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Difference between revisions of "Rear Interior Light"

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(Near-total rewrite.)
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== Mk3 Rear Interior Light ==
 
  
−
=== Parts Required ===
+
This is a fairly simple modification, but involves cutting your headliner. There is lots of scope for expensive mistakes, so take lots of care. Measure everything multiple times, and don't proceed on any step without a lot of checking.
−
Light unit (Finis Code 4363929 - with map lights),  
+
  
−
Surround (Finis Code 1256557)
+
== Parts Required ==
 +
* Light unit (Finis Code 4363929 - with map lights) - or try eBay for the single light version
 +
* Surround (Finis Code 1256557)
 
   
 
   
−
=== Tools ===
+
== Tools ==
  
−
Scissors, Penknife, Stanley knife, Elctrical tape, Roll up measuring tape, Different coloured electrical wire
+
* Sharp craft knife or Stanley knife
 +
* Small flat-bladed screwdriver
 +
* Three different coloured lengths of reasonable thickness wire (rated at more than 1A, or 2A if you're fitting maplights too), about 130cm each minimum
 +
* Wire strippers
 +
* Retracting metal tape measure
 +
* Six female red spade connectors (take your light along to make sure you get the right size)
 +
* Three male red spade connectors
 +
* Crimping tool or soldering equipment
 +
* Heatshrink, ideally
 +
* Insulating tape
 +
* Some foam blocks, expanded polystyrene or similar padding
  
 
[[Image:Mk3IntFrontlight.jpg]]
 
[[Image:Mk3IntFrontlight.jpg]]
  
−
=== Method ===
+
== Method ==
−
Check that the light will fit into the surround - there were 2 bits of plastic that were stopping mine from fitting to the light completely snugly. I cut the offending bits of plastic off and it fitted. Take the light out of the surround.
+
  
−
Mark out where you want to place your rear light. When positioning the light I figured that I would need it close to the front to be able to reach to see who was hitting who back there. You may have less dilettante passengers. There seems to be one ceiling beam around the middle of the car. Don't put your light here as there won't be enough room for it.
+
=== Fit the surround ===
  
−
Cut out the shape of the surround with the scissors, penknife, stanley knife etc. The hole I cut was too small and seemed a little ragged: I gradually made it bigger until it was a perfect fit. The surround was not clipping to the headlining as it was too thick so I halved the thickness of the headlining around the clips and the housing went on very nicely covering any raggedness in my cutting.  
+
The surround has fold-out clips that fix to the headlining. Don't break these off or over-flex them.
  
−
The front sunglasses holder is held in by velcro and a few clips. Take out the front light and have a good look inside to see what's what. Pop the velcro off (much stronger than the normal velcro) it takes a bit of pulling and dragging to get it out. Again, have a good look around inside when you are doing this to see where the clips are. I seemed to even bend the grey plastic and was worried this would affect the pop down glasses holder.  
+
Check that the light will fit into the surround - you will need to move the clips for this. There were two bits of plastic that stopped mine from fitting properly. I cut the offending bits of plastic off and it fitted. Take the light out of the surround.
  
−
Tape the 3 wires to a rollup measuring tape to feed them from the front to the back. Again I made the wires way too long and cut them towards the end of the job. You may have to use the freshly cut hole to bend the headlining down to get the tape measure past the supporting beam.  
+
Mark out where you want to place your rear light. The hatchback rear light is roughly 34cm from the back of the headlining to the back edge of the fitted surround, with the switch towards the rear of the car. Make sure you have it central and straight, too! If you choose to have it further forward, watch out for the central roof beam which you can feel by pressing the headliner up. You're unlikely to want the light that far forward, though.
  
−
I didn't know the correct way to split the wires. My splicing of wires consisted of stripping away the rubber on one side of the 3 pre-existing wires. (Before doing this I disconnected the battery - take heed if your radio needs a code if the battery is disconnected.) I wound the ends of them through and around the now exposed pre-existing ones. Then I taped up the connections.  
+
Cut out the shape of the surround with the knife. Push it through the headlining firmly but in a controlled manner - you don't want a dent in your roof sheet metal! Cut with a sawing action. Start by making the hole too small and gradually make it bigger until it is a perfect fit. Don't permanently fit the surround yet.
  
