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Eidolon
04-23-2010, 08:39 PM
EDIT: I failed to notice when I initially posted this that MIEngineer had already posted up a write-up of how to do this. Check his thread as well for additional tips and pictures on the process. The thread references and part lists below still apply.

It's a relatively simple procedure, but a guide never hurts. It's a quick install, so if you've been missing a glove box light in your 2009 G8, here are the instructions to get you going.

The parts that you need you can find the numbers for in the following posts:


(my) Atari Guage & Glovebox light install (http://forum.grrrr8.net/showthread.php?12052-%28my%29-Atari-Guage-amp-Glovebox-light-install&p=173870&viewfull=1#post173870)
Paul's Breakdown of the parts (http://forum.grrrr8.net/showthread.php?15466-Glove-box-light&p=234786&viewfull=1#post234786)
Paul's parts offer (http://forum.grrrr8.net/showthread.php?16704-Glovebox-Light-amp-Console-Light)
If you want the white light for your glove box instead of smoked (http://forum.grrrr8.net/showthread.php?15466-Glove-box-light&p=235798&viewfull=1#post235798)


You can find all these parts at any GM parts supplier, and PacePerformance (http://paceperformance.com/), one of our board vendors, also carries them. From Pace, the parts will run you around $28+shipping with the GRRRR8 discount.

I personally ordered the following three from Pace:


92172574 - F-HARNESS
94580496 - F-SWITCH
12787007 - LAMP

That said, let's get on to the process!

Step 1
Know your enemy - The lightless glovebox! (OK, OK, I had a picture I needed to use.)
http://forum.grrrr8.net/eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step1.jpghttp://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step1.jpg

Step 2
There are three screws beneath the silver trim piece, so you'll need to remove it. There's plenty of space for you to insert your fingers beneath and to pull. Start at the ends and work you way in, popping it halfway out at first and only pulling it out completely once you have the snaps worked loose. The plastic is flimsy, so be careful. The picture below shows the trim piece out and lying in the glovebox. Note the location of the snaps.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step2.jpg

Steps 3 & 4
Now you'll need to pry off the plastic covers to the left and right of the glovebox which cover another screw apiece. Each has a small insert in it for you to insert a flathead screwdriver in and gently pry it out. Do one side, then the other. The picture above shows them in place, while the pictures below show the screws after the covers are removed.
Left
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step3.jpg
Right
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step4.jpg

Step 5
Finally, there are two screws on the bottom of the glovebox assembly. They're hidden beneath a piece of plastic trim that also helps hide some of the ductwork for the A/C system. Pop this loose by gently pulling. The picture below shows the trim piece once it's out. Concentrate your pulling on the locations of the snaps, which are the white clips.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step5.jpg

Step 6
Now, remove all those screws you just uncovered! The screws are all the same size, so you don't need to keep track of where they were, and the glovebox won't fall on top of you when the last screw is out. The glovebox is a single unit and you'll have to pull it out as such. There are two plastic pins at the top that slide into the dash, so pull straight, being careful to note that the right side of the box will catch on the dash-end trim piece. At this stage, I would recommend removing said trim piece on the far right, as it will make your job a little easier. The photo below shows the glovebox unmounted and the trim piece removed.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step6.jpg

Step 7
The glovebox will now be free to move except for the cable which runs over the back of the box to the trunk release button and terminates in a bus connector. This connector is, of course, still connected.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step8.jpg

The replacement harness will have all the necessary snaps on it to completely replace the existing harness, plus the needed plugs for the light, so don't worry about trying to salvage parts of the old harness.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step7.jpg

The connector you need to disconnect is behind a metal brace. Use your thumb to reach through the hole in said brace and press the nub on top of the connector while pulling gently. It will disengage and slide free.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step9.jpg

Congratulations, your glovebox should now be completely free of your car!

Step 8
Now take a moment to use a pair of pliers and gently work free the snaps holding the stock harness in place. Set it aside, or simply trash it. You won't be needing it again.

When you bought your parts from Greg, you should have ordered and received a switch and a lamp assembly. The switch will go in the square, protruding hole you see in the center of picture below.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step10.jpg

The lamp assembly, meanwhile, will go in the rectangular hole in this picture. In this picture I have not yet removed the stock harness. It's up to you when you do so.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step11.jpg

If you want to remove the retention mechanism so that the glovebox hangs free, simply to make it easier to work on, then look on the right side and remove the loop from over the post.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step12.jpg

Now, go ahead and pop in the switch and the light. Both should face into the assembly. I don't have a picture of the installed switch, unfortunately, but the light assembly will appear as below. This is a view from the top of the glovebox, the portion you won't see once it's reinstalled. You'll want to make sure it faces to the left like this, otherwise you'll have fun with the wiring later.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step13.jpg

Step 9
Now run the new harness! Use the snaps provided on the harness to lock it in place as was the original. The bus connector and the connector that will fit into the trunk button are identical to the old harness. The two new sets of wires will be for the light and switch. The purple and red will be for the light, while the purple and black should be run to the switch location. I personally snapped the harness into the hole available right next to the switch location as seen in the finished picture below. As for how to connect the cables to the light and to the switch, it does not matter which cable you connect to which side (polarity doesn't matter). Do whatever is easier.
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step14.jpg

Step 10
Now it's time to start putting the glovebox back in! Don't worry about connecting the harness to the car just yet, as it's a pain to try to do so when the glovebox is dangling. Instead, push the glovebox carefully into place. It'll probably take a few tries, and the easiest way is to insert the assembly more or less at the angle it will sit at when installed. Note, if you removed the retention string back in Step 8, make sure to reconnect it before reinserting the glovebox! Make sure the screw holes line up.

Now, the cover on the underside of the dash should still be absent, so you'll have access to the dangling harness. Now that the glovebox is seated, reach up and in and slide the new harness's bus connector into the white receiver you removed the old one from in Step 7. Face the nub on the connector toward the back of the car just as it was on the old connector. Open your glovebox and voila, you should have the result below!
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step15.jpg

Step 11
Now, put the screws back in and reinstall the trim piece beneath the glovebox. If back in Step 6 you decided to remove the end piece from the dash, reinstall it now before you reinstall the silver trim piece. Once that's in place, carefully snap the silver trim piece back into place. I found the snaps on the ends to be the most finnicky, so make sure they're properly lined up and inserted, then press the whole piece into place.


Annnnd you're done!

Closed...
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step16.jpg

Open! Let there be light!
http://eidolways.com/images/G8/GloveBox/Step17.jpg

_________________________

That's all there is to it. Again, I realize this is a pretty simple modification, but it was my first time breaking into the interior on this car. Hopefully it encourages a few others to get started. :thumbsup:

Snakey
04-24-2010, 05:15 AM
Awesome write-up! Planning on doing this myself and now I feel comfortable doing it! Gotta love the GRRRR8.net members!

Thanks a lot!

ghodge
04-25-2010, 10:03 AM
I just did this mod yesterday. One tip I would add to the excellent guide posted is to use needle nose pliers to squeeze the black plastic prongs to release the connector that the harness connects to. I couldn't get the old harness loose by fishing my hand around the metal bracket that harness connector was mounted to. After releasing the connector from the brace, I could easily see how to disconnect the old harness. After I got done with everything, I just pushed the prongs back through the hole in the brace and all was well. This corresponds to the last picture shown in Step 7.

DZG8GT
04-25-2010, 04:51 PM
I did the same thing about 6 months ago. The only difference was I had a light that had a white lens as opposed to a clear one. Gave off less light. I might order the one you have and use the other for the center console light. Brighter is better in the box!

Modhauler
04-26-2010, 03:40 AM
Very nice write up!!!! I still have to put mine in but I can't do it until the car gets out of the garage. Write ups like this are very helpful to people that need photos, especially when it's a new car or new at modding (even what some consider "simple" things).

Seattle09GT
04-26-2010, 11:48 AM
Excellent write up with great pictures! I'm waiting for a quiet Sunday afternoon where it isn't raining to get this done - I've had these parts sitting for months!

TxNessie84
04-26-2010, 12:58 PM
Excellent write-up. Thanks for doing it.

peterg22000
05-12-2010, 08:37 PM
juat waiting for the spare time, I got all the parts from CP this week, good write up.

MIEngineer
05-13-2010, 05:45 PM
Already posted, but great write up. Doesn't hurt to have multiple ones - new tips & tricks are posted that way

peterg22000
05-14-2010, 01:23 PM
ok, so this was a great write up, a touch over complicated, but great non the less, I got this mod done is UNDER ten mins, possibly closer to 5 mins...

PMD G8
10-12-2010, 07:50 PM
Just posting up a pic of my glovebox lighting. Used the stock harness and switch. After installing the dim light I decided to switch over to LED strips. Now I can see EVERYTHING in my glovebox. lol

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii154/PMDG8/IMG_4445DesktopResolution.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii154/PMDG8/IMG_4447DesktopResolution.jpg

travis gore
10-13-2010, 02:30 AM
nice write up. thanks for taking the time to share with all of us.

Eidolon
03-24-2011, 08:35 AM
Already posted, but great write up. Doesn't hurt to have multiple ones - new tips & tricks are posted that way
By the way, it's been nearly a year, but I don't know that I ever apologized to you for double posting the same guide. I completely failed to notice that you'd already posted up a write-up with pics and all. My apologies, man!

MIEngineer
04-06-2011, 11:42 AM
By the way, it's been nearly a year, but I don't know that I ever apologized to you for double posting the same guide. I completely failed to notice that you'd already posted up a write-up with pics and all. My apologies, man!

Haha, there are absolutely no apologies needed in any case. It is always great to have multiple threads/perspectives. Where one may miss something, another picks it up! Great thread :)

PMD G8 - Great idea on the LEDs. I ended up switching to the clear lenses on my glove box and my next project - going for the console light. :)

Nice work!

I12XLR8
04-07-2011, 05:12 AM
ok, so this was a great write up, a touch over complicated, but great non the less, I got this mod done is UNDER ten mins, possibly closer to 5 mins...

Got mine done fairly quicky but notice as soon as I pulled my box out that the pin which the shock string attachs to is busted!?!?! I had never paid much attention to the fact that I had been lowering the box open myself instead of letting the shock do the work. Now I have to find someway to fix it...

Should I just drill a small hole in what remains of the pin and put a screw in their? Does anyone think that will hold or should I just get a new box?

Eidolon
04-07-2011, 06:11 AM
Got mine done fairly quicky but notice as soon as I pulled my box out that the pin which the shock string attachs to is busted!?!?! I had never paid much attention to the fact that I had been lowering the box open myself instead of letting the shock do the work. Now I have to find someway to fix it...
The same thing happened to me. The post was thin. Real thin. So in time it just snapped from use. I took my car in to my dealer and they replaced the door under warranty. The new door has a noticeably larger post. So apparently this issue was actually caught and corrected back at Holden and we just didn't get the right part in time.


Should I just drill a small hole in what remains of the pin and put a screw in their? Does anyone think that will hold or should I just get a new box?
A screw would likely be visible from inside the box or may impede the smooth operation of the door. The install would be easy, so I'd post up a request in the Parts Thread asking for the part number, then price it out for a new box. If the new box is prohibitively expensive, then I'd look into a hack-job.

EDIT: By the way, all you need is the door, and you may be able to get it as a separate part. You don't need the entire module, since the upper half, to which the cylinder is attached and in which your new light sits, is perfectly OK.

I12XLR8
04-07-2011, 10:38 AM
[QUOTE=Eidolon;357410]The same thing happened to me. The post was thin. Real thin. So in time it just snapped from use. I took my car in to my dealer and they replaced the door under warranty. The new door has a noticeably larger post. So apparently this issue was actually caught and corrected back at Holden and we just didn't get the right part in time.[QUOTE=Eidolon;357410]

Did they notice that you had just put in the glove box light? I was thinking about going through GM for it but don't know what to say - "I was modifying my car and something broke...can you replace it for free?" :facepalm2:

I guess it's worth a try...

Oooops...my quote failed miserably.

Eidolon
04-07-2011, 10:49 AM
Did they notice that you had just put in the glove box light? I was thinking about going through GM for it but don't know what to say - "I was modifying my car and something broke...can you replace it for free?" :facepalm2:

I guess it's worth a try...

They didn't say a thing. The 2008's came with the light, so I guess they assumed mine had come with it or else they didn't care. Part of it was that the new door had the obviously beefier post. So it had to have been a known issue.


Oooops...my quote failed miserably.

Quotes use [ QUOTE ] tags that should be "opened" and "closed". "Closing" is always accomplished via a forward slash: [ / QUOTE ]. So to quote a string, you do [ QUOTE ] this [ / QUOTE ] . Just remove the spaces. Check the forum BBCode help (http://forum.grrrr8.net/misc.php?do=bbcode) for more.

speedisking
04-19-2011, 10:53 AM
Got mine done fairly quicky but notice as soon as I pulled my box out that the pin which the shock string attachs to is busted!?!?! I had never paid much attention to the fact that I had been lowering the box open myself instead of letting the shock do the work. Now I have to find someway to fix it...

Should I just drill a small hole in what remains of the pin and put a screw in their? Does anyone think that will hold or should I just get a new box?

