Puddle Lights Install

[Killa200]

Wish I had taken a few picture of the entire install, but by the time I finished up installing this I was too frustrated to get pictures of the car dismantled. For anyone wanting to do this though, I come with tips:

A) The puddle lights come with with individual length affixed cables for each light, and they are going to be "just enough" slack to do the job. How do I know, well the instructions of course! How else do I know you ask?........

B) DO NOT RIVET THE LIGHTS IN PLACE UNTIL LAST! I followed the instructions to a T (the lights are labeled 1 through 4) and it turns out the instructions had the fronts and rears BACKWARDS, which left me with tons of slack on the two wire sets for the fronts, barely enough for the passenger rear, and NOT ENOUGH for the drivers rear. I checked 3 separate times that I had the numbering right knowing they were custom, and I should have waited till the end to use the included rivets (They are a one time plastic crush rivet). Instead of drilling them out and trying for an aluminum rivet on plastic to plastic, I wound up extending the wiring for the one light.

C) Lift door sill trim STRAIGHT UP! Not sideways, not from multiple directions, not ever! There is three metal clips in the trim piece, but also two molded snap clips that attach the trim to the kick panels / b pillars as well as hooks that slide into the kick panels / b pillars. That hooks will break if you don't come straight up with the door trim.

D) The suggested mounting spot for the light module sucks! I'm fairly sure if you do get the pods in the right order you can still do what I wound up doing, which was locating the module directly behind and slightly above the fuse panel instead of the suggested body wall mount just under the front of the fuse panel. Plus if for some reason you need to remove the fuse panel harnesses (remote start anyone?) it will be in the way with the manual's suggested location.

E) Get ready to remove some panels! In total, I removed: Driver's and Passenger's front and rear door sill trim, Driver's and Passenger's Lower and Upper B-Pillar trim, Drivers and Passenger's Front Kick Panels, Driver's lower dash panel, Driver's LH end dash cover, Driver's A-Pillar trim (PLEASE be careful about not stabbing your curtain airbag!) and most of the Driver's and Passenger's rocker cover clips under the car. You will break the clips on the rocker covers and the A-Pillar's safety release clip, and new ones are included due to that.

F) That yellow wire the manual says to be careful with because it is small? IT IS. Small enough so that if you opt for using the included t-taps, that you will need to pre-strip the wire to use them, as they won't pierce the insulation. I wasn't planning on using the taps (I hate them), but hours later and a very tightly bundled 32 wire harness right up against and airbag and windshield makes you think twice about soldering.

Either way, all is done and I love the final product, and hopefully those who want to do it will as well:

 

[Manchuz]

Looks good man! I plan to do the same but I’ll just let the dealership take care of the install. I know it’s a big job. I have the same colour car so nice to see what it looks like. I guess you have to be in total darkness to appreciate the brightness of the LEDs. From the pics, the LEDs look like they have a blue hue. Is that so?

 

[Kia Stinger]

Wish I had taken a few picture of the entire install, but by the time I finished up installing this I was too frustrated to get pictures of the car dismantled. For anyone wanting to do this though, I come with tips:

A) The puddle lights come with with individual length affixed cables for each light, and they are going to be "just enough" slack to do the job. How do I know, well the instructions of course! How else do I know you ask?........

B) DO NOT RIVET THE LIGHTS IN PLACE UNTIL LAST! I followed the instructions to a T (the lights are labeled 1 through 4) and it turns out the instructions had the fronts and rears BACKWARDS, which left me with tons of slack on the two wire sets for the fronts, barely enough for the passenger rear, and NOT ENOUGH for the drivers rear. I checked 3 separate times that I had the numbering right knowing they were custom, and I should have waited till the end to use the included rivets (They are a one time plastic crush rivet). Instead of drilling them out and trying for an aluminum rivet on plastic to plastic, I wound up extending the wiring for the one light.

C) Lift door sill trim STRAIGHT UP! Not sideways, not from multiple directions, not ever! There is three metal clips in the trim piece, but also two molded snap clips that attach the trim to the kick panels / b pillars as well as hooks that slide into the kick panels / b pillars. That hooks will break if you don't come straight up with the door trim.

D) The suggested mounting spot for the light module sucks! I'm fairly sure if you do get the pods in the right order you can still do what I wound up doing, which was locating the module directly behind and slightly above the fuse panel instead of the suggested body wall mount just under the front of the fuse panel. Plus if for some reason you need to remove the fuse panel harnesses (remote start anyone?) it will be in the way with the manual's suggested location.

E) Get ready to remove some panels! In total, I removed: Driver's and Passenger's front and rear door sill trim, Driver's and Passenger's Lower and Upper B-Pillar trim, Drivers and Passenger's Front Kick Panels, Driver's lower dash panel, Driver's LH end dash cover, Driver's A-Pillar trim (PLEASE be careful about not stabbing your curtain airbag!) and most of the Driver's and Passenger's rocker cover clips under the car. You will break the clips on the rocker covers and the A-Pillar's safety release clip, and new ones are included due to that.

F) That yellow wire the manual says to be careful with because it is small? IT IS. Small enough so that if you opt for using the included t-taps, that you will need to pre-strip the wire to use them, as they won't pierce the insulation. I wasn't planning on using the taps (I hate them), but hours later and a very tightly bundled 32 wire harness right up against and airbag and windshield makes you think twice about soldering.

Either way, all is done and I love the final product, and hopefully those who want to do it will as well:View attachment 4689 View attachment 4690 View attachment 4691

It came out pretty good. Thank you for the information!