−
I cut the wires I had fed through the lining and through the fittd surround to a suitable length and then I wrapped the 3 wires around the contacts of the new light and fixed them also with the insulating tape. Snap the light into place. Mine looks perfect from the front seats but the view from the back shows a slight gap between the light and the housing:
+
Now make up some blocks of foam or other padding to fit between the headlining and the roof at the rear and sides of the hole (not the front, as the wiring will be coming from there!). This is to hold the headlining in position when the swithc is being operated - it prevents the light unit knocking into the roof metal.
  
−
[[Image:Mk3IntBacklight.jpg]]
+
=== Prepare the wiring ===
  
−
The front goes back together very easily. The black part with the velcro on it seperates from the grey via 4 clips. I popped the black part back onto the velcro and the grey was went on very smoothly.  
+
Fit a female spade to one end of each of the wires, crimping or soldering as you choose. At the other end, make a small Y-section of wire. Insulate the join of the Y very well, preferably with heatshrink. Fit a male spade on one leg of the Y and a female on the other.
  
−
The front light snapped in easily.
+
=== Remove the front overhead console ===
  
−
Now the back lights operates independently the same as the front: either off, on or open with the doors.  
+
Take out the front light using a small flat screwdriver in the recess at the front. Disconnect the wiring.
  
−
I didn't know whether my method of splicing was going to cause my car to go on fire? (I was trying to remember secondary school physics and hoping that a big glob of twisted copper does not act as a heater!!) But I fitted the light 7 months ago and there is no sign of singe-ing as yet. (Perhaps someone can suggest proper scotch locks or something...)
+
Open the sunglasses holder and look up at the rear edge - you'll see two black clips latching the console in. Release those with the screwdriver and carefully pull out the console. If it's the first time it's come out, it'll be quite stiff. Be gentle - you don't want to damage the headlining.
  
−
Submitted by Kieran_Mc_Carthy
+
Now remove the black housing of the sunglasses holder - it's held on with two squares of velcro. Just pull it down firmly and remove.
 +
 
 +
=== Install the wiring ===
 +
 
 +
From the front, unroll the tape measure above the headlining towards the rear. You'll probably find it hits the central beam. Reach in as far as you can and gently push the headlining down to get the tape measure underneath and towards your rear lamp hole.
 +
 
 +
Once the tape is out of the rear hole, fix the Y-pieces of the three wires to it with insulating tape, and carefully pull it back towards the front of the car. You should now have three male spades at the back and three male & three female spades at the front.
 +
 
 +
=== Final installation ===
 +
 
 +
Fit the rear surround. You may need to reduce the thickness of the headlining to get the surround's clips to clip over properly.
 +
 
 +
Replace the black sunglasses housing, with your new wiring going around the side to emerge at the front by the existing wiring. The housing just presses back onto the velcro: try to line it up exactly.
 +
 
 +
Re-fit the overhead console with the interior light wiring (original and new) dangling out of the hole.
 +
 
 +
At this point, you should disconnect the battery negative lead or at least pull the interior light fuse. I did it all live but took great care. Your call.
 +
 
 +
Plug the three male spades to the rear light, noting which colour wire goes where. The single connection on the lamp is 12V live, and the two together are door ajar ground and permanent ground.
 +
 
 +
Now connect the same colour wires to the corresponding terminals on the front lamp, and plug the female spades into the matching connections on the original connector. If there is any exposed metal in these connections, insulate it well. Make sure the spades are properly mated - if they are the type with a hole in the middle, they should click into place.
 +
 
 +
Replace the battery connection or fuse, and check the lights operate correctly in all nine combinations of front and rear switch.
 +
 
 +
If all is well, fit both lamp units into place and enjoy your extra illumination.
  
 
[[Category:Styling]]
 
[[Category:Styling]]
 
[[Category:Mk3]]
 
[[Category:Mk3]]

Revision as of 05:45, 31 October 2008

This is a fairly simple modification, but involves cutting your headliner. There is lots of scope for expensive mistakes, so take lots of care. Measure everything multiple times, and don't proceed on any step without a lot of checking.