I was installing a set of VIM cables for a local guy and when I got the box out the end was just barely hanging on and as soon as I touched it...it broke off. I filed it flat and put a course thread screw in it and that worked great and was not noticeable at all. Its sounds like they will take care of it under warranty but if thats up then a screw works well. As for them noticing the light...they don't care. They will have no clue that the car didn't come with it from the factory you are using all factory components. If they say something ask them if that part had a shorter than expected planned obsolescence term. HaHaHa

I12XLR8
04-19-2011, 12:24 PM
I was installing a set of VIM cables for a local guy and when I got the box out the end was just barely hanging on and as soon as I touched it...it broke off. I filed it flat and put a course thread screw in it and that worked great and was not noticeable at all. Its sounds like they will take care of it under warranty but if thats up then a screw works well. As for them noticing the light...they don't care. They will have no clue that the car didn't come with it from the factory you are using all factory components. If they say something ask them if that part had a shorter than expected planned obsolescence term. HaHaHa

They just ordered me a new glove box without question once I showed it to them. I really wanted to get them to order me a box before I got my LED's installed - I figured that when they saw the LED bar in the box they would back away with their hands in the air and tell me that the installer must have broken it!

speedisking
04-19-2011, 01:05 PM
They just ordered me a new glove box without question once I showed it to them. I really wanted to get them to order me a box before I got my LED's installed - I figured that when they saw the LED bar in the box they would back away with their hands in the air and tell me that the installer must have broken it!

What LED bar did you go with. I get stuff from China on the slow boat all the time so I was going to look around but if you have any tips on what you found that would be awesome. I have a multimedia unit in the top part of the box so I need something low pro but enough light so I can see to plug stuff like SD cards or hard drives into the unit. I also want to see if I can figure out what the factory plug numbers are so I can try and build my own harness and maybe instead of the standard factory switch I might mount my own. I keep a pistol in there sometimes and I don't want the light to come on every time I open the box.

I12XLR8
04-19-2011, 05:46 PM
What LED bar did you go with. I get stuff from China on the slow boat all the time so I was going to look around but if you have any tips on what you found that would be awesome. I have a multimedia unit in the top part of the box so I need something low pro but enough light so I can see to plug stuff like SD cards or hard drives into the unit. I also want to see if I can figure out what the factory plug numbers are so I can try and build my own harness and maybe instead of the standard factory switch I might mount my own. I keep a pistol in there sometimes and I don't want the light to come on every time I open the box.

You might want to check with Crazy Paul about the harness...usually getting OEM stuff from him is cheaper and way easier than making your own. Just an idea...

The LEDs are being installed by a friend of a friend over Easter. He has contracts with a couple of LEXUS dealers and does private installs on the side. He's never done a G8 before so I'll post how it goes once I get back into town. My buddy had him do his old is300 and his 'new' IS-F and loves the work he does.

speedisking
04-20-2011, 12:06 PM
You might want to check with Crazy Paul about the harness...usually getting OEM stuff from him is cheaper and way easier than making your own. Just an idea...

The LEDs are being installed by a friend of a friend over Easter. He has contracts with a couple of LEXUS dealers and does private installs on the side. He's never done a G8 before so I'll post how it goes once I get back into town. My buddy had him do his old is300 and his 'new' IS-F and loves the work he does.

I look forward to seeing it...

LDM
04-25-2011, 08:58 AM
I just installed this using parts I got from Was Slow: G8 Glove Compartment Light Kit (http://wasslow.com/WAS92172574-G8GloveCompartmentLightKit.aspx). I've had my dash apart and glove box out before so I knew what to expect, but Eidolon's write up is spot on for anyone who's never done it before. The only thing I did different was I snapped the part of the harness that goes to the switch into a different hole instead of the one right next to the switch. Here's where I did it: http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz352/lenmartin23/G8/P4250013.jpg

95_9C1
09-10-2011, 04:25 PM
* 92172574 - F-HARNESS
* 94580496 - F-SWITCH
* 12787007 - LAMP


i find it interesting that these parts are produced all over the world:


the switch is made in KOREA

the lamp is made in AUSTRIA

and the harness is made in WESTERN SAMOA

GXPaycheck
09-11-2011, 04:55 AM
And the installers were made in the goos oldl US of A!

Mine is waiting to go in. The pin on my box is broke as well. Gonna see if they can get me an '08 box since the upper shelf is bigger.

MIEngineer
09-20-2011, 11:35 AM
Never paid attention to the 08 box. The shelf is larger?

terryscott621
09-21-2011, 06:43 AM
Never paid attention to the 08 box. The shelf is larger?

The 08's actually have an upper shelf that extend farther toward the front of the glovebox. The 09's seem to have a mini upper shelf compared to the 08's I had to make an upper shelf for my 09 to put my ps2 in the glove box. Total cost of shelf was about $10.


Terry Scott
San Antonio, TX