Prius LED Glove Box Light
Prius LED Glove Box Light
Items needed:
Disassembly and Installation 1 2 3 4
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6 7
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23 24 25 The LED will be illuminated all of the time that the ignition key is in the "ACC." and the "ON" positions.
Legal Stuff: Do these fixes/mods at your own risk. I have had no
problems completing the ones that I authored, but cannot take responsibility for others' FAQs, nor
for anyone screwing up a procedure listed here.
Flashlight
Plastic Electrical Tape
#2 Phillips Screw driver about 6" long.
A pointed object like a ball point ink pen.
24" of insulated #24 gauge Red wire & 24" of insulated #24 gauge Black wire (Or equivalent).
Bracket to hold LED assembly (see "Build-It-Yourself Bracket.")
9/32" drill bit and drill motor.(to drill the LED mounting Bracket.") 1(each) Green LED Assembly with built-in resistor, Radio Shack #276-271
2(each) Tap-in Squeeze Connectors, Radio Shack #64-3052, only 2 are needed from the pkg. of 10.
Remove Ignition Key from Ignition Switch. Open the Glove Box Locate and remove the (2) Pins that are the stop pins for the glove box pan.
Note: pin removal is easier if you can get the tip of your finger behind the pin to help push the pin out.
Turn the left pin 1/4 turn counterclockwise, then it can be pulled out.
Turn the right pin 1/4 turn clockwise and pull it out. Carefully lower the glove box pan.
Locate the plastic retainers on each side of the side of the Power Outlet & Ash Tray.
Use the point of the ball point pen to Press in the center of each retainer
(pressing the center in 1/8" to release the retainer) 
and then pull the complete retainers out
on each side and save them for reinstallation later.
Open the door covering your CD player in the lower section of the dash.
Use the tips of your fingers under the top edge to ease in getting the clips to release. Gently pull the whole lower bottom section of the dash outward to release it from the 4 clips in the center area,
Build-it-yourself Bracket.
Use a piece of thin strapping to make the LED Bracket.
I found a piece of strapping left over from an in-dash stereo that
I installed some time ago. The only Modification to the strapping was to enlarge, with a drill,
the hole to 9/32".
Drill the hole BEFORE you cut the strapping off as it is easier to clamp down the long piece rather than a short one.
Carefully bend the bracket after it is secured in place (with the phillips screw) above the glove box opening,
to get the LED light to illuminate the glove box pan. Insert the LED into 9/32" hole in the bracket. Install and tighten the small nut and lock washer on the LED mounting threads
with your fingers. Connect 24" of "Red" wire to the "
Red" Wire on the LED. Solder and tape the
connection with plastic electrical tape. Connect 24" of "Black" wire to the "Black" Wire on the LED. Solder and tape the
connection with plastic electrical tape.
Route the 24" "Red" and "Black"
wires that are connected to the LED. Guide the wires down from inside of the glove box opening
along the inside of the plastic dash panel and out where the cigar lighter connectors are located.
Locate the wires that go to the back of the cigar lighter.
Identify the (2)wiring connectors on the back of the cigar lighter.
The "Gray" wire (this is the "+" voltage that
you need to tap into with the Red wire from
the LED).
Locate the "White" with "Black"
line" wire (this is the "-" voltage that you need to tap into with the Black
wire from the LED). Use a wire connector
to connect the "Gray" wire to the Red wire from the LED).
Note: To get a good wire tap connection, I connect this set of 2 wires in just one
side of the Tap-in Squeeze Connector.
Use a wire connector
to connect the "White" wire with the "Black" line wire to the "Black" wire from the LED).
Note: To get a good wire tap connection, I connect this set of 2 wires in just one
side of the Tap-in Squeeze Connector.
With the wires connected as shown.
test your the LED connections.
The LED will Illuminate when the ignition switch is in "Acc." and the "On" positions.
If The LED does not Illuminate recheck all of your connections.
Usually the problem lies with one (or both) wire tap connections at the cigar lighter wires. Turn the Ignition to the "off" position and remove the ignition key. Gently snap the lower dash
panel into place engaging the 4 retainers.
Note: Make sure that the LED wiring does not become pinched between any of the dash components. Install the plastic retainers and press the center pin flush. Remove the Phillips head screw from inside the glove box opening
with a #2 Phillips screw driver. Insert the Phillips screw through the bracket and reassemble the Phillips screw into the same screw hole.
Raise the glove box pan back up into place and insert the (2) pins on each side
of the pan. Turn each of them 1/4 turn the opposite direction that it was turned to remove it. Place the key in the ignition switch and turn it to the "Accessory" position.
Verify that the LED is illuminated.
Make any final aiming of the LED by Bending the metal or wire bracket slightly.
The illumination of the LED will only be seen in the glovebox when the glovebox door is open.
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Last modified: October 31, 2005
Copyright 2005,
Wayne Anderson
