs. Each tab is a different size. I used the long screwdriver with the narrow head to pop the SMALLEST tab. I couldn't take a well-lit picture of where exactly that tab was, but the screwdriver in this picture is directly on it. The tab you'll need to pop is the one closest to the ceiling clip on that side of the housing. The next picture illustrates this idea more clearly.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...stallLENS2.jpg
^^^ When I held the assembly this way, the lens came out with minimal effort. Use your index and middle finger underneath to help the lens come out gently. Even though you're prying (aka pushing) the lens out, there is no danger of it (or the lens tabs) breaking if you're gentle. This picture also shows where the tab is that you need to push in to pop the lens out.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...stallFINAL.jpg
^^^ Viola! Once the lens is popped out, simply slide the bulb into the socket. **MAKE SURE YOU PLUG THE ASSEMBLY BACK INTO THE CEILING TO CHECK IF THE BULB WORKS** I had placed a bulb in backwards (it's impossible to tell which is the right way), and it wouldn't light. I thought I had received a dead bulb. I took the bulb out and rotated it 180 degrees, and it worked. Check the fitment and placement!

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...nstallLENS.jpg
^^^ As you can see now, the lens's three different sized tabs can make popping the lens back into place a bit tricky. Simply slide the largest tab in place FIRST, and popping the lens back in becomes infinitely easier. After you've replaced the lenses, check the bulbs once more by plugging in the assembly. If everything is good, simply clip the dome light housing back into the ceiling and ENJOY THE COOLNESS!


*EDIT*
Here are some pics of the new bulbs in a pitch black garage. Sorry for the crappy quality haha. You can't really tell I have red leather, but the look is AWESOME.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...7/IMG_1790.jpg

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...t87/lights.jpg

Very nice....stickied!

Really good write-up. You can get the bulbs cheaper elsewhere though.

i think 12.95 is a great deal for them. i paid a little over 30 for mine, but they are much brighter!!

here is the only pic i got of it, but i love the look..looks great..and the ladies love it more then anything...

http://i42.tinypic.com/b9g9is.jpg

I just did this installation. Extremely easy and a great mod! However, my blue bulbs seem to.. stay on after I turn the car off and lock it via remote. Like... EXTREMELY dull blue. The same for when I'm driving with them manually off. Is this a reflection or what? Anyone else notice this?

I've noticed something similar...these bulbs reflect blue in the socket because of the blue plastic they're housed in. However, my left bulb is illuminated *ever so slightly* after I turn the car off...like 1% illumination. I left my car in my garage while I was away at school, came back a week later, and it started right up. The draw from these bulbs at 1% has to be, at most, the power equivalent of powering that little red blinking security light. It doesn't have me worried in the slightest.

so these bulbs stay on all the time?

how is visibility when you need to read something? :-) lol I had Red LED bulbs in my elantra for the Map light, and regular bulbs in the Dome because you could not see ANYTHING with just the red lights. Looked really friggin cool tho lol

Looks great. How long did it take you to swap out all those LED's in the switches? I've seen the writeup, looks tedious though. Also, you need to get the IUP cluster with MyColor!

Ames