2021 Kona EV (Preferred) conversion to LED (exterior and interior)

[navguy12]

I'm starting a new thread to capture any lessons learned that I will encounter when I upgrade the lamps in my wife's new 2021 Kona EV (Preferred).

Following her on her drive home with her new car, I noted the "delay" of the incandescent turn signal bulbs (rear bumper) versus the LED built into the exterior rear view mirror.

All the rear brake lamps (all red lamp housings) are LED, but the turn signals are not...and it looks unsettling to my eye.

So, in any event, I'm going to want to swap out all the external lamps (with the possible exception of the hi-beams) and the internal lamps (with the exception of the vanity mirror lamps).

This is a shot of the actual bulb chart from the owners manual:



Any firm I contact at this point cannot tell me definitively if their 2020 bulbs will fit in my wife's 2021.

My first ask from the community: could you look at your 2018/2019/2020 bulb chart and confirm what the circled bulbs list at?

After Labor Day weekend, I'll probably remove each bulb, take some pictures and measurements and post them here for comparison/comments.

Next time I'm at the dealership, I'll see if the part numbers for the 2021 (lamp housings and bulbs) are the same for the 2020 as that will also determine what will and will not fit...unless there is a proven good online source for Hyundai parts using actual part numbers to confirm compatibility.

Cheers.

 

[Anaglypta]

Hello @navguy12 ,

You could try this site - I've browsed to Kona Electric 2019 ultimate Electrical Bulbs

John.

 

[apu]

or https://www.hyundaipartsdeal.com/

 

[navguy12]

Hello @navguy12 ,

You could try this site - I've browsed to Kona Electric 2019 ultimate Electrical Bulbs

John.

or https://www.hyundaipartsdeal.com/

Thanks for the links. Unfortunately, neither site can link me to 2021 parts (yet).

I looked at the exterior of both the front and rear (applicable) housings to see if I could see an actual SAE code/part number.

Can't find any.

On both the port and starboard back-up lamp/rear signal lamp assemblies, I found two rows of characters as follows:

22168 "a circle with E9 in the center" F1 AR 2o 1B "a circle with "CCC" in the center, and
22170 "the bottom half of the E9....." 00 00 01 02

On the headlamps, other than the lamp beam alignment circles, all they have is:

MOBIS DOT VOR

I'm going to put the car up on my hoist tomorrow afternoon to access the rear lamps as well as pull the front halogen bulbs out and see what they look like.

I'll post pictures and results then.

Cheers.

 

[Vince08]

Your bulb wattage page is IDENTICAL to my YOM 2019 right hand drive Kona. I don't intend to change my backup or turn signal lights so I have not opened to see what type of bulb is in there. I personally think those are "safety critical" bulbs so best to stay with the factory fitted ones.

As for the map lamp, it is a standard wedge bulb that can be replaced with an equivalent LED bulb. Nevertheless, I did not change mine as I find the 10W halogen bulb is bright enough. There is also plenty of space to install a bright LED bulb if you so prefer. I did change out all my Festoon bulbs to a brighter LED ones.

Just a word of caution about LED bulb colour temperature...it varies a lot!!! You will never know how it will look until you install it.

 

[navguy12]

Thanks Vince08.

Today, I removed and catalogued the exterior bulbs I actually have in the car.

First, the front headlamp (any numbers/letters on the bulb assembly are written on the paper in the photo(s)):






If anyone has their disused OEM halogen sitting on a shelf, does mine look the same?

Front signal lamp (amber, has two filaments, two locking tabs 180* apart but not on same plane):






Continued with next post...

 

[navguy12]

My remaining exterior bulbs...

Rear signal lamp is different than the front unit (amber, has only one filament, two locking tabs NOT 180* apart AND ARE on same plane):



And finally, the backup lamp (clear, has only one filament, two locking tabs 180* apart and on same plane):



Thanks.

 

[electriceddy]

My remaining exterior bulbs...

Rear signal lamp is different than the front unit (amber, has only one filament, two locking tabs NOT 180* apart AND ARE on same plane):

View attachment 9085 View attachment 9086 View attachment 9087 View attachment 9088

And finally, the backup lamp (clear, has only one filament, two locking tabs 180* apart and on same plane):

View attachment 9089 View attachment 9090 View attachment 9091 View attachment 9092

Thanks.

Thanks for the pictures, can't help you with the front headlamp as I have the Ultimate model with LED, but there should be more out there who have a preferred model with more info. At the time the Ultimate was the only model available to pre-order (July 2018). The only one that would interest me would be the back up lamp into a higher intensity LED, was it easy to get to?

 

[electriceddy]

Thanks Vince08.

Today, I removed and catalogued the exterior bulbs I actually have in the car.

First, the front headlamp (any numbers/letters on the bulb assembly are written on the paper in the photo(s)):

View attachment 9075
View attachment 9076
View attachment 9077
View attachment 9078

If anyone has their disused OEM halogen sitting on a shelf, does mine look the same?

Front signal lamp (amber, has two filaments, two locking tabs 180* apart but not on same plane):

View attachment 9079
View attachment 9080
View attachment 9081
View attachment 9082

Continued with next post...

Weird how the indicator bulbs tabs are NOT on the same plane, interesting to know, I don't think I have ever seen that, thanks.

 

[KiwiME]

To prevent you from installing a clear bulb perhaps?

 

[navguy12]

Thanks for the pictures, can't help you with the front headlamp as I have the Ultimate model with LED, but there should be more out there who have a preferred model with more info. At the time the Ultimate was the only model available to pre-order (July 2018). The only one that would interest me would be the back up lamp into a higher intensity LED, was it easy to get to?

The back up lamp was the easier of the two, but I had the luxury of standing under the car to work on the open area.

If you don't mind working with a creeper, then it isn't an issue with the appropriate under chassis trim piece removed.

 

[navguy12]

To prevent you from installing a clear bulb perhaps?

I guess that makes sense.

It has to be absolutely fool proof for assembly.

 

[electriceddy]

To prevent you from installing a clear bulb perhaps?

Looking at this list in the Group 2 category for signalling lamps appears as confusing as ever, with no standard prevailing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automotive_light_bulb_types

 

[Vince08]

My low beam headlight bulb looks exactly like yours. I have changed out mine to Lasfit LED.


How many backup light bulbs are there in your Kona?

If you do eventually replace your back up light with a LED bulb, do share with us the outcome. Thanks

 

[KiwiME]

There was a discussion on SpeakEV about the reversing lamp.

 

[electriceddy]

There was a discussion on SpeakEV about the reversing lamp.

Something in between those 2 pictures posted would suit me just fine, I don't want to blind anybody but more visibility would help.

 

[navguy12]

Looking at this list in the Group 2 category for signalling lamps appears as confusing as ever, with no standard prevailing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automotive_light_bulb_types

This just makes my head explode...like VHS versus BETA only cranked to 11...

 

[navguy12]

My low beam headlight bulb looks exactly like yours. I have changed out mine to Lasfit LED.
View attachment 9106

How many backup light bulbs are there in your Kona?

If you do eventually replace your back up light with a LED bulb, do share with us the outcome. Thanks

Vince08 thanks! Now I know that I'm safe to order the Lasfit or any other headlamp LED that will fit a car older than a 2021.

Backup lamps: a grand total of two, one on each side of the vehicle. The bulb shares the same enclosure as the turn signal lamp bulb.

I'll post all results here, with pictures, as they happen.

Novice question: I tried to pry off the lens for the small bulb in the cargo/trunk without scratching up anything and had no luck, even with my usual small nylon trim removal pry tool. What is the "magic trick" to remove that lens without marking things up? Thanks.

 

[mikeselectricstuff]

Weird how the indicator bulbs tabs are NOT on the same plane, interesting to know, I don't think I have ever seen that, thanks.

That is standard for dual-filament lamps, most commonly brake/rear-light, but the question is why is there a dual-filament indicator lamp?

 

[Vince08]

Novice question: I tried to pry off the lens for the small bulb in the cargo/trunk without scratching up anything and had no luck, even with my usual small nylon trim removal pry tool. What is the "magic trick" to remove that lens without marking things up? Thanks.

LOL!...I have the same fear before I pry open any lens or trim. Referring to the manual to see what's the correct edge to pry normally helps. Without that guidance, we may end up trying to pry with excessive force at the wrong edge where the hinges are located. If the cover is quite translucent, we sometimes can see through which is the hinge and which is the "clip" side.