for a + u might have to pull form a radio or from teh battery....but u can ground anywhere really...
for a + u might have to pull form a radio or from teh battery....but u can ground anywhere really...
Get a light from a junk yard (allhyundaiisuzu - don't know the web site) and wire it into your existing dome light. If you use a snake (or coat hanger) to fish the wires, you can hook it right into the existing wiring there. When you open the doors, it will come on with the original, or you can push it on. If you want it to work with the back door, wire in a pin switch to the back door as well. This will activate all your lights when the back door is open.
"If you're not living on the edge --- you're taking up too much space!!"
If you think the lack of a rear dome light is annoying, wait until you have to take the keys out of the ignition to open the rear door five or six times! The fix for this is a fix for BOTH problems... get Tone's rear door popper kit (see http://tonemonday.com). A LOT of the people on this board have gotten and installed it - it is almost a required mod for the VX.
Benefits:
- gives you a push-button switch for the dash or center console that will pop open the rear door
- wires the rear door into the alarm system (no, it is not connected to the alarm system normally)
- makes the dome light turn on when the rear door is opened
These are really surprisingly bad shortcomings of the stock VX design, but they are easily fixed with the door popper kit. You could collect all of the parts yourself for cheaper than the $130 Tone is charging, but his kit is complete and it works.
Good luck, and welcome to the family!
I agree with Viehigaz, one of the best mods that was done to mine. If I remember correctly it has a trooper domelight in the back and also has a manual on/off switch on the light itself. Just make sure you put it back far enough so the rear seats dont cast a shadow of the area your trying to light up.
Those are great mods that you'll love. In the meantime, there's no need to take the key out of the ignition to get in the back door or back into your home. Get a two-part key chain and keep a second ignition key with your other keys. You could even keep it running and lock the door as you make a quick stop at a mini-mart.
Mark
Last edited by deermagnet : 02/23/2006 at 08:04 AM
I used a 1st gen Rodeo rear cargo light in Ruflyf's VX. It was small and had a built in switch. Wiring was fairly easy, just remember that most dome lights use a switched ground (from the door pin switch) and constant positive. This means that for an on-off-auto switch you'd run one postive wire, one ground wire, and one wire from the door pin switch (switched ground). You may be able to connect all 3 easily to the front dome light, but in his VX the sunroof was in the way. I just installed it when the door popper was being installed. Constant 12V was easy, ground was easy, and I just connected the switched ground to the new rear door pin switch.
-Tad
I’ve been catching up on my VX reading some lately – Glad I spotted this one.
I really like the idea of combining Tad’s rear dome light fix with Tone’s popper – Hopefully I’ll get around to doing both soon…
Those weekly Friday night Wally World load-outs are starting to get pretty old without illumination –-- And I finally realized why the popper is such a cool mod when I was standing at the back door with my keys in my right hand, and a 12-count case of ATF under my left arm… (3-2-1-) “DUH!”
"This trail is so bumpy, it's knocking my bra straps off!" - Miss Kathy