 

[robz32]

Excellent information. Thanks for sharing your input.
I Didn't think it would be, but after looking at the instructions someone posted and your input, Out of all the OEM mods, I think this is probably the most labor intensive so far.

It would be of help for those looking to tackle this mod, to post where in the instructions is that you found out the lights were backwards.

 

[Kazz]

So next time my wife comes home from the grocery store, drops a can of soup, and it rolls under my car, I could find it more easily!

LOL - nice write up and cool! Enjoy and thanks!

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Doesn't the $240 price listed on the Kia website include install? I am almost certain one dealer told me it did as they said they could install after the fact since they were not aware of any Sunset Yellow versions having these. I am all for DIY but that seems like a lot of work IF $240 included install. If not, were you quoted a price for install?

They look awesome by the way. Too bad Kia didnt include the door handle pocket light on the rear doors as i think that coupled with these would look very nice.

Also, any chance you can post a pic of the underside showing the actual light?

 

[robz32]

Doesn't the $240 price listed on the Kia website include install? I am almost certain one dealer told me it did as they said they could install after the fact since they were not aware of any Sunset Yellow versions having these. I am all for DIY but that seems like a lot of work IF $240 included install. If not, were you quoted a price for install?

They look awesome by the way. Too bad Kia didnt include the door handle pocket light on the rear doors as i think that coupled with these would look very nice.

Also, any chance you can post a pic of the underside showing the actual light?

$240 is just for the lights. Installation labor is additional, which by the looks of it will be about 4-5 hours.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

4-5 hours DIY or 4-5 hours "dealer install" - seems about right for DIY and i would guess 2 hours for dealer?

$240 for a pack of LEDs, some wiring and a module is a healthy margin as well. I may have to review the install sheet and see i can come up with an alternative. Id really like to see how they are mounted and that may be a big part of it.

 

[Bryan3.3]

Mine is at the dealership now getting these installed. Also getting sport pedals, mud guards and the all weather Stinger mats.

 

[DaJackson]

The $240 is the option price when buying the car. It is not the price you would pay to have them installed after taking delivery of the car.

Just like AWD is a $2k option. It would be far more to have AWD installed after you took delivery of a RWD.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Option price when buying the car...good one Seemed like my only option was take it or leave it!!

I suppose they would have said just about anything to close the deal. It was yellow and thats what i wanted so i can live with paying to install these or DIY...all good either way! I was hopeful based on what the dealer said however. I suppose thats why they did not want to add it to the "we owe you list" at that price.

Based on the OP, i may just have to find some lit door sills to replace at the same time since they have to come out anyway and new wiring is going right by there. Id prefer a softer puddle light with a lit door sill. Easy to lightly tint the puddle light to bring down the lumens if needed.

 

[Killa200]

I guess you have to be in total darkness to appreciate the brightness of the LEDs. From the pics, the LEDs look like they have a blue hue. Is that so?

In total darkness they do an impressive job. The picture doesn't quite do it justice but you can see the difference from the brightly lit drivers side versus the shadowy passenger side. They do have a slight blue tint, but its more white than blue. Probably somewhere in the 5500k - 6000k color range.

4-5 hours DIY or 4-5 hours "dealer install" - seems about right for DIY and i would guess 2 hours for dealer?

I'd say it took me 6 hours, but i was BS'ing with a buddy some of that time in the shop as well. 4 hours is probably appropriate if you weren't having to deal with wiring length issues and distractions, and doing it alone. Less if your doing on a lift v.s. jacks.

 

[Killa200]

Also, any chance you can post a pic of the underside showing the actual light?

Absolutely! Excuse the crud, I cleaned up before i installed them, but it is indeed the bottom of a car lol. The clear plastic bit you see has the circuit board with the LED potted into it with a clear epoxy. There is a rubber gasket between the pod itself and the rocker as well.

I also opened up the module that goes in the car to take a look at it, and it comprised of a couple of transistors and caps and resistors (probably for canbus filtering and voltage knock down), and the sockets themselves. Lights are 100% wired in two pairs of series, split between drivers and passengers side. So if you have for instance the front drivers light unplugged, the rear drivers will also not light up.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Thank you sir...perhaps a PM or two coming your way if i go the DIY on this one. If so, ill try to get pics along the entire project! Also looks east to tint should i want to reduce the light output

Well done on this one

 

[Killa200]

Absolutely, I've got no issues helping you out on any questions. Depending on if I can ever source a Korean Wireless Charger section for the center dash I may have the car apart again (though not in all the same places). If I do I'll shoot pictures of some of the wire routing.

 

[Killa200]

Excellent information. Thanks for sharing your input.
I Didn't think it would be, but after looking at the instructions someone posted and your input, Out of all the OEM mods, I think this is probably the most labor intensive so far.

It would be of help for those looking to tackle this mod, to post where in the instructions is that you found out the lights were backwards.

Absolutely, I've highlighted the issues in red. Each of the respective items should be swapped (at least in my case) on those two pages. So Light #1 and #2 swapped, and Light #3 and #4 swapped.

 

[Markjbhansen]

hi any chance of getting the full install instructions as a pdf? i have inquired about these in Australia but the dealer doesn't know if the AU car has the loom needed as it is not here for sale.
thanks

 

[Killa200]

I'll have to check if I still have the documentation past those two pages. If not I'll see if I can hunt it back down.

 

[ShannonC]

hi any chance of getting the full install instructions as a pdf? i have inquired about these in Australia but the dealer doesn't know if the AU car has the loom needed as it is not here for sale.
thanks

This may assist you.
How To Install Puddle Lights

 

[Killa200]

HAH! Glad you found that, I forgot I posted the color manual in that thread along with the original. Man time flies!