Parts Required

  • Light unit (Finis Code 4363929 - with map lights) - or try eBay for the single light version
  • Surround (Finis Code 1256557)

Tools

  • Sharp craft knife or Stanley knife
  • Small flat-bladed screwdriver
  • Three different coloured lengths of reasonable thickness wire (rated at more than 1A, or 2A if you're fitting maplights too), about 130cm each minimum
  • Wire strippers
  • Retracting metal tape measure
  • Six female red spade connectors (take your light along to make sure you get the right size)
  • Three male red spade connectors
  • Crimping tool or soldering equipment
  • Heatshrink, ideally
  • Insulating tape
  • Some foam blocks, expanded polystyrene or similar padding

Mk3IntFrontlight.jpg

Method

Fit the surround

The surround has fold-out clips that fix to the headlining. Don't break these off or over-flex them.

Check that the light will fit into the surround - you will need to move the clips for this. There were two bits of plastic that stopped mine from fitting properly. I cut the offending bits of plastic off and it fitted. Take the light out of the surround.

Mark out where you want to place your rear light. The hatchback rear light is roughly 34cm from the back of the headlining to the back edge of the fitted surround, with the switch towards the rear of the car. Make sure you have it central and straight, too! If you choose to have it further forward, watch out for the central roof beam which you can feel by pressing the headliner up. You're unlikely to want the light that far forward, though.

Cut out the shape of the surround with the knife. Push it through the headlining firmly but in a controlled manner - you don't want a dent in your roof sheet metal! Cut with a sawing action. Start by making the hole too small and gradually make it bigger until it is a perfect fit. Don't permanently fit the surround yet.

Now make up some blocks of foam or other padding to fit between the headlining and the roof at the rear and sides of the hole (not the front, as the wiring will be coming from there!). This is to hold the headlining in position when the swithc is being operated - it prevents the light unit knocking into the roof metal.

Prepare the wiring

Fit a female spade to one end of each of the wires, crimping or soldering as you choose. At the other end, make a small Y-section of wire. Insulate the join of the Y very well, preferably with heatshrink. Fit a male spade on one leg of the Y and a female on the other.

Remove the front overhead console

Take out the front light using a small flat screwdriver in the recess at the front. Disconnect the wiring.

Open the sunglasses holder and look up at the rear edge - you'll see two black clips latching the console in. Release those with the screwdriver and carefully pull out the console. If it's the first time it's come out, it'll be quite stiff. Be gentle - you don't want to damage the headlining.

Now remove the black housing of the sunglasses holder - it's held on with two squares of velcro. Just pull it down firmly and remove.

Install the wiring

From the front, unroll the tape measure above the headlining towards the rear. You'll probably find it hits the central beam. Reach in as far as you can and gently push the headlining down to get the tape measure underneath and towards your rear lamp hole.

Once the tape is out of the rear hole, fix the Y-pieces of the three wires to it with insulating tape, and carefully pull it back towards the front of the car. You should now have three male spades at the back and three male & three female spades at the front.

Final installation

Fit the rear surround. You may need to reduce the thickness of the headlining to get the surround's clips to clip over properly.

Replace the black sunglasses housing, with your new wiring going around the side to emerge at the front by the existing wiring. The housing just presses back onto the velcro: try to line it up exactly.

Re-fit the overhead console with the interior light wiring (original and new) dangling out of the hole.

At this point, you should disconnect the battery negative lead or at least pull the interior light fuse. I did it all live but took great care. Your call.

Plug the three male spades to the rear light, noting which colour wire goes where. The single connection on the lamp is 12V live, and the two together are door ajar ground and permanent ground.

Now connect the same colour wires to the corresponding terminals on the front lamp, and plug the female spades into the matching connections on the original connector. If there is any exposed metal in these connections, insulate it well. Make sure the spades are properly mated - if they are the type with a hole in the middle, they should click into place.

Replace the battery connection or fuse, and check the lights operate correctly in all nine combinations of front and rear switch.

If all is well, fit both lamp units into place and enjoy your extra illumination.

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