Map light retrofit

[e85w]

Hi all,

I have a 2006 (facelift) 2.5i E85 and want to upgrade the interior light from the current dome light to a map light. I have a map light at the ready with three working bulbs.

A couple of forum posts had lead me to believe this would be plug and play, but as it turns out the connector in my car has only 4/8 pins connected. This is fine for the dome light, but the map light utilises the remaining pins.

My understanding is that generally they were much less generous with pre-wiring in the facelifts. I have considered bridging the map light connections to the centre light, but holding off until I have a better understanding.

My three questions are:
- Has anybody encountered this problem with this retrofit?
- If so, what was your solution?
- Finally, would it be silly to expect to find the necessary wiring tucked away further down the loom? I’m looking at removing the pillar plastic anyway to wire a microphone in so might keep an eye out if so.

 

[Usel]

There should be 5 wires going to the light. The light unit does have 8 pins but it's likely some of the pins are shared ground so don't need a wire.

List down what colour wires you have going to the light and we can tell which one you have missing and hopefully how to rectify it.

 

[e85w]

There should be 5 wires going to the light. The light unit does have 8 pins but it's likely some of the pins are shared ground so don't need a wire.

List down what colour wires you have going to the light and we can tell which one you have missing and hopefully how to rectify it.

Thanks for replying so quickly Usel. I have the following wires that occupy the first (or last) four pins of the connector, in order of outside to in:

Red & blue stripe
Yellow & brown stripe
Brown
Grey & red stripe

 

[Usel]

You are missing a red and yellow wire that comes from the GM5 and goes to pin 1. You currently have wires in pins 5,6,7 and 8

Pin 1 sends power to the two map light switches.

Pin 7 sends power to the main centre switch.

Both pin 1 and 7 are controlled by the GM5.

The main centre light and the map lights are controlled slightly differently. The main centre is slow fade when you lock the car and the map lights just turn off.

Does this mean you can't spur off pin 7 into pin 1?

Is the slow fade controlled on the light switch or the GM5?

Will the map light bulbs handle a slow fade?

Pin 8 is a direct connection to centre light bypassing the switch. Maybe the slow fade is controlled that way from the GM5.

Sorry but I don't have the answers to these questions. My gut feeling is that you can spur off pin 7 into pin 1 and it'll be fine but i don't recommend you do as something may break and I don't want to be blamed for that.

To do it properly you need a 0.5mm² gauge red and yellow wire running from pin 3 on the X332 connector on the GM5 to pin 1 on the interior light.

Hopefully someone has been there and done that and they can shine a light on the situation.