2020 Kia E-Niro VESS/Reverse Chime defeat solution

Thanks 3XG for that excellent walkthrough! Are these the taps you used? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MPW54G

 

Thanks... happy to add a couple of cents to the discussion!

Those taps look like the ones I used. I bought the pack with assorted sizes, not knowing which ones would fit. Turns out the red, smallest size ended up fitting the small wires we are concerned with the best.

I thought about trying the bigger size for the ground, but I wouldn't recommend it as I didn't feel like the metal spike would reliably go through the center of the wire and contact the metal. I bet it would also open up the insulation so much that you would need to tape it or do some other repair if you ever need to take it all out someday (e.g. returning the car at the end of the lease).

Good luck with the project. Let us know how it goes!

 

Pleasee post pics of this as i really need this done on mine asap. Thanks in advance!

 

Did you notice you are post #103?

Try looking at post #1

 

Did this today! Took me about an hour, most of which was trying to get the panels off without beating them up too much. Thanks again to ENirogus and 3XG for the awesome instructions and photos.

Some points that may be helpful for future installers:

• I bought this set of taps and used the smallest red ones: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081PVPZZM
• You’ll need a crimping tool for the terminals, if you don’t have one yet this $7 one did the trick: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073YG65N2
• Bought the 16mm switch with a blue light that others mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GTJ3VJJ
  • The wiring from switch to Niro crash pad was:
    • Blue -> Blue with black stripe
    • Red -> Pink
    • Black and green twisted together -> either of the 2 Black
• I plan to drill a hole for the button, ordered a backup fuse panel for $30 that should be a color match: https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/kia-cover-assembly-fuse-box-84753q4ab0wk

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Here’s a video of the button in action, toggling VESS while the reverse alarm is beeping (the other beeping you hear is just the “door open” alarm): https://imgur.com/a/rV2w0KE

 

Any way to use a button that automatically switches the VESS back on after a ten second delay, so I don’t forget after backing out of my driveway? Something like this maybe: DC 12V Timer Module,Adjustable Timer Delay Turn Off Module Timing Relay Time Switch 1~10sec
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SL5HBZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_H3KACRCQMKE4TXKTJQKB

 

poot:

I was wondering what the gauge of the wire was, how did you decided to use the red vs the blue connector on the wires? Too small of a one can cut strands, and unfortunately you don't know unless you pull it apart and inspect.

Greg

 

True... that's perhaps another reason to go with the screw-in, point piercing kind of tap. Mostly eliminates the fear of damaging the wire strands (in my mind at least).

 

Thanks, did not notice wire size in diagram, excellent!

Greg

 

With great gratitude to this thread, I can now turn off the VESS at will. Freedom from din!

When we test drove our 2022 Niro EV, the reverse sound was the one thing that could have been a deal killer. While I am reasonably handy and could no doubt have followed 3XG's excellent writeup, I knew that it might take me 2+ hours, involve a fair bit of profanity, and perhaps some damage to the pristine interior of the car. My wife knew this too, and authorized me to find a pro to do it. So I called up a great local car electronics installer and had him do it for me in 45 minutes my driveway for $150. I couldn't be more happy with the result. I did have him put the button in the upper left corner of the fuse cover for viewability and access reasons.

To make things easier to explain, I compiled 3XG's step-by-step into a PDF document, attached here for anyone's use.

For those who don't want to DIY it, and are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I would highly recommend Jason at Custom Car Electronics to do the install. My car was the first one he has done, but he said he'd be happy to do more. And he makes house calls.

Dave

 

Thanks for creating and posting the PDF. Very helpful.

 

Congrats and thanks for creating the PDF and adding the helper links! Now you can print it and bring it out to the car. Excellent!

 

@Greg Elmassian: Did you ever get to try your capacitive switch idea? I had the same idea and found your post earlier in this thread.

Also saw this reddit thread with some guys who installed a switch into the VESS blank in the panel https://www.reddit.com/r/KiaNiroEV/comments/ot0e7e/vess_defeat_switch_solution/

I'm dreaming of a hybrid where a capacitive switch is installed in the VESS blank for a potentially full incognito install. In the photos in the reddit thread there might even be a place to solder the switch connections without having to tap into any wires.

I haven't worked much with capacitive switches. Would the touch sensitivity be local enough? or would touching part of the switch cluster cause it to change modes? Any comments appreciated.

Another alternative might be to 3D print a functioning switch insert and solder onto the circuit board the appropriate missing elements . Looks like a momentary surface mount button, a resistor and an LED may be all that is needed. Might take some research to determine the proper switch make and model.

 

I wish I had seen this post yesterday, that crash pad install looks super clean. Is there a crash pad switch part available? I’m weary of making a non-reversible change. I have a 3D printer, but I don’t have experience creating new designs.

I spent time scrounging around my soldering kit and parts bin to make a solution that lets me disconnect the switch since I wasn’t ready to drill my fuse panel without getting a replacement panel (but tascaparts canceled my order). My skills were kind of rusty, but I think it should work. I was a bit confused because my switch was different from Gus and 3XG with two NO pins, as well as +,- for the LED.

 

So I went looking to see if there was a switch cover available to pair with the approach in that Reddit thread to make that mod completely reversible.

What I found instead was that the entire 2020 EV traction control switch cluster is available for $80:
https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/kia-tract-control-switch-93700g5fb0wk?origin=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQiAybaRBhDtARIsAIEG3kmW3oMd4_SBjweNJ68plmMMoyNqRNRizN1PwrLaJMnUW1Jtb1-diTMaAgCCEALw_wcB

This seems like a great way to get a clean install, you can mod this replacement switch panel to your hearts content, soldering the button to the connector pins like those Redditors did.

Actually, given the simplicity of the PCB, you could probably cut the traces going to the switch/LED pads on the replacement panel PCB behind the blank slot, patch the appropriate signals from the connector, and solder in a tactile switch, resistor, and LED. If the blind spot sensor button fits in the blank slot, you would have a full OEM look (aside from having two blind spot sensor buttons).

The thing that's giving me pause about this is that the parts suppliers all claim that the 2020 EV Traction Control Panel is not compatible with the 2021 Niro EV, and I have a 2022. I think they should be identical based on what we've seen here, but I don't know for sure and none of these parts suppliers have easy return policies (TASCA seems to allow returns if the parts are still sealed, which may not be enough for me to confirm equivalence).

 

I paid someone to remove my bumper and unplug the connector for VESS. It took him 20 minutes.