94 850 - Center console passenger courtesy light

Post by **Volvofan94** » 12 Apr 2015, 10:49

Hey MVS,

I have a quick wiring question...how does the courtesy light in the rear of the center console get power? When I removed the center console from the car to fix an issue with the power window switch I noticed a lightbulb was missing in the rear between the two switches. Two wires were left unconnected one was a ground and the other is for +12 volt (it's a pink wire). As a fun project I thought it would be neat to put an LED light in to illuminate the passenger footwell at night. However with everything connected up and the center console reinstalled into the car it didn't work.

I tried turning on and off the headlights and making it night in the garage thinking the light would illuminate when it's dark outside.

The area inside the rectangle on the photo shown below would be where I think a light may be in the center console to illuminate the rear passenger footwell area.

: Light is in between the switches; Light.jpg (26.85 KiB) Viewed 2619 times

Thanks everyone!

-volvofan94

Post by **rspi** » 12 Apr 2015, 11:26

Seems like someone just bragging about having rear heated seats.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 12 Apr 2015, 15:00

I believe the light is tapped off of the same line as the shifter light but there may be an intermediate connector.

...Lee

Post by **kahl** » 12 Apr 2015, 16:10

If you remove the parking brake cover there is a two prong plug for the rear lighter assembly adhered to the drivers side center console.

Post by **Volvofan94** » 12 Apr 2015, 20:56

Thanks everyone for the replies! Much appreciated.

Thanks kahl and Ozark Lee, I will look in both suggested areas and see what's there. I'll post back an update. My goal is to get it working and document the steps if it works.

I also noticed the pink (+12 volt) and ground wire mentioned above runs to the main connector for the front heated seats and the other illumination features in the center console. I'll check the repair database if we have a center console wiring diagram.

-volvofan94

Post by **erikv11** » 13 Apr 2015, 00:17

Volvofan94 wrote:... put an LED light in to illuminate the passenger footwell at night. However with everything connected up and the center console reinstalled into the car it didn't work. ...

Did you try switching the polarity of the LED? Put a voltmeter on the wires you used, see if they are providing any voltage.

swe280Z · Post by **swe280Z** » 19 Apr 2015, 20:15

Does anyone have a picture of an 850 factory rear lighter? I have an rear console ashtray but would like to install a lighter between where the seat heater switches go to plug in electronics. While I was removing the console, I noticed the rear courtesy light above the ashtray was burnt out. Does anyone have a part # and a reasonable source for a replacement? Any tips for removing that bulb intact?

Post by **Volvofan94** » 20 Apr 2015, 20:44

Thank you everyone again for the replies! Turns out the LED's polarity was correct, but one of the wires came unplugged when I installed the console.

Reconnecting the LED light to the circuit gave it power and it lit up. The back seat floor lights up really well at night.

As a side note, the light is for illuminating the rear seat ashtray at night. It is powered from the vehicle's illumination circuit (the pink wire) which turns the LED light on when the headlights are on. Also found out the LED is dimmable.

Here's the steps I did to install the LED bulb.

Parts needed:
1. 1x SMD LED light (bayonet base style) - eBay (I had leftovers from converting the interior lights to LED) - excellent writeup here: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=35000
2. 1 x Bayonet base holder - I bought mine from RadioShack https://www.fruugo.us/miniature-bayonet-lamp-base/p-1316169-3456631?gclid=CPSjhoOqhsUCFcNffgodLTsA4Q
3. Electrical tape

Steps:
1. Loosen the center console. It doesn't need to be removed from the car, just loosened to get access to the rear light

2. The back piece of the console where the ashtray is can be removed easily to make it easier to install the new LED bulb.

3. Connect bayonet base to the two electrical leads. Then plug in LED bulb.

4. Test the LED's polarity by turning on the vehicle's parking lights or headlights. Either would work. If the LED lights the polarity is correct; if not, switch the wires and test again.

5. After the LED lights, use the electrical tape to attach the electrical leads to the bayonet base and LED bulb. Cover the entire contact surface as shown.

: Finished light assembly.

6. Modify/adjust the factory metal reflector to accept the LED bulb and bayonet base assembly. This will attach the bulb to the back of the center console. I removed the light lens to make it easier for installation. Push the two tabs inward to remove the lens. Also, the metal reflector is above the factory lens for perfect light distribution.

: Adjust metal tab

7. After you get the light installed and tested go ahead and reinstall the clear lens then back panel into the center console.

8. Enjoy the finished result!

: Finished Result!

-volvofan94

Blockpartie · Post by **Blockpartie** » 21 Apr 2015, 01:40

swe280Z wrote:Does anyone have a picture of an 850 factory rear lighter?

A rear lighter was never available as a factory or dealer installed option on the 850